India won the first ODI match against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday, with the hosts securing a thrilling 17-run victory to take a 1-0 series lead. The game was highlighted by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s innings, each of them creating a new record in their much-awaited return on home soil since February.
Here are five highlights from the first ODI match:
1. Virat Kohli returns with a bang, creating history
Kohli made history on home soil with his 52nd ODI century, smashing 135 runs in 120 balls, hitting 11 fours and seven sixes. He surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most centuries in a single international format (51) and hit his 83rd international century. The momentum of the game shifted in India’s favour with his decisive shots. His game approach was somewhat different from his previous tactics, but he led flawlessly with his great shape, running threes effortlessly.
2. Rohit Sharma’s record for most sixes
Rohit Sharma, who scored 57 off 51 balls, broke Shaheed Afridi’s 15-year record of most sixes (351) in ODIs. Sharma hit three sixes to take his ODI total to 352. With his controlled aggression, the duo of Ro-Ko had the crowd on its toes, with every hit’s excitement seen in the audience. His strategic pressure in the powerplay expanded India’s scoring window, allowing Kohli to settle in without scoreboard heat.
3. Resilient Rahul in the middle overs
KL Rahul is leading the team after injuries sustained by Shubham Gill and Shreyas Iyer. Taking time to settle in, his innings of 60 runs in 56 balls came at a crucial time to lead India to 349/8 in 50 overs. The stand-in captain, Rahul, shared his thoughts on his own performance and praised the contributions of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the post-match presentation on Sunday:
“I’d be lying if I said no butterflies in the stomach. We’re playing ODI cricket after a while. There’s some expectation. But we kept taking wickets and bowlers stuck to plans. They pushed us and kept coming hard. Batting at No. 6 is okay, gotta do the job for the team. That’s the role I’ve been given in the last 2-3 series. It’s helping personal development. Watching Rohit and Kohli play like that is always fun. They’ve made oppositions look silly and show why they are who they are. I’ve seen this for a long time, lot more fun to see them around in the dressing room.”
4. Kuldeep Yadav shines with game-changing four-fer
Kuldeep Yadav produced a standout bowling performance, taking four wickets, including the must-needed wickets of Matthew Breetzke (72 off 80 balls) and Marco Jansen (70 off 39) in the span of three balls and breaking the momentum of the Proteas. His bowling made the difference with his variations in ball grip.
5. Harshit Rana impresses in the early overs
The fast bowler Harshit Rana showed great confidence for someone early in his journey, playing just his 10th ODI match. He dismissed Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock for 0 runs in his very first over, and Dewald Brevis. His game-changing bowling helped put pressure on South Africa when they were looking to rebuild. Alongside Kuldeep and Arshdeep, Rana backed up the attack with tight middle-overs bowling, drying up runs and forcing South Africa into mistakes.
Just when South Africa needed 38 runs in the last three overs with two wickets in hand, India’s bowlers pulled off a remarkable turnaround.
India effectively saved the match in the last overs, when the combined pressure of Arshdeep, Kuldeep, and Harshit choked the scoring and triggered a collapse South Africa couldn’t recover from.
The second match of the series is scheduled to take place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, at 1:30 pm on Wednesday.