India secured a crushing 243-run victory over a stunned South African team in a truly brilliant performance. Tasked with a steep target of 327 on a difficult wicket, the South African lineup struggled to get going and lost wickets in quick succession. Ravindra Jadeja dominated the bowling attack, taking five wickets to restrict the visitors to just 83 runs. A highlight of the game was Virat Kohli's 49th ODI century, a feat that sees him equal the all-time record held by Sachin Tendulkar.
A scintillating performance powered invincible India to beat dazed South Africa by a frightening margin of 243 runs. Chasing a big target of 327 on a challenging pitch, South African batters struggled to score runs freely and lost wickets cheaply as they failed to read the pitch conditions well. Ravindra Jadeja’s fifer helped India to bowl out the Proteas for just 83. Earlier, Indian star batter Virat Kohli amazed everyone by hitting his 49th ODI ton, equaling legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most ODI tons.
Opening the batting, captain Rohit Sharma put India in a strong position with a series of aggressive shots before Temba Bavuma took a sharp catch to dismiss him for 40. Shubman Gill added a neat 23 to the total. As the ball aged, the conditions became increasingly favorable for the bowlers, making it a struggle to score. However, the momentum shifted back to India thanks to a polished 134-run stand between Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
The partnership ended when Lungi Ngidi took the vital wicket of Iyer, who finished with an impressive 77. Suryakumar Yadav provided a brief boost with 22, and Jadeja added a useful 29. Kohli, however, was the backbone of the batting effort, remaining unbeaten on 101 to guide India to a commanding total of 326/5 by the end of their 50 overs.
South Africa's pursuit of the target faltered immediately with the early loss of the dangerous Quinton de Kock for only 5. Rohit Sharma's tactical decision to bring on Jadeja during the powerplay paid off handsomely, as the spinner bowled Bavuma for 11. Mohammed Shami then entered the fray to remove Aiden Markram for 9. The combination of Jadeja and Shami tore through the batting lineup with clinical precision. The rout was completed by Kuldeep Yadav, who bowled Ngidi for a duck.