India wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson shone against South Africa in the first ODI in Lucknow on Thursday (October 6). He smashed an unbeaten 86 runs off 63 balls, comprising three sixes and nine boundaries, but could not secure a win for India as they lost by nine runs in a rain-affected match.The right-handed batter also shared crucial partnerships of 67-run with Shreyas Iyer for the fifth wicket and a 93-run stand with Shardul Thakur for the sixth wicket.BCCI@BCCIFIFTY for @IamSanjuSamson The right-handed batter has kept the run chase alive with his clean striking! #TeamIndia need 59 off the final four overs.Don't miss the LIVE coverage of the #INDvSA match on @starsportsindia2806221FIFTY for @IamSanjuSamson 👏👏The right-handed batter has kept the run chase alive with his clean striking! #TeamIndia need 59 off the final four overs.Don't miss the LIVE coverage of the #INDvSA match on @starsportsindia https://t.co/298jDemOitThe Kerala batter kept the hopes alive even though the Men in Blue required 30 runs off the last over. He smashed a six and followed it with a couple of boundaries off the first three balls.Fans appreciated Samson’s performance but looked agitated at his decision to run a couple at non-striker’s end during the 39th over with tail-ender Avesh Khan facing Kagiso Rabada. Thus, he couldn’t play a single ball during the penultimate over.Here are some of the reactions:Tips@crkt_myrelgn@MelomaniacGuy @CricketWtf @GabbbarSingh Sanju Samson clearly lacks cricketing awareness..... No body takes 2 and gives strike to a bowler9@MelomaniacGuy @CricketWtf @GabbbarSingh Sanju Samson clearly lacks cricketing awareness..... No body takes 2 and gives strike to a bowlerAshok Kumar Sharma@ashok_kumar9024@virendersehwag Magnificent knock by Sanju Samson4@virendersehwag Magnificent knock by Sanju Samson🙌S.Triyambak Patro@Triyambak_CA@FCSJigarShah Idiotic play by Samson in the penultimate over. Really bad@FCSJigarShah Idiotic play by Samson in the penultimate over. Really badGarvit@imgarvitmThose who are blaming Sanju Samson for playing slowly in the beginning, this is called taking the match deep. There were no batters left in the end if he had gotten out at that time.1Those who are blaming Sanju Samson for playing slowly in the beginning, this is called taking the match deep. There were no batters left in the end if he had gotten out at that time.Anmol Sangal@anmolsngl02Dikha nahi intent Sanju Samson ka last mein....second last over bekaar kar diya and he expected ki last over mein khud hi run bana lega...Aisa lag raha tha ki bas khel lete hai....dekha jaega jo hoga 🙂🙂#SanjuSamson #ShardulThakur #IndiavsSouthAfrica #IndvsSAodi #INDvsSA2Dikha nahi intent Sanju Samson ka last mein....second last over bekaar kar diya and he expected ki last over mein khud hi run bana lega...Aisa lag raha tha ki bas khel lete hai....dekha jaega jo hoga 🙂🙂😐😑#SanjuSamson #ShardulThakur #IndiavsSouthAfrica #IndvsSAodi #INDvsSA https://t.co/QJ0mdutnIBMeet Davda@meetdavda_10@FarziCricketer Samson following Dhoni's footsteps.2@FarziCricketer Samson following Dhoni's footsteps.JD@JDBosssssSanju Samson >>>> Rishabh PantAnyday 🏻#SanjuSamson #RishabhPant #INDvsSA71Sanju Samson >>>> Rishabh PantAnyday 🙏🏻👏#SanjuSamson #RishabhPant #INDvsSAGAUNG@TvRfgLhqDkBMfEPoor poor analysis unless he's being sarcastic. That 39th over was non-sense from Samson. twitter.com/ovshake42/stat…Abhishek Mukherjee@ovshake42If only the tail gave Samson a few more balls. Three. Even two.155971If only the tail gave Samson a few more balls. Three. Even two.Poor poor analysis unless he's being sarcastic. That 39th over was non-sense from Samson. twitter.com/ovshake42/stat…whoMahipal@theMPsirWhat a player, Sanju Samson won everyone's heart. Well played. #SanjuSamson21What a player, Sanju Samson won everyone's heart. Well played. 🇮🇳#SanjuSamson https://t.co/vPb64XzzwBRavi Mawer@ravi_mawer@BCCI sanju samson ko bhar krdiya T20 se shame on you@BCCI sanju samson ko bhar krdiya T20 se shame on you....@jk_yadav24@CricCrazyJohns Sanju Samson played a maiden over against Keshav Maharaj 39th over is blunder..@CricCrazyJohns Sanju Samson played a maiden over against Keshav Maharaj 39th over is blunder..Ashok Kumar Sharma@ashok_kumar9024@virendersehwag Magnificent knock by Sanju Samson4@virendersehwag Magnificent knock by Sanju Samson🙌Samson recently led India A to a 3-0 win against New Zealand A in an unofficial one-day series. He emerged as the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 120 runs at an average of 60, including a half-century.Samson’s knock goes in vain as South Africa go 1-0 ahead in the seriesChasing 250, Team India had a terrible start to their innings. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan (4) and Shubman Gill (3) left India at 8/2 in the sixth over.Debutant Ruturaj Gaikwad (19) and Ishan Kishan (20) spent a decent amount of time at the crease but failed to accelerate their innings. They were eventually dismissed, leaving the hosts at 51/4 in the 18th over.Shreyas Iyer 50(37) came to India’s rescue, while Shardul Thakur looked impressive with his 33 off 31 balls. Samson scored 86* but failed to take the side to a victory as India lost the match by nine runs.Lungi Ngidi shone for the visitors with three wickets, while Rabada picked up a couple of wickets. Wayne Parnell, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi also scalped one wicket each.BCCI@BCCIThings went right down to the wire but it's South Africa who win the first #INDvSA ODI.#TeamIndia will look to bounce back in the second ODI. Scorecard bit.ly/INDVSA-1STODI181795Things went right down to the wire but it's South Africa who win the first #INDvSA ODI.#TeamIndia will look to bounce back in the second ODI. 👍Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDVSA-1STODI https://t.co/RUcF80h2XvEarlier, Janneman Malan (22) and Quinton de Kock (48) gave a decent start to the Proteas before the bowlers fought back to leave the visitors at 110/4 in the 23rd over. However, David Miller 75(63) and Heinrich Klassen 74(65) shared an unbeaten partnership of 139 runs to take South Africa to 249/4 in the rain-curtailed fixture.Thakur was the pick of the bowlers for India with a couple of wickets, while Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav settled for one wicket each.The second ODI between India and South Africa will be played in Ranchi on Sunday (October 9).