Ruturaj Gaikwad scored his maiden ODI hundred while Virat Kohli scored a record extending 53rd ODI ton, 84th international and 2 in 2 matches as India powered their way to 358/5 on a docile track in Raipur. Special mentions to KL Rahul the captain for his finish as he scored an unbeaten half-century while Ravindra Jadeja also played well. It was hard work for the South African bowlers with Marco Jansen impressing one and all.
India get off to a fast start in powerplay despite losing their openers.Â
Put into bat first after losing yet another toss, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma came out to bat for India while Nandre Burger had ball in hand for South Africa. Jaiswal started with a bang with a boundary through backward point region. Burger gifted wides to the batting side as well. Jaiswal hit another boundary through deep fine leg. Lungi Ngidi took the ball from the other end and sprayed it around by giving wides. It was wides galore from him. Burger continued and bowled a better over despite giving wides. Ngidi bowled another good over.
Rohit then hit Burger for a boundary by playing it with soft hands through slip and gully for a boundary. Rohit whipped the Burger ball through midwicket and then squirted it through backward point to complete hat-trick of boundaries. Burger came back and got rid of Rohit for 14 off 8 balls with 3 fours to his name thanks to good usage of DRS as the ball going away did it for the left-armer. Virat Kohli came out to bat next.
Kohli got off the mark by a swivel pull over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Burger continued as Jaiswal picked it up to muscle it over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Marco Jansen came into the attack next as Virat showed his class by whipping it to midwicket region for a boundary. Keshav Maharaj came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over.
Jansen continued and got rid of Jaiswal in the last over of powerplay as his tryst with left arm seamers continued as he got out to him again. The short of a length ball around middle and angling in, Jaiswal looked to pull but the ball got big on him and lost his shape and got a top edge to backward square leg. Bosch took the catch easily. He fell for 22 off 38 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name. Ruturaj Gaikwad came out to bat next and got off the mark with a lucky boundary off the gloves off a short ball that flew over the keeper for a boundary.
At the end of the first powerplay, India were 66/2 in 10 overs and off to a decent start.
Virat Kohli & Ruturaj Gaikwad drives India forward to an advantageous position
Maharaj continued after the powerplay as Gaikwad helped the ball on the pads by paddling it to the fine leg fence. Jansen continued and asked questions of the batters. Gaikwad showed deft touch by paddle sweeping Maharaj to deep fine leg for a boundary. Jansen continued as Gaikwad took on the short ball and hooked it away by getting a top edge over deep fine leg for the maximum. Maharaj continued and bowled a decent over. India were 96/2 in 15 overs when players paused for Drinks.
Corbin Bosch came into the attack for the first time after the break. Gaikwad’s double brought up the 100 for India in 15.3 overs. Maharaj bowled another decent over. Bosch continued and kept things under check. The 50-run stand came up between Kohli and Gaikwad. Bosch continued as Kohli broke the shackles by smashing the drive back over Gaikwad who ducked in time as the ball went away to the fence. It was hit hard. India reached 121/2 in 20 overs.
Nandre Burger came back into the attack. He bowled a decent over. Aiden Markram came into the attack now. He too started with flurry of wides while Virat lunged forward and played the trademark cover drive along the ground for a boundary. Kohli managed to get a triple as South Africa were sloppy on the field. Burger continued and bowled a decent over. Markram continued as Gaikwad slapped him away off the back foot to cut it between cover point and extra cover for a boundary. The 150 came up for India in 23.4 overs.
Gaikwad reached his second ODI fifty off 52 balls with a single to long-on. Lungi Ngidi came back into the attack as Virat Kohli completed yet another fifty his 76th in ODIs and he got there in 47 balls by driving it to deep cover. At the conclusion of 25 overs, India were 158/2 with both Virat and Gaikwad on 51 apiece at the halfway stage of the game.
Ruturaj Gaikwad & Virat Kohli falls after completing their centuries as India march forwardÂ
Keshav Maharaj returned to the bowling attack and was greeted with a boundary from Kohli as he tickled it past short fine leg for a boundary. The 100-run stand came up between the duo. Gaikwad got into the act as he strode forward and played an inside out lofted extra cover drive for a boundary. Ngidi continued as Virat played away from the body with no footwork and got the inside edge past the stumps for a boundary to deep fine leg.
Gaikwad hit Maharaj for a boundary by nailing the hard sweep down on one knee all along the carpet. Gaikwad was on a roll now as he stepped down the track to loft it straight down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Gaikwad then went back and pulled it over wide mid-on for a boundary. Ngidi continued and bowled a decent over. Corbin Bosch returned to the bowling crease as Gaikwad used his wrists by getting forward to flick it past diving mid-on for a boundary. The 200 came up for India in 29.5 overs. Gaikwad then hit another boundary off Bosch as he strode forward to drive it between extra cover and deep cover for a boundary.
