Arshdeep Singh was rested from the three-match T20I series against Australia so that he could do conditioning-related work at the National Cricket Academy for 10 days and come back ‘fitter, stronger and fresher.’ The 23-year-old left-arm seamer was all that and more on Wednesday night, cutting a swathe through South Africa’s top order in the first of three T20Is at the Greenfield International Stadium.

Early breakthroughs 

His first six deliveries of the match—the second over of the South African innings—brought him the wickets of left-handers Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and David Miller. Sandwiched by strikes in the first and third overs by Deepak Chahar, it knocked the stuffing out of the Proteas, who did well to rally from 9 for 5 in 2.3 overs to post 106 for eight. But they were well beaten as KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav shepherded India to an eight-wicket triumph and a 1-0 lead.