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Having failed in their endeavor to win their maiden Test series in South Africa, Team India will be keen to make an impact in the three-match ODI series.
A massive development has taken place in Indian cricket, with Virat Kohli stepping down as captain for the Test outfit. There has been an air of uncertainty in Indian cricket for a while over leadership roles in various formats, so India’s performance in the one-dayers will be observed closely.
Speaking of captaincy, KL Rahul will be leading India in the ODIs with Rohit Sharma unavailable due to a hamstring injury. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been named vice-captain for the three-match series, which will begin with the first game at Boland Park in Paarl on January 19.
India have played a total of 34 ODIs in South Africa so far, winning 10 and losing 22. The other two matches produced no results. The last time India visited the Rainbow Nation in 2017-18, they clinched the six-match series by a comprehensive 5-1 margin.
Memorable one-day batting efforts by Indians in South Africa
In the build-up to the ODI series, we look back at five impressive batting efforts by Indians against the Proteas in South Africa.
#5 Sourav Ganguly (127) - Johannesburg, October 2001
Leading the team, Sourav Ganguly scored a typically elegant 127 off 126 balls in the first match of the 2001-02 tri-series in Johannesburg in October 2001. The Proteas sent India in to bat after winning the toss, after which Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar (101) featured in an opening stand of 193. Ganguly was the dominant partner in the stand, whacking 14 fours and five sixes.
The left-hander found the boundaries with ease and reached his fifty off 60 balls in the 17th over. His first six came off Makhaya Ntini’s bowling and he spanked one more off the same bowler. Ganguly also punished Lance Klusener for two maximums. He reached his 100 off 111 balls by flaying the pacer for a four. Ganguly’s stroke-filled innings ended when he was caught behind off Justin Kemp’s bowling in the 36th over.
Tendulkar was a lot more subdued and reached a century off 128 balls. However, he perished immediately after to Jacques Kallis. India ended with a competitive 279 for 5. In response, Gary Kirsten hit an unbeaten 133 off 155 balls to guide South Africa home with six wickets and 10 balls to spare.
#4 Rohit Sharma (115) - Port Elizabeth, February 2018
Opener Rohit Sharma scored a sublime 115 off 126 deliveries as India thumped South Africa by 73 runs in the 5th ODI of the six-match series in Port Elizabeth in February 2018. The Proteas invited India to bat after winning the toss and Rohit guided the innings as India put up a competitive 274 for 7. He featured in a second-wicket stand of 105 with Kohli (36), striking 11 fours and four sixes in his excellent knock.
In the sixth over of the innings, Rohit came down the track and launched Rabada for a six over long-on. He then pulled Lungi Ngidi for a maximum over deep square leg. He reached a run-a-ball fifty in the 19th over and proceeded to pull JP Duminy for another six over midwicket. Rohit’s fourth maximum came when he launched Tabraiz Shamsi in the same region.
At the other end, Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane got run out, following which Rohit took it upon himself to anchor the innings. He reached his 100 off 107 balls by flicking Shamsi for a couple. His crucial innings ended when he top edged an attempted late cut off Ngidi to the keeper.
In the chase of 275, South Africa were all out for 201 in 42.2 overs. Kuldeep Yadav claimed four scalps, while Yuzvendra Chahal and Hardik Pandya chipped in with two apiece.
#3 WV Raman (114) - Centurion, December 1992
Former India opener WV Raman scored a memorable 114 off 148 balls as India chased down 215 against South Africa in the 3rd ODI of the seven-match series at Centurion back in December 1992. This was the first hundred in ODI cricket by an Indian in South Africa. Raman hit only six fours and one six in his innings but ensured India ended up on the winning side.
The left-hander featured in an opening stand of 56 with Ajay Jadeja (20) to get India’s chase off to a solid start. Raman and Sachin Tendulkar (22) then featured in a crucial 45-run stand for the fourth wicket after India lost Pravin Amre and Mohammad Azharuddin. Raman was eventually dismissed by Allan Donald in the 47th over. However, Ravi Shastri’s unbeaten 16-ball 27 took India over the line.
Earlier, India restricted South Africa to 214 for 5 after winning the toss and bowling first. Despite opener Andrew Hudson’s 87, the hosts never got going. There were two run-outs in South Africa's innings, while Anil Kumble restricted the batting side with figures of 2 for 29.
#2 Yusuf Pathan (105) - Centurion, January 2011
It rarely happens that a team ends up on the losing side after one of its batters smashes a 100 in 68 balls. But this is exactly what transpired in the 5th ODI of the five-match series against South Africa in January 2011. Yusuf Pathan clobbered a sensational 105 in only 70 balls, but India still ended up losing the contest by 33 runs (D/L) method.
Set a target of 268 in 46 overs, India collapsed to 119 for 8. The result seemed a mere formality. However, Yusuf smacked eight fours and as many sixes in a sensational innings to give South Africa a real scare. He was on 26 off 30 at the end of the 23rd over, after which he went berserk.
The dangerous batter clubbed Morne Morkel for a six and two fours in the 29th over. A few overs later, he picked consecutive sixes against off-spinner Johan Botha. India took the batting powerplay in the 35th over, which saw Pathan whack Lonwabo Tsotsobe for two sixes and as many fours. The second maximum, which was pulled high over the ropes, brought up Yusuf’s sensational ton.
The 21-run over brought the equation down to 50 off 68 balls. However, Morkel ended all hopes of an Indian miracle as he had Yusuf caught. The big hitter attempted another aggressive stroke but ran out of luck as the ball went straight up in the air. India were all-out for 234 in 40.2 overs. Batting first, South Africa made 250 for 9, built around Hashim Amla’s unbeaten 116 off 132 balls.
#1 Virat Kohli (160*) - Cape Town, February 2018
Kohli slammed a superb 160* off 159 balls in the 3rd ODI of the six-match series against South Africa in Cape Town in February 2018. The Proteas sent India into bat and Kohli led from the front as the visitors posted 303 for 6 on the board. The right-hander smacked 12 fours and two sixes during his attacking knock.
India lost Rohit Sharma for a duck in the first over, after which Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan (76) featured in a second-wicket stand of 140. The Indian skipper began sedately, reaching his fifty off 64 balls. He continued to rotate the strike and brought up his 34th century off 119 deliveries at the start of the 40th over.
Kohli smashed his two sixes in the last two overs of the innings. The first one off Chris Morris was whipped to wide long-on and the second came off Kagiso Rabada, whacked over midwicket. Kohli ended his innings by whipping Rabada past mid-off for four.
Chasing 304, the Proteas folded for 179 in 40 overs as Indian spinners Chahal and Kuldeep claimed four wickets each.
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