Thanks to a balanced performance across all departments, South Africa comfortably beat India by 31 runs in the first ODI. The hosts managed to restrict the visiting team to 265/8 at Boland Park while defending 297 on a difficult, slow pitch. This win puts South Africa up 1-0 in the series, largely thanks to the batting masterclass of Temba Bavuma (110) and Rassie van der Dussen (129*).
An all-around display from the Proteas guided them to register a comfortable 31-run win over India in the first ODI. Defending 297on a sluggish pitch, the hosts restricted the men in blue for 265/8 at the Boland Park. Centuries from skipper Temba Bavuma (110) Rassie van der Dussen (129*) helped their side to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
India's pace attack looked strong initially but struggled to find a consistent breakthrough. This allowed Bavuma and van der Dussen to dictate the pace of the game, sharing a remarkable 204-run stand for the fourth wicket—one of the most dominant partnerships the Proteas have ever had against India. For India, Jasprit Bumrah was the most successful bowler with two wickets, supported by a single scalp from Ravichandran Ashwin.
India's reply started poorly with the early loss of KL Rahul for 12. However, the innings found stability through Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, who shared a 92-run partnership. Dhawan played an aggressive 79 before Keshav Maharaj cleaned him up. In a historic moment, Virat Kohli's 63rd half-century pushed his tally to 5,065 runs, overtaking Sachin Tendulkar for the most runs scored by an Indian player away from home.
The momentum shifted as India's middle order collapsed, unable to build meaningful partnerships. Both Rishabh Pant (16) and Shreyas Iyer (17) started with promise but couldn't turn their starts into big scores. The South African bowlers were clinical; Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Andile Phehlukwayo each grabbed two wickets, while Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj took one apiece. India will now aim to recover and level the series in the second ODI tomorrow.