India batted first at the JSCA International Stadium and lost Yashasvi Jaiswal fairly quickly, but Rohit Sharma and Kohli soon got things going. They had a partnership of 136 runs quite quickly, changing a nervous start into a good opportunity to score a lot of runs.
Kohli’s masterclass powers India to 349
Kohli was very focused and strong through his favourite areas to hit the ball, finding gaps in the field and punishing any bad deliveries. He got to his 52nd century in ODIs with a four off Marco Jansen, and ended up with 135 from 120 balls. This gave him the record for the most centuries in any one type of international cricket.
Rohit Sharma’s 57 from 51 balls kept South Africa under pressure during the first few overs of their innings. He also passed a significant mark in his career, going ahead of Shahid Afridi for the most sixes ever hit in ODIs, and he hit the ball cleanly, making sure India stayed at the right pace for scoring.
KL Rahul scored a useful 60 off 56 balls, playing the middle overs cleverly and keeping the score moving. Even though India lost some late wickets, they reached 349 for 8 which, on a flat pitch with a little bit of moisture on it in the evening, looked like a challenging total.
Rana’s new-ball burst and Kuldeep’s guile
South Africa’s attempt to reach the target started badly. Harshit Rana, full of energy on his first appearance in this big competition, got both Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock out in three balls. Arshdeep Singh then removed Aiden Markram for t, leaving South Africa at 11 for 3.
Matthew Breetzke and Tony de Zorzi got things going again with a 66-run partnership. The wetness in the air made the ball hard to hold and made scoring easier as the floodlights were on. Kuldeep Yadav broke the partnership, getting de Zorzi out lbw and getting India back in control.
Dewald Brevis then changed the way the game was going with a lively 37 from t balls, but Rana came back and got him out, which calmed things down. At 130 for 5, India were doing better, though there was still a lot to happen in the chase.
Breetzke and Jansen then attacked strongly, adding 97 runs to bring South Africa back into the game. Jansen’s confident 70 and Breetzke’s steady 72 briefly worried India. Kuldeep then completely changed the game, taking both of their wickets in the t over, with just three balls between them, and stopping South Africa’s late push.
Nervy finish, clinical closure
Even with their main batters out, Corbin Bosch didn’t give up. His 67 runs kept the game going, finding gaps and making sure he faced the majority of the balls with the lower order. South Africa needed 18 runs to win in the last over, but Prasidh Krishna got Bosch out with his second ball to end the innings at 332 all out in 49.2 overs.
Kuldeep’s four wickets showed how well he bowled, controlling the ball and making it turn in the wet conditions, and Rana’s 3 for t set the tone. Arshdeep took two wickets, and Prasidh Krishna stayed calm at the end, which all added up to a good team performance in the field.
Records and talking points
Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI century showed how much he controls this type of cricket and how often he turns good starts into big scores in important chases and the first games of a series. Rohit Sharma’s reaching the milestone for most sixes in ODIs added to his excellent record in white-ball cricket, and the way he played at the start gave India a fast start. Harshit Rana’s early wickets and how he handled the pressure made a big impression in a very important match. Kuldeep Yadav taking both Breetzke and Jansen’s wickets was the key moment, stopping South Africa’s comeback.
Series outlook
The important players in the Indian team did what was needed, which settled worries about what their roles and how they were playing would be with a lot of cricket coming up. They now have a 1-0 lead and go to Raipur on Wednesday with momentum and a clear plan: fast bowlers at the beginning, a wrist spinner in the middle overs, and clear batting jobs for each player.
South Africa, even though they lost, had some good things happen, with Breetzke staying calm, Jansen doing well with both bat and ball, and Bosch being mentally strong when the pressure was on. They need to do better at the start of their innings and play spin bowling better in the next ODI.
Final Result of 1st ODI: India 349 for 8 in 50 overs (Kohli 135, Rohit 57, Rahul 60). South Africa 332 all out in 49.2 overs (Breetzke 72, Jansen 70, Bosch 67). India won by 17 runs.
Teams: India – Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna. South Africa – Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman.
