Kohli century flattens South Africa

Durban: Captain Virat Kohli struck a stylish century to lead India to a comfortable six-wicket victory over South Africa in the first one-day international on Thursday and end the hosts’ 17-match winning streak on home soil. India amassed 270 for four to reach their target with 27 balls to spare at Kingsmead.

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis scored 120 of his side’s 269 for eight after winning the toss. A record 189 “run third-wicket partnership between Kohli, who made 112, and Ajinkya Rahane (79) set up India’s victory. Earlier, India’s wrist-spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal shared five wickets among them in an impressive bowling show but du Plessis ensured that the Proteas have a competitive total.

Du Plessis scored his eighth ODI hundred after a half-empty Kingsmead Stadium bore witness to South Africa’s top-order collapse. The hosts lost four wickets for 51 runs before du Plessis and Chris Morris (37) rescued them with a 74-run partnership for the sixth wicket. The Protean skipper faced 112 balls from which he hit 11 fours and 2 sixes.

For India, Kuldeep took 3/34 and Chahal returned 2/45 as the duo excelled in their first proper overseas outing, underlining the team management’s faith in wrist-spin since July last year. Earlier, South Africa won the toss and opted to bat. As expected, Aiden Markram came in for injured A B de Villiers and the hosts went in with only one spinner. India’s playing eleven was along anticipated lines, with Ajinkya Rahane slated to bat at No 4 for the first time since January 2016.

A sell-out crowd was expected for this first match of the six-match ODI series but the fans — mostly Indian supporters — only arrived in spurts on account of a working Thursday, building up gradually over the afternoon. This is the only game of the Indian tour in Durban.

Hashim Amla (16) and Quinton de Kock (34) got off to a watchful start. The latter, in particular, took his time as he had been enduring a poor run of form. At the other end, Amla looked in good nick, scoring at a strike-rate of 90-plus. They put on 30 runs for the opening wicket before Jasprit Bumrah (1/56) struck in the eighth over. He trapped Amla plumb lbw, albeit was lucky to have his front-foot only millimetres behind the line.

Just before this, India had a major injury scare when Virat Kohli hurt his knee while fielding in the seventh over. He struggled with his right leg for a while thereafter, and even went off to the Indian dugout to get attention from the physiotherapist.

South Africa scored 49/1 in the first 10 overs even as Hardik Pandya (0/41) came on to bowl first-change. More importantly though, Kohli went off the field — this time to the dressing room to get further treatment — in this interim as the knee niggle continued to bother him.

Meanwhile, du Plessis began his innings in attacking fashion. He put on 53 runs off 46 balls with de Kock for the second wicket. India had brought on spin from the 11th over itself as Chahal exerted control over proceedings. However, the Proteas’ batsmen attacked Pandya and he was expensive in his first spell.

Chahal trapped de Kock lbw in the 15th over, and the batsman walked without bothering for a review. Had he opted for the referral, he would have survived. Du Plessis, alternately, would have been given out lbw on 18 if India had opted for DRS at the end of the 13th over.

The spinners took quick wickets thereafter and did not allow South Africa’s partnerships to settle even as 100 came up in the 21st over. Aiden Markram (9) was caught off Chahal shortly after. Then Kuldeep got into the act. He bowled J P Duminy (12) with one that kept low, whilst foxing David Miller (7) into a false shot as Kohli completed a smart forward-diving catch at short extra-cover.