India, Dec. 10 -- Hardik Pandya made a memorable comeback to national colours, striking a mood-lifting unbeaten fifty and then took a key wicket as India etched a dominant 101-run win over South Africa in the opening match of the five-match series here on Tuesday. Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel grabbed two wickets each, while Pandya fittingly chipped in with the prized scalp of David Miller. It was also South Africa's first defeat in three T20Is in Cuttack, and if India had started shakily, South Africa began disastrously.

Arshdeep set the tone with a superb away-swinger that kissed past Quinton de Kock's tentative prod for a two-ball duck. In his next over, Arshdeep produced another beauty -- a length ...