Team India's top order endured a tough outing during the first T20I against South Africa on Tuesday (December 9) at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Proteas captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bat first in the contest.Returning from an injury lay-off, Shubman Gill hit a four to start positively but departed immediately on the third ball of the first over against Lungi Ngidi. Suryakumar Yadav (12) came in next and hit a couple of boundaries before perishing against the same bowler in the third over, with just 17 runs on the scoreboard.Abhishek Sharma (17) and Tilak Varma (26) got starts but failed to convert them as they returned to the pavilion, leaving their team at 78/4. It forced the all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Co. to do the heavy lifting in the batting department and take their team to a decent first innings total.Fans were disappointed after witnessing a below-par performance from India's top-order batters in the opening T20I against South Africa. They conveyed their reactions by sharing memes on social media. Here are some of the best memes:"We have found Virat Kohli's replacement saar," a fan wrote on X. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostHardik Pandya's blazing half-century helps India set a decent target for South Africa in 1st T20I 2025Hardik Pandya entered the crease in the 12th over, with his team in trouble at 78/4. On a tricky pitch, he found his rhythm quickly and played with aggressive intent on the outset, racing to 59*(28). Pandya smashed four sixes and six fours during his splendid innings, which helped the hosts reach 175/6 in 20 overs. Axar Patel (23), Shivam Dube (11), and Jitesh Sharma (10*) supported him.Jasprit Bumrah and Co. then bowled magnificently, restricting South Africa to 74/10 in 12.3 overs and sealing the game for the home team. Reflecting on the win at the post-match presentation, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said:"I told at the toss that we were 50-50 but very happy to bat first. 48/3 and then getting 175, the way Hardik, Axar and Tilak batted and then Jitesh coming in and chipping in, playing his role - first we thought we'll get to 160, but 175 was unbelievable. There will be days when 2-3 batters won't have their day but the others will cover it up.""They didn't today but you will see it in the coming days. We want everyone to be fearless and enjoy their batting. Batting first, 48/3 and then scoring about 90-91 runs from 7-15 and then 45 runs in the last four was commendable. The way we bowled and the amount of options we had, 175 was a great effort," Surya added.The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur will host the second T20I on Thursday, December 11.