Proteas Fight To The End In Defeat To India 

Ranchi witnessed an enthralling game of cricket in the first One Day International at the JSCA International Stadium Complex as India defeated South Africa by 17 runs in a game that ebbed and flowed throughout. 

India came off a 2-1 ODI series defeat in Australia, while South Africa lost the series against Pakistan by the same margin. 

India lost their 19th consecutive ODI toss as Aiden Markram chose to bowl. 

South Africa got a new captain in Aiden Markram as Temba Bavuma was rested after feeling unwell on Saturday. They also rested Keshav Maharaj, playing only Prenelan Subrayen and Markram as spinners. Bavuma’s absence allowed them to play both Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock. Marco Jansen and Nandre Burger were the left-arm quicks joining Ottneil Baartman in the attack. 

India was dealt an early blow with the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal off the bowling of Nandre Burger, but a highly impressive partnership of 136 runs between veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli set the foundation for India to set 349, leaving South Africa a monumental chase. 

Rohit was given a lifeline when he was on one as Tony de Zorzi contrived to drop a relatively simple catch at deep square leg. It was a drop that South Africa would pay dearly for. 

Both Sharma and Kohli batted with great authority and precision, scoring at more than a run a ball as they looked in the mood and hungry for runs. 

In the process, Sharma hooked Marco Jansen for six and surpassed Shahid Afridi’s world record of sixes in ODI cricket – with his 352nd six. 

The Proteas did bounce back with some good bowling as Ottniel Baartman claimed the wickets of Ruturaj Gaikwad for 8 and Washington Sundar for 13.

The Gaikwad dismissal was the result of a sensational catch by Dewald Brevis as he dove at full length to clutch the ball with his right hand from backward point. A remarkable piece of athleticism that left the crowd stunned but with a sense of appreciation for his brilliance.

Despite being starved of the strike as he approached his hundred, Kohli eventually got to the milestone – a well-deserved one. His reaction was an emotional one as he jumped for joy and looked to the sky in gratitude. This was ODI hundred number 52 for Kohli. 

Kohli’s wonderful innings came to an end – caught superbly by Ryan Rickelton off the bowling of Burger – for 135 off 120 balls at a strike rate of 112.50.

Since the fall of Sharma, South Africa did better with the ball, stemming the run-rate as India scored just 115 runs off 21.3 overs. 

KL Rahul scored 60 off 56 balls while Ravindra Jadeja scored a vital 32 off 20.

Corbin Bosch bowled a superb final over, going for just six runs – two of which were leg bye’s and dismissed Jadeja and Arshdeep Singh in consecutive balls. 

South Africa required 350 to win as India closed their innings on 349/8.

Kohli 135, KL Rahul 60, Rohit Sharma 57

Baartman 2/60, Burger 2/65, Bosch 2/66 

The Protea innings barely began, yet they found themselves three down in quick time with just eleven on the board.

Harshit Rana struck twice – claiming the scalps of Rickelton and Quinton de Kock – to show why the selectors and management have faith in him. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Markram for 7. 

The next two partnerships aimed to solidify the innings with a view to bringing South Africa back into the game – stands of 66 and 53 were put together – but de Zorzi and Brevis were dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav and Rana respectively to peg the Proteas back. 

Matthew Breetzke brought about his sixth fifty in just ten ODI innings – doing so in 55 balls and largely assuming a secondary role while anchoring the innings – in his partnerships with de Zorzi and Brevis.  

Marco Jansen came to the wicket and wasted no time in hammering Kuldeep to all parts in the 25th over, which yielded 15 runs. 

Alongside Breetzke, the pair put together a quick-fire fifty partnership off just 29 balls – with Jansen scoring 44 of those off just 19.

Jansen continued his good form with the bat from the Test match in Guwahati and got to a much-deserved fifty with some crisp, clean hitting, smashing an Arshdeep delivery to cow corner for four – in just 26 balls as the noise in the stadium dissipated. 

This was the fastest fifty for a South African batter in India, bettering David Miller’s 29-ball effort against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup. It is also the second-fastest for South Africa against India, behind JP Duminy’s 25-ball fifty in the 2013 Johannesburg ODI.

Kuldeep then pitched one short, which Jansen could only connect with the bottom of the bat and was caught at mid-wicket for a well-played 70 off 39 balls – bringing an end to the dangerous 97 run partnership. 

South Africa were dealt a hefty blow when just two balls later, Breetzke hit out to long-on as Kohli took a comfortable catch. His 72 came off 80 balls.

This innings was the first in ODI history where batters number four to number eight all scored more than 35 runs in the same ODI innings – highlighting an extraordinary collective effort by the middle-order. 

Corbin Bosch displayed his value to the side, getting his maiden ODI fifty, but despite the effort, South Africa fell short.

Although they lost, there were many positives to take from the match, particularly the impressive fightback from the middle and lower order.

The 681 runs scored is the highest in an ODI between the two sides. 

India take a 1-0 lead into the second ODI, which will be played on Wednesday, 3 December at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The game begins at 10h00 South African time.

Breetzke 72, Jansen 70, Bosch 67

Kuldeep Yadav 4/68, Harshit Rana 3/65