Star batsman Virat Kohli hit a record-extending 52nd one-day century to set up India’s 17-run win over a spirited South Africa in the first match on Sunday.
Kohli’s 135 came off 120 balls and he shared a second-wicket partnership of 136 with fellow stalwart Rohit Sharma to set India on course for 349-8 in the eastern city of Ranchi.
Number eight Corbin Bosch made a valiant 67 off 51 balls as South Africa fought until almost the end. Entering the 50th over, the visitors needed 18 for victory with one wicket left. Bosch fell on the second ball and South Africa were 332 all out.
Matthew Breetzke, who made 72, and Marco Jansen, with 70, put on a fighting stand of 97 for the sixth wicket to revived the chase after South Africa slipped to 11-3 and then 77-4.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav stood out with figures of 4-68 in the high-scoring contest.
His double strike to remove Jansen and Breetzke in the space of three balls was the turning point for India who took 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The 37-year-old Kohli remained the hero with his 83rd ton across the three international formats after he raised his hundred with a boundary off Jansen and lifted his bat to a raucous home crowd.
“If you’ve played 300-odd games and so much cricket, you know when you’re hitting balls in practice, you know the reflexes are there and the physical ability is there to bat long,” player of the match Kohli said.
“As long as you’re hitting the ball well and playing good cricket, it’s about physically fit, mentally ready and excited.”
Kohli mania
An Indian fan breached security and raced to the pitch to touch Kohli’s feet before he was dragged away.
Kohli has the most ODI hundreds, with Indian great Sachin Tendulkar second with 49.
The Indian cricket star tops the list of hundreds in a single format with Tendulkar’s count in Tests being 51.
Kohli and 38-year-old Rohit, who made 57, only play the 50-over format after they retired from T20 and Test cricket.
Their presence boosted India, led by KL Rahul in the absence of the injured Shubman Gill, after a 2-0 Test whitewash against South Africa.
Rohit lost fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal early for 18 but Kohli walked in to a huge roar from a 38,000-strong capacity crowd.
The pair steadied the innings and then took on the bowlers before Rohit was trapped lbw by Jansen.
Rohit hit three sixes in his 51-ball knock. That took him to 352 sixes in this format, overtaking Pakistan batter Shahid Afridi’s record of 351.
Kohli switched gears soon after reaching his first hundred since February. He hit off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen for two fours and two sixes in a 21-run 39th over.
He finally fell to Nandre Burger, caught by Ryan Rickelton, after hitting 11 fours and seven sixes.
Rahul kept up the attack with 60 off 56 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja made 32 off 20.
In the end Bosch’s first ODI half-century made it a close contest and much to look forward ahead of the next match is Wednesday in Raipur.
“Great to sit in the change room and watch the guys do their thing,” stand-in-skipper Aiden Markram said. “Never losing the belief that we can pull off a rabbit from the hat.”
