India won a high-scoring thriller against South Africa by 17 runs at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30. The win also helped the Men in Blue take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The Proteas won the toss and elected to field. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal fell after scoring 18 off 16 balls in the fourth over. South Africa got off to a promising start but strong performances from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli swung the fortunes in favour of the home side.
The two experienced batters added 136 runs for the second wicket out of 109 balls. Kohli completed his 52nd ODI century – a masterful 135 from 120 balls. Sharma, however, was dismissed after making 57 runs from 51 balls.
Stand-in captain KL Rahul also had an impressive batting performance, scoring his 19th half-century in the format. He provided 60 runs off 56 balls, while senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja scored 32 runs off 20 balls.
The team India finished on 349/8 after 50 overs. Marco Jansen, Nandre Burger, Corbin Bosch, and Ottneil Baartman each claimed two wickets.
It was a challenging beginning to the South African run chase as they slumped to three for 68 in the first five overs. But they were able to bounce back when the moisture-permeation factor began to help batters.
Matthew Breetzke (72 off 80), Marco Jansen (70 off 39) and Corbin Bosch (67 off 51) hit fifties but the visitors were dismissed for 332 in 49.2 overs.
Four wickets were shared by left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav and pacer Harshit Rana got three. Kohli was Man of the Match for his brilliant century.
Here, we look at three moments from the high-octane encounter that sparked fan excitement.
1. Dewald Brevis pulls off a stunning catch to send Ruturaj Gaikwad back
Ruturaj Gaikwad returned to Indian ODI squad after almost two years. Unfortunately, his long-awaited comeback didn’t yield a long innings. Just eight runs from 14 balls and he was gone.
The instant that ended his tenure was pure magic from Dewald Brevis. Gaikwad attempted a drive off Ottneil Baartman in the 27th over, but got under it slightly and hit it to backward point. The ball was coming in hot, but Brevis made a swift reaction and caught it with one hand. And it ended up being one of the best catches of the match.
Later in the game, Gaikwad returned the favour. He took Brevis’ catch during South Africa’s chase. Brevis scored 37 from 28 balls before getting caught at sweeper cover off Harshit Rana.
2. KL Rahul lights up the stadium with a brilliant reverse scoop
Team India Captain KL Rahul accompanied him at the 6th place and played a sedate inning before going all out in the end. He was all out for a SR of 107.14.
The one which everyone was talking about happened in the final over. Marco Jansen offered a full ball outside off and Rahul went for the reverse scoop. The ball soared over the boundary for six, surprising fans and teammates at the audacious hit.
3. Kuldeep Yadav turns the match with two quick wickets
South Africa were looking strong as Matthew Breetzke and Marco Jansen built a big partnership. They added 97 runs in quick time and had India under pressure.
Then Kuldeep Yadav stepped up. In one over, he removed both batters. Jansen tried to pull the ball but was caught by Ravindra Jadeja at deep mid-wicket. On the very same over, Breetzke went for a big shot and was caught by Virat Kohli at long-on. Those two wickets changed the match completely.
