Virat Kohli stars in Ranchi as the hosts claim the IND vs SA 1st ODI

The Men in Blue picked up their ODI tempo from right where they left it, as RoKo dominated the proceedings in Ranchi. A change in leadership did not turn around India’s fate, as the team lost its 19th toss in a row in the white-ball format. However, the coin’s favour did not interfere with their plans, as fans were treated early to the much-awaited return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Yashasvi Jaiswal got a chance to open the attack alongside the former skipper but departed early. What followed was the fans’ favourite sight, as ‘RoKo’ scripted their second consecutive 100+ partnership in the format while taking the Proteas around the park in the IND vs SA 1st ODI.

Virat Kohli lights up Ranchi with 52nd ODI ton as RoKo script another 100-plus stand

Led by KL Rahul, the Men in Blue put on a strong show to put the ghosts of the 2-0 Test whitewash behind them. Unlike the India vs Australia ODI series, where the senior stalwarts looked rusty early on, RoKo needed no time to find their rhythm at home. Rohit Sharma began cautiously, while Virat Kohli went big from the word go. Lacing his knock with some of the sharpest strokes, Kohli brought up his 76th ODI half-century in just 48 balls, with Rohit soon matching the scoring tempo and punishing the visitors.

Marco Jansen, who was hit all around the JSCA Stadium by RoKo, finally got rid of Rohit Sharma for 57 off 51 as the 136-run partnership came to an end. Kohli, however, stuck around, completing what he could not in Australia last month. The Indian cricket giant brought up the 7000th international century, getting to his 52nd ODI ton. The 36-year-old has now become the batsman with the most centuries in a single format, overtaking the record of 51 set by Sachin Tendulkar in Tests.

Hosts manage to thwart Proteas’ fight to win IND vs SA 1st ODI by 17 runs

While the lower order staged a mini-collapse at the end, India wrapped up the first innings with a well-rounded total of 349. The chase, meanwhile, was not as straightforward as anticipated, with Matthew Breetzke and Marco Jansen putting up a valiant fight. Jansen, who had a tough outing with the ball, avenged his earlier bashing by taking on the Indian bowlers. Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana, who had removed Dewald Brevis before the hard-hitter could turn dangerous, bore the brunt of Jansen’s charge.

However, both the Protean fighters were sent back in the same over as Kuldeep Yadav pulled his team back into the game. The spinner finished off the game with a four-fer. Corbin Bosch extended the proceedings with a resolute fifty down the order, bringing thrill to the chase. However, the steep 350-run chase needed more weapons in the arsenal, and the guests fell short by 17 runs in Ranchi.

Amid murmurs of an impending meeting at the BCCI headquarters regarding the future of the seniors, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli let their bats do the talking in the IND vs SA 1st ODI. As the white-ball series now moves to Raipur, eyes will be on the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who have earned a much-needed opportunity in the absence of the injured captain–vice-captain duo of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer.