KL Rahul had a mixed day at the office in his maiden game as ODI captain. South Africa managed to put on a competitive target of 297 in the first ODI of the series at Paarl. At 68/3 in the 18th over, the hosts looked to be in trouble. However, the Indian bowlers failed to take advantage of the situation and let things slip.Temba Bavuma (110) led his side from the front by scoring a patient century and anchored the innings to take South Africa to a decent total on this slowish track. Middle-order batter Rassie van der Dussen (129*) played the enforcer role to perfection with an aggressive century to complement his skipper's sedate knock. The duo's match-defining partnership of 204 eventually played a pivotal role in the home team reaching 296/4.Indian vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah (2/53) was the pick of the bowlers for the visitors on an indifferent day for the unit. Making a comeback after four years, Ravichandran Ashwin (1/53) picked up a solitary wicket of opener Quinton de Kock.Follow the live match updates here.Some of KL Rahul's captaincy decisions in the first innings left fans baffled. They felt that Rahul missed a trick by not using Venkatesh Iyer's medium pace when Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen were set and untroubled by other bowlers in the middle overs. Fans vented their frustration over KL Rahul's such decisions by slamming him on Twitter.Bharath kumar@bktweets7Can say it any day..captaincy is not his thing #klRahul #SAvsIND5:31 AM · Jan 19, 20221Can say it any day..captaincy is not his thing #klRahul #SAvsIND27@xxviixiiKL ne toh literally topi pehna diya venky ko#SAvsIND #CricketTwitter twitter.com/KKRiders/statu…KolkataKnightRiders@KKRidersCongratulations @venkateshiyer, we’re proud of you! 📸 @BCCI #SAvIND #KKR #AmiKKR #CricketTwitter5:30 AM · Jan 19, 20223163143Congratulations @venkateshiyer, we’re proud of you! 🇮🇳 🙌📸 @BCCI #SAvIND #KKR #AmiKKR #CricketTwitter https://t.co/KAheFCS0Q6KL ne toh literally topi pehna diya venky ko😐#SAvsIND #CricketTwitter twitter.com/KKRiders/statu…Unnikrishnan@unni1974Not a single over to Venkatesh Iyer, not even as an effort to snap the Bavuma-Dussen partnership. Quite strange moves. #SAvsIND5:38 AM · Jan 19, 20225Not a single over to Venkatesh Iyer, not even as an effort to snap the Bavuma-Dussen partnership. Quite strange moves. #SAvsINDBharath kumar@bktweets7Can say it any day..captaincy is not his thing #klRahul #SAvsIND5:31 AM · Jan 19, 20221Can say it any day..captaincy is not his thing #klRahul #SAvsINDCricketMAN2@man4_cricketVirat Kohli's reaction after the end of South Africa's Innings.6:01 AM · Jan 19, 202213312Virat Kohli's reaction after the end of South Africa's Innings. https://t.co/FbgzOTGiwRPranav Shetty@iampranavs11Shardul at death is death #INDvsSAF #KLRahul #viratkohli #kohli5:59 AM · Jan 19, 2022Shardul at death is death #INDvsSAF #KLRahul #viratkohli #kohliNewone2299@newone2299WHEN IT COMES TO CAPTAINCY, KL RAHUL BE LIKE : #IndianCricketTeam #INDvsSAF #indvsaz #SAvIND #SAvsIND #KLRahul5:59 AM · Jan 19, 202211WHEN IT COMES TO CAPTAINCY, KL RAHUL BE LIKE : #IndianCricketTeam #INDvsSAF #indvsaz #SAvIND #SAvsIND #KLRahul https://t.co/SKH6lIhJxXLx kartik@lxkartik#KLRahul #SAvsIND #CricketTwitter #Cricket #IndianCricketTeam #Bumrah★Shardul Thakur bowling todayBe like-5:58 AM · Jan 19, 20223#KLRahul #SAvsIND #CricketTwitter #Cricket #IndianCricketTeam #Bumrah★Shardul Thakur bowling todayBe like- https://t.co/mIxGThuWHZHemant@Sportscasmm#SAvIND #Bavuma When you have Siraj in the squad but still play Bhuvi:5:47 AM · Jan 19, 202271#SAvIND #Bavuma When you have Siraj in the squad but still play Bhuvi: https://t.co/wyHfp3RiZ8Abhinav@TotalKohliSouth Africans scored only 1 century in 6 ODIs vs India in 2018, now they have already scored 2 in the first match of the series itself Already missing captain Kohli in this new eRa5:46 AM · Jan 19, 20224711South Africans scored only 1 century in 6 ODIs vs India in 2018, now they have already scored 2 in the first match of the series itself Already missing captain Kohli in this new eRa https://t.co/OgaZ4GNwryMtlokwa@NkuluSondezi@Vikrant68964221 @ICC @tbavuma10 That pitch is not easy as you think, it very hard to score there, lets wait for India to bat you will see.6:06 AM · Jan 19, 2022@Vikrant68964221 @ICC @tbavuma10 That pitch is not easy as you think, it very hard to score there, lets wait for India to bat you will see.Chef Bezos@maikaunhu_@vikrantgupta73 @venkateshiyer Yes he will directly bowl in the World Cup 2022 and will be out of the team after that just as Vijay Shankar. Don't know what the team management and captain thinks. #KLRahul #INDvsSAF6:06 AM · Jan 19, 2022@vikrantgupta73 @venkateshiyer Yes he will directly bowl in the World Cup 2022 and will be out of the team after that just as Vijay Shankar. Don't know what the team management and captain thinks. #KLRahul #INDvsSAFSaurabh Awasthi 🇮🇳@saurav1011If it's T20, Iyer Not bowling seems fine. But 300 balls...yet not bowling... Illogical.Better they had chosen a proper batsmanWith Rituraj at the top and Rahul at 4 or 5.