On Thursday, the Indian cricket team wiped away the proud homerun record of South African team who had marked 17 consecutive ODI wins in their homelands as India defeated South Africa by six wickets in the first ODI of six-match series.

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In the first India-South Africa ODI started off with a stutter for the Indian side as the confidence of South African team overpowered the stadium. However, after winning the toss, India started off with a positive note with two in-form openers fetching regular boundaries. Rohit Sharma struck an imperious six off Morne Morkel and at the other end, Shikhar Dhawan took full toss of the loose deliveries. But South Africa soon knocked off Rohit with a miscued a shot on 20 to be caught by ‘keeper Quinton de Kock off Morne Morkel. Dhawan then continued to score at more than run a ball even after the power play but had to take off the pitch after a runout at 35.

India were 67/2 when Kohli and Rahane joined hands and together they steered the India innings in the forward direction. Kohli, in making his 33rd ODI century, showed once again how good he is in pacing a successful chase, something he has done on numerous occasions for India. Kohli-Rahane duo added a record 189 runs for the third wicket before being separated in the 43rd over when Rahane, aiming to finish the game early, ended up being caught at long-on. MS Dhoni finished the chase in style with a four as India won with over four overs to spare and six wickets remaining. This was Kohli’s 19th century outside India. While this was his first century in South Africa it was his second against South Africa. T

This is also the third instance where Kohli, as a captain, scored a hundred while the other captain also scored hundred because Faf du Plessis too scored his ninth century as South Africa recovered to post a competitive 269/8. However, Indian spinners made the lives of their counterparts tough with their spinning brakes and never allowed the South African top-order to settle after the hosts opted to bat with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav keeping the pressure on their batsmen by bowling tight overs. Du Plessis struck 11 fours and two sixes during his knock and finally holed out in the last over of the South Africa innings to Hardik Pandya off Bhuvneshwar – recording a landmark victory for India at the ODI in and against South Africa.

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