India were 207/2 in 30 overs. Marco Jansen came back into the attack as Kohli swivelled and pulled it away past short fine leg for a boundary. The partnership reached 150 between Virat and Gaikwad. Kohli played a miscue shot but landed in the gap towards mid-on for a brace. Gaikwad was on a roll as he punished Bosch by pulling it hard towards deep midwicket for a boundary. India were 221/2 in 32 overs when we paused for Drinks Break, the second and final one of the innings.
Jansen continued as Kohli danced down the track to flat bat it over long-on for the maximum. South Africa were sloppy in the field and India were cashing in on it. Bosch continued as Kohli swatted it hard past Ruturaj and went to the boundary straight like a tracer bullet. Another miscue from Virat landed in no man’s land at extra cover. Gaikwad then showed his class by getting forward and swatting the ball to the right of mid-on for a boundary. The hundred moment came next as pressed back and pulled it down to the left of deep midwicket for a boundary to get to his maiden ODI ton in 77 balls.
Maharaj came back into the attack as the 250 was raised for India in 34.1 overs. Maharaj bowled a decent over. Jansen continued and broke the massive stand as he removed Gaikwad for 105 off 83 balls with 12 fours and 2 sixes to his name. The swivel pull he hit it to de Zorzi at deep backward square leg who made no mistake. Captain KL Rahul came out to bat next.
Rahul punished Maharaj by opening his stance and pulling it between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Maharaj completed his wicketless and expensive spell. Jansen continued as Rahul got underneath the ball and smashed it downtown over long-off for the maximum. Then the moment came as Virat got to his 53rd ODI hundred and 84th in international cricket in 90 balls with a gentle push down to long-on for a single.
Burger continued and then hurt him hamstring as he might have pulled in the muscle. Aiden Markram came back to complete the over. Rahul got down on one knee and paddled it over the keeper’s head for a boundary using the pace of the bowler. Ngidi returned and removed Kohli for 102 off 93 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes to his name as he tried to flat bat it away but got hit high on the bat as the ball carried to Markram at long-on. Washington Sundar came out to bat next and played out the over. India were 284/4 in 40 overs with Rahul and Sundar at the crease.
Washington Sundar falls but KL Rahul & Ravindra Jadeja’s late flourish takes India past 350
Aiden Markram continued as Sundar gifted his wicket away via a run out for 1 off 8 balls with yes/no situation. Ravindra Jadeja came out to bat next. Ngidi continued and bowled a decent over. Markram bowled another miserly over. Bosch continued as Rahul broke the shackles by flicking it easily through square leg for a boundary as the 300 came up for India in 43.4 overs. Jadeja got into the act as lifted the ball over the infield at mid-off for a boundary. Markram continued as Rahul got down on one knee and swept it past short fine leg for a boundary.
India reached 317/5 in 45 overs. Jansen continued as Rahul got a reprieve by Matthew Breetzke at deep point as it was a sitter. Ngidi came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Marco Jansen came back into the attack as Rahul hung back and slashed it hard over backward point with the ball racing away to the fence in no time. Rahul got to his fifty in 33 balls. Ngidi came to bowl the 49th over and bowled a brilliant over.
Corbin Bosch got the chance to bowl the final over of the innings. Jadeja got himself a boundary by clearing his front leg and lofting it over mid-off for a boundary. Rahul then cleared his front leg and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary as the 350 came up for India with 2 balls to spare. Rahul then took on the bowler and sat down on one knee and swept it over square leg for the maximum. Rahul managed to get a brace to end the over and innings as India finished with 358/5 in 50 overs with 18 coming off the last over.
Rahul was unbeaten on 66 off 43 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to his name while Jadeja was unbeaten on 24 off 27 balls with 2 fours to his name. 24 extras given by the fielding side.
Marco Jansen was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/63 in 10 overs. Nandre Burger finished with 1/43 in 6.1 overs. Lungi Ngidi bowled well for his 1/51 in 10 overs. Keshav Maharaj gave away 70 runs in 10 overs. Corbin Bosch finished with 0/79 in 8 overs. Aiden Markram finished with 0/48 in 5.5 overs. The target for South Africa will be 359 runs to level the series 1-1.
Who’s Winning, India or South Africa?Â
Despite posting 350+, the game is still evenly poised. Yes, India have runs on the board but this is a good pitch and fast outfield and South Africa will fancy their chances. The top order of South Africa needs to fire if they want to win the game as middle order won’t do the job all the time. India needs early wickets to put pressure on South Africa.
An exciting chase is on the cards. Anything can happen with series on the line.
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