Proteas Bounce Back To Win Second ODI With Impressive Chase 

South Africa put together a chase of the highest order as they defeated India by 4 wickets in the second One Day International at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium in Raipur – hosting only its second ODI. The victory means the three-game series is tied going into the final game in Visakhapatnam.

India lost their 20th straight toss in ODI cricket and were put in to bat first – similar to the request in the first ODI in Ranchi, which India won by 17 runs. A lot was riding on the game for South Africa, which needed to win to level the series. 

Temba Bavuma returned to captain the side, replacing Ryan Rickelton, while Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi replaced Prenelan Subrayen and Ottniel Baartman. 

The Proteas had a tough start as both opening bowlers, Nandre Burger and Lungi Ngidi, were unable to control the ball with the wicket offering swing. 

Despite a swift start, Rohit Sharma found himself edging a Burger delivery for Quinton de Kock to claim – initially given not out, Bavuma reviewed the incident, and Ultra Edge detected a spike. Sharma was dismissed for 14 off 8 deliveries with India’s score on 40.

Yashasvi Jaiswal followed with the score on 62 as he laboured to 22 off 38 balls – caught at square leg by Corbin Bosch off the bowling of Marco Jansen. 

Both Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad showed immense batting prowess as they began dominating the Protea bowling. While Kohli batted with familiar fluidity, Gaikwad negotiated an early barrage of short balls, growing in comfort and confidence. 

Gaikwad reached his maiden ODI ton – also the first in his career without opening the batting – enduring himself to the spinners as his innings went on. 

When Jansen returned to bowl, he eventually dismissed Gaikwad with a slow offcutter. His dismissal for 105 off 83 balls ended a commanding 195-run third-wicket partnership. 

Not long after, Kohli notched up his 53rd ODI ton and his 11th back-to-back. 

With the crowd still in a state of euphoria, Kohli held out to Aiden Markram at long-on for 102.

KL Rahul notched up another fifty – which he might not have gotten to had it not been for a dropped catch at deep point by Matthew Breetzke, which looked simple to take. 

It would prove to be a costly drop as Rahul’s 66 off 43 took India to 358/5 at the end of their innings. South Africa did not help their cause, conceding 15 wides in the process. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad 105, Virat Kohli 102, KL Rahul 66 not out

Jansen 2/63, Ngidi 1/51

South Africa would’ve been relieved that they got off to a better start than they did in Ranchi – where they started abysmally at 11/3 – fortunately, there was no such repeat in Raipur.

Nerves were tested, though, when de Kock attempted to heave an Arshdeep Singh ball over the leg side but succeeded in only lofting it up into the hands of Washington Sundar.

The returning Bavuma then joined Markram at the wicket, and the two rebuilt the South African innings. Markram saw off the new ball, coming into his own and finding his groove. 

There was a slight scare for South Africa when Prasidh Krishna hit Bavuma on the elbow, but the captain persevered and was able to continue. 

Markram got to his 50 in 52 deliveries as he and Bavuma offered stubborn, yet resolute resistance. On 53, Jaiswal dropped Markram as he heaved one to wide long-on, but Jaiswal never quite set himself into a good catching position and contrived to knock the ball over for six. 

With the partnership just passing 100, Bavuma smashed Krishna for six. Off the very next ball, Krishna banged it in short again, which Bavuma could not resist and was caught by Harshit Rana for a well-played 46.

Markram got to a brilliantly played hundred off 88 balls – his first hundred in an ODI chase. With a look of pure focus, he offered a subdued celebration as he knew the job was far from complete. 

He was eventually dismissed on 110 trying to clear the long-on boundary from an off-cutter bowled by Rana.

Then it was the turn of one of South Africa’s brightest prospects as Dewald Brevis came to the wicket to join the ever-reliable Matthew Breetzke. 

The duo put on 92 as Breetzke continued to play his trademark shots while assuming an anchor role – and Brevis took on the Indian bowlers with aplomb, smashing five sixes before trying one shot too many and being well caught by Jaiswal off the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav. 

Brevis’ 54 off 34 balls with a strike rate of 158.82 accelerated the South African innings.

Breetzke once again passed the fifty mark – something he has made a habit of doing – bringing up his seventh fifty in his eleventh innings. With Tony de Zorzi at the wicket alongside him, the two ran well between the wickets before Krishna trapped Breetzke for 68.

There were some tense moments as Marco Jansen was dismissed trying to go big for two, and de Zorzi had to retire hurt on account of a hamstring injury.  

Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj applied good control as they took South Africa comfortably home to complete their third-highest run chase in ODI history – as well as the joint highest chase in ODI cricket against India. 

The final game of the series is a winner-takes-all and takes place on Saturday, 6 December at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA in Visakhapatnam. 

Markram 110, Breetzke 68, Brevis 54

Arshdeep Singh 2/54, Prasidh Krishna 2/85