India, South Africa teams arrive in Raipur ahead of second ODI

RAIPUR (Chhattisgarh): The Indian cricket team and South African team have arrived in Raipur for the second ODI, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

The second fixture will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur, on Wednesday.

India is heading into the second fixture after a thrilling 17-run win over the Proteas in the series opener in Ranchi. The Ranchi stadium saw a brilliant batting display from India’s veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

The ‘Ro-Ko’ carnival continued from where it left off in Sydney and enthralled the Ranchi crowd, with Virat scoring his 52nd ODI ton and Rohit smashing the record for most ODI sixes.

Virat, along with Rohit Sharma, put up a 136-run stand for the second wicket. Sharma played a blissful innings of 57 runs off 51 balls, including five fours and three sixes. His three sixes in the first ODI took him past Shahid Afridi’s record for most sixes in ODIs. Sharma came into the match, needing just three more sixes to surpass Afridi, who held the record with 351 sixes from 369 innings.

Kohli scored 135 in 120 balls, with 11 fours and seven sixes, scoring his runs at a stunning strike rate of 112.50. Kohli has overcome compatriot and iconic batter Sachin Tendulkar’s mark of 51 Test centuries to become the batter with the most centuries in a single format of the sport.

In the match, the Proteas put India into bat first. While Yashasvi Jaiswal was removed after a promising start for a 16-ball 18, Rohit (57 in 51 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Virat enthralled the Ranchi crowd with a 136-run second-wicket stand.

India lost their way in the middle, with Rohit, Ruturaj Gaikwad (8) and Washington Sundar (13) dismissed in quick succession and India at 200/4 but a partnership of 76 runs between KL (60 in 56 balls, with two fours and a six) and Virat and later a 65-run stand for KL with Jadeja (32 in 20 balls, with two fours and a six) took India to 349/8 in 50 overs.

During the run chase, South Africa lost three quick wickets to Indian pacers and was staring at defeat at 11/3. A 66-run stand between Tony de Zorzi (39 in 37 balls, with seven fours) and Matthew Breetzke brought some stability.

Dewald Brevis also played a fine cameo of 37 in 28 balls, with two fours and three sixes, but half their side was gone at 130 runs.

From there, a 97-run stand between Breetzke (72 in 80 balls, with eight fours and a six) and Marco Jansen (80 in 39 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) threatened to take away the game from India, but a timely Kuldeep Yadav intervention removed both, reducing SA to 227/8.

But Corbin Bosch (67 in 51 balls, with five fours and four sixes) kept the fight alive alongside the lower order, taking SA near the touching distance of a win, but they fell short by 17 runs. Harshit Rana (3/65) was also fine with the ball.

With this win, India has taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. (ANI)