#INDvsSAF #KLRahul6:06 AM · Jan 19, 2022If it's T20, Iyer Not bowling seems fine. But 300 balls...yet not bowling... Illogical.Better they had chosen a proper batsmanWith Rituraj at the top and Rahul at 4 or 5.#INDvsSAF #KLRahulEdged and Taken🇵🇰@AsifdChauhanCaptaincy was below par today by #KLRahul but still hoping for a successful run chase at #Paarl #IndianCricketTeam #SouthAfrica #INDvsSA6:06 AM · Jan 19, 2022Captaincy was below par today by #KLRahul but still hoping for a successful run chase at #Paarl #IndianCricketTeam #SouthAfrica #INDvsSAMenes_Hey@JayManasCongratulations @BCCI for starting the downfall of Indian team. #KLRahul #viratkholi #indvsa6:06 AM · Jan 19, 2022Congratulations @BCCI for starting the downfall of Indian team. #KLRahul #viratkholi #indvsa𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐚𝐧 𝐙𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐫 🎭@CricCrazyLadDidn't use Venkatesh iyer in bowling. ???Why pick run leaker in playing XI ? Bcos some kids keep hyping him as lord in social media. ???KLR is below average in captaincy .#KLRahul#IndvsSA6:05 AM · Jan 19, 202264Didn't use Venkatesh iyer in bowling. ???Why pick run leaker in playing XI ? Bcos some kids keep hyping him as lord in social media. ???KLR is below average in captaincy .#KLRahul#IndvsSA𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦@DharamKarhanaThis total looks super safe for #SA But #Kohli must get his #71st ton today.#KLRahul has to go long way in #captaincy thing#IndvSA #SAvsIND #dussen6:04 AM · Jan 19, 2022This total looks super safe for #SA But #Kohli must get his #71st ton today.#KLRahul has to go long way in #captaincy thing#IndvSA #SAvsIND #dussenkarthik@karjkWhen #Lord is going for runs.#KLRahul gives him last over moreover having Venkatesh in the team but not using him for 2-3 overs instead of shardul. Just Captain KL thingsYappa deiii @BCCI pls don't give permanent cap to KL #INDvsSAF #SAvsIND6:04 AM · Jan 19, 2022When #Lord is going for runs.#KLRahul gives him last over moreover having Venkatesh in the team but not using him for 2-3 overs instead of shardul. Just Captain KL things😂😂Yappa deiii @BCCI pls don't give permanent cap to KL #INDvsSAF #SAvsINDatharva chaudhari@atharva21236277#captaincy #KLRahul #RohitSharma #Pant #MSDhoni #viratkholi6:03 AM · Jan 19, 2022#captaincy #KLRahul #RohitSharma #Pant #MSDhoni #viratkholi https://t.co/1otceuolR5Harsh Kumar@mistri_hk#KLRahul saved #Shardul's One over in the last. #VenkateshIyer not given to Bowl in the first innings. When Markram got out, The Field Should be more attacking but choose to be defensive. #Ashwin and #Yuzi not properly utilised. #Virat/#Rohit was missed today.#INDvsSA #INDvSA6:01 AM · Jan 19, 20221#KLRahul saved #Shardul's One over in the last. #VenkateshIyer not given to Bowl in the first innings. When Markram got out, The Field Should be more attacking but choose to be defensive. #Ashwin and #Yuzi not properly utilised. #Virat/#Rohit was missed today.#INDvsSA #INDvSAvikas dixit 🇮🇳@ImVikasDixit#KLRahul keeping alive his punjab captaincy strategies in Indian ODI team as well, totally flat with the thoughts.Thank God #RohithSharma is ODI captain. #INDvsSAF6:00 AM · Jan 19, 20221#KLRahul keeping alive his punjab captaincy strategies in Indian ODI team as well, totally flat with the thoughts.Thank God #RohithSharma is ODI captain. #INDvsSAFBavuma played an anchoring innings and that allowed me to express myself: Rassie van der DussenRassie van der Dussen revealed that Temba Bavuma's responsible innings helped him play his natural game and impose himself on the Indian bowling attack. Speaking at the end of the first innings, Rassie van der Dussen reflected on his crucial partnership with Temba Bavuma and said:"It feels really good after coming in under a bit of pressure at 60-odd for three. Temba and I first thought of getting a partnership going. We knew if we let their spinners settle, it's going to be a long and tricky day for us. He played an anchoring inning and that allowed me to express myself. For me, in the middle order, it's about upping the intensity."As the pitch is not easy to bat on, the onus will now be on the experienced top-order batters KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli to steer India towards the target in the chase.