India’s first ODI win at Durban, in eight attempts, followed a common script. Wrist spinners set up the game, Virat Kohli led the chase with a superb 112 off 119 balls – his 33rd ton in 50-over cricket but first in South Africa – and the six-wicket victory became a cakewalk towards the end.
The biggest positive, however, was Ajinkya Rahane. It was his first ODI since October 1 last year – he was stripped of the ODI vice-captaincy in between – and the latest experiment saw his position change to No. 4, the team’s most unsettled slot.
Rahane came to the crease with India on 67/2, having lost Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. The game was in the balance. A 189-run third wicket partnership slammed the door shut on the hosts. Chasing 270 to go one-up in the six-match series, India got there with 27 balls to spare. Rahane scored 79 off 86 deliveries. The World Cup is in England, about 18 months down the line and the Mumbai batsman would be the frontrunner to get an extended run at No. 4, conditions notwithstanding.
Meanwhile, Kohli’s century in a chase has now become almost customary. Nobody in world cricket rotates the strike and paces the innings better than him in white-ball cricket.
Thursday’s knock was about playing to his strengths. South Africa’s total was below par – 292 is the average score at Kingsmead – and the India captain ran the visitors ragged. His innings had only 10 fours and not a single six. A lofted cover drive against Kagiso Rabada was arguably Kohli’s best on the day. He ran away with the Man of the Match award.
After losing the toss, Kohli spoke about his confidence in the two wrist spinners, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Chahal has taken 23 wickets at 28.04 in 15 ODIs over the past eight-odd months. Yadav has accounted for 25 scalps at 23.16 in 15 matches since his ODI debut in June last year. They thrive in each other’s company and Durban proved to no different. “They have been the difference for us,” Kohli said after the match.
Brought into the attack in the 11th over, Chahal first dismissed Quinton de Kock, who was given out leg before. Replays showed the ball would have spun past the leg stump. The South Africa keeper-batsman didn’t ask for a review and it sort of evened out things.
In Chahal’s previous over, Faf du Plessis had survived a leg before appeal that was plumb, going by the ball-tracker. India misjudged the angle and didn’t take the DRS. The South Africa captain, batting on 18 then, went on to score 120 off 112 balls – his ninth century in this format.
Chahal’s second wicket was Aiden Markram – playing for the injured AB de Villiers– done in by a tossed up delivery that the batsman hit straight to Hardik Pandya at mid-wicket. Yadav got into the act by cleaning up JP Duminy with a googly before holding one back a little and forcing the dangerous David Miller to scoop it to Kohli, who took the catch diving forward. The chinaman bowler then removed Chris Morris to break a 74-run sixth wicket partnership. He returned with 3/34 from 10 overs, while Chahal had 2/45 from 10.
Compared to the pitches that had been laid out for the Tests, the strip for the first ODI was a highway. The hosts still slumped to 134/5 before du Plessis initiated a recovery in company with Morris.
Du Plessis survived a run-out chance on 91, when Kohli missed the stumps from extra cover. A clip off his hips to square leg off Jasprit Bumrah took him to his hundred. Three sixes followed before the skipper holed out to Pandya at long-off in the final over. The slice of luck notwithstanding, it was a fantastic effort.
In the post-match presentation Kohli said, “Yeah it was quite special. First match of the series is important. We wanted to take the momentum of the Test win into this and when we restricted South Africa to 270 on this sort of a pitch, we were happy. Very happy for Jinx (Rahane). Jinx is a top-class player. We understood fast bowling was going to be a big factor in this tour. He was superb, he took on the fast bowlers. Bhuvi and Bumrah, we bank on them. Picking up one or two wickets in the top ten is what we wanted to do. And then the two wrist spinners — outstanding bowling by both of them. They are working wonderfully for the team.” Going 1-0 up in the six-match series made it a perfect day for the Indian skipper.
Brief Scores: South Africa: 269 for 8 in 50 overs (Faf du Plessis 120; Kuldeep Yadav 3/34, Y Chahal 2/45) lost to India 270 for 4 in 45.3 ovs (Kohli 112, Rahane 79; Phehlukwayo 2/42)
Source: Agencies