Virat Kohli’s record-extending 52nd one-day international century laid the groundwork for India’s 17-run win over SA on Sunday, getting the hosts off to a winning start in their three-match series after the visitors swept the Tests last week.
Former captains Kohli (135) and Rohit Sharma (57), who have retired from Tests and Twenty20 internationals, delighted the Ranchi crowd with a 136-run partnership for the second wicket, helping India post 349/8 on a batting-friendly track.
SA got off to a terrible start with Harshit Rana sending back Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock for ducks, before Arshdeep Singh got Aiden Markram (7) to edge it to keeper Rahul in the fifth over to make it 11/3.
But Matthew Breetzke (72) and Marco Jansen (70 off 39) got SA back in the game, getting them to 227/5 before Kuldeep Yadav (4/68) got them both out in the 34th over.
SA needed 50 to win from the last six overs with two wickets left, but the Indian bowlers did not allow Corbin Bosch and Nandre Burger a single boundary for the next two overs, forcing Burger to risk it with a big swing, that got him caught by the keeper.
Bosch (67 off 51) completed his maiden fifty but his heroic stand ended in the last over when he got caught trying to hit big, ending SA’s innings at 332.
Proteas captain Markram, who stood in for an ill Temba Bavuma on the day, was left lameting a shaky start.
“I’m proud of the chase,” Markram said afterwards.
“It was great to watch guys do their thing and never lose belief. All of us were quietly hopeful.
“The top order failing was defining. Still, it felt like chasing was the best way to win, but the top order fell early.
“We have small bits and pieces to do better.
“The glaring one is the top order to get through the swinging ball.
“And then do some things better in the field. Bosch and Jansen allow us to bat deep.
“They’ve done well with bat in the recent past. We want to play smart.”
Indian captain KL Rahul was pleased with his team’s performance.
“I’d be lying if I said there were no butterflies in the stomach. We were playing ODI cricket for the first time in a while.
“There’s some expectation. But we kept taking wickets, and bowlers stuck to plans. SA pushed us and kept coming hard,” Rahul said.
The two teams face off again on Wednesday in Raipur. — Chiranjit Ojha
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