India Clinches Victory Over South Africa, Kohli's Century Steals the Show
Virat Kohli's impressive century powered India to a 17-run victory against South Africa in the first ODI held in Ranchi. Kohli's performance not only secured a win but also brought back memories of his dominant years, according to teammates.
Teammates Laud Kohli's Performance
Following the match, members of Team India expressed their admiration for Virat Kohli's outstanding innings. Tilak Varma described the experience of witnessing Kohli's century firsthand as "special."
- Tilak Varma: "We have seen one of the best knocks again... He is absolutely top. I have learnt a lot, and it's a pleasure to watch him live."
Kuldeep Yadav Reminisces About Kohli's Prime
Kuldeep Yadav, who started his career under Kohli's captaincy, noted that Kohli's batting reminded him of his peak years.
- Kuldeep Yadav: "The way he batted, I felt I had gone back 8-9 years... It was a very good innings, and he looked very confident."
Assistant Coach Highlights Importance of First Innings
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate emphasized the importance of setting a strong total in the first innings, considering the expected dew factor.
- Ryan ten Doeschate: "It was very pleasing as the guys identified that we needed a premium score on that wicket... Virat, a big 100 in a row, getting us out of the blocks, finishing off to get us a score that was above what you normally need in a wicket like this was good."
Batting Coach Dismisses Concerns About Kohli's Future
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak dismissed any speculation about Kohli's ODI future, emphasizing his current form and fitness.
- Sitanshu Kotak: "Heโs batting so well. Why do we need to talk about his future? The way heโs performing, the way his fitness is โ there are no questions about anything."
Match Summary: India vs. South Africa
India, after being put in to bat, posted a total of 349/8. Here's a summary of key moments:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: 18 runs
- Rohit Sharma: 57 runs
- Virat Kohli: 135 runs
- KL Rahul: 60 runs
- Ravindra Jadeja: 32 runs
In response, South Africa were bowled out for 332. Key performances from South Africa included:
- Tony de Zorzi: 39 runs
- Matthew Breetzke: 72 runs
- Dewald Brevis: 37 runs
- Marco Jansen: 80 runs
- Corbin Bosch: 67 runs
Harshit Rana took 3 wickets for 65 runs.
Series Update
With this victory, India leads the three-match ODI series 1-0.
