Lucknow, Oct 6 (UNI) David Miller and Heinrich Klassen's late unbeaten 70-plus knocks guided South Africa to 249/4 in a rain-truncated first ODI match against India at Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.
Miller smashed 75 not out in 63 balls and Klassen made 74 not out in 65 balls. While the former clubbed 6 boundaries and 2 sixes, the later clobbered 5 boundaries and 3 sixes.

The Miller-Klassen partnership of 139 runs for the fifth wicket off 106 balls gave South Africa a whiff of life to post a respectable total. Out of these many runs, they got 53 runs off the final 5 overs.
Earlier the rain played spoilsport, reducing the match to a 40-over game. The South Africans started off slowly, putting up just 49 runs in 13th over, before they lost Janneman Malan for 22 off 42 balls.
The visitors also lost Captain Temba Bavuma for 8 when their score was 70 on the board. Both the wickets were purchased by allrounder Shardul Thakur who ended up figures of 2/35 in stipulated 8 overs.
Aiden Markram was outfoxed by right-arm leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (1/39) for nought. But Quinton de Kock put up a resistance but returned to pavilion off debutant Ravi Bishnoi after scoring 48 off 54 balls, which was decorated by 5 boundaries.
The 41 runs partnership between De Kock and Klassen for 4th wicket set the stage for in-form Miller. Both Klassen and Miller started with ones and twos and then upped the tempo in the last five overs.

The Indian bowlers did bowl well, but half-chances were frittered away and wilted at the death.
India exactly need 250 to go 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series, but South Africa also will feel that they are in with a chance, considering the pitch that has been very balanced.

The pitch is offering seam and swing for pacers and spin for tweakers, added with nice carry, which the visiting bowlers would look to exploit to their advantage.
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