South Africa vs India 2018: 1st ODI, 5 things we learnt from the match

A formidable 189 run partnership between Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane led India to a comfortable win over South Africa in the first ODI of the six match series at Kingsmead, Durban. Selected over Shreyas Iyer, Rahane cruised into fifth gear in no time with his skipper batting as nonchalantly and effortlessly as he is known to from the other end. The target of 270 that was set seemed pretty below-par and Kohli's 33rd ODI century made things even easier.

Earlier, the hosts were propelled to 269 courtesy a Faf du Plessis special after Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal spun a web around the Proteas' fidgety middle-order. Chris Morris gave du Plessis quite a good hand, as South Africa redeemed themselves before surging towards the end and posting a competitive total on board. It, however, proved to be rather mediocre for India's run machine.

Here are the 5 things that we learnt from the match.

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#5 India's wrist spin magic works everywhere

Chahal and Kuldeep had been at the heart of India's brilliant 2017 in ODIs

While Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were mesmeric on Indian wickets that were tailor-made for them, their effectiveness on the grassier outfields of South Africa were questioned. Playing both of them seemed together seemed an absolute no-no until Virat Kohli, with his strange insights, decided to play upon South Africa's weakness against spin.

To say that the ploy was an instant success would be an understatement. Chahal sent back a sorely out of touch Quinton de Kock and added Aiden Markram to his bag, while Kuldeep Yadav, in exceptional rhythm, ran through South Africa's middle-order reducing them to 134/5 at one point. He returned to prize out Chris Morris and break a threatening stand between him and the skipper, Faf du Plessis.

#4 Sublime du Plessis slams ninth ODI hundred

du Plessis survived a sore back to take South Africa to a competitive total

It isn't often that Faf du Plessis starts off with a bang. Quite often the South African skipper has been criticised for his tendency to get bogged down at the wicket, particularly in the One Dayers. None of that was visible at Durban in the first ODI against India as he kicked off his innings with three delightful boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The stability and the composure that he brings to the crease was evident in the absence of AB de Villiers, as he kept his cool even as wickets tumbled around him. When Kohli dozed off for a few overs and let Chris Morris settle in at the crease, du Plessis knew it was time for payback. He rallied along the maverick all-rounder and the duo put on 74 in quick time to bring the Proteas back into the game.

After Morris departed, du Plessis found a reasonable ally in Andile Phehlukwayo and the skipper went on to play his shots, racing to a fabulous hundred in the process.

#3 Kagiso Rabada's searing burst

Rabada's first spell was a full throttle one

There is a reason why the Virat Kohli-Kagiso Rabada battle was the highlight of the Test series. The two don't back down, are terrific competitors and excel in their own domain quite well. When they face-off, sparks are certain to fly. But before that happened, Rabada showed just why he is among the top fast bowlers in the world today by sending down a fiery spell against Rohit Sharma, where the speeds constantly aced the 150kmph mark.

Even though Rohit managed to get a boundary, he appeared a tad shaken and the effects showed in the next over when he skied Morne Morkel to de Kock. Kohli was greeted with splice-splitting pace and bounce by Rabada and the Indian skipper nearly edged through to Faf du Plessis at wide slip. Rabada's rip-roaring opening spell, however, did not give the Proteas the wicket they were searching for.

#2 Ajinkya Rahane stamps down class in bludgeoning knock

Rahane justified his inclusion ahead of Iyer with a superb knock

"We had said earlier that Ajinkya will be looked at as a third opener, but that situation can change because he has batted at No. 4 in a World Cup before," Virat Kohli had said before the series. He might as well have specifically mentioned Rahane's superb cameo against the Proteas in the 2015 World Cup, as this was among the very few memorable knocks from the Mumbaikar in the middle-order in ODIs.

As though to justify his skipper's stance, Rahane, picked ahead of Shreyas Iyer who had back to back half-centuries coming into the series, waltzed his way to a brilliant fifty. With stable support from Virat Kohli, Rahane appeared least perturbed by the South African attack, which went from good to average to poor to pathetic during the course of the game. Rahane was dismissed with India pretty close to sealing the game.

#1 Kohli special takes India to 1-0 lead

There is no stopping Kohli in run chases

Spectacular Virat Kohli, limping in the field after he hurt his knee while diving, returned with the bat to nail home another one of those run chases, compiling his 33rd ODI hundred in the process. With Kagiso Rabada ruffling him up early with extra bounce and pace, Kohli was not at his pristine best but slowly built momentum in the company of Rahane.

The duo put South Africa's innocuous back-up bowlers - Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, JP Duminy and Aiden Markram - under tremendous pressure and with Imran Tahir, the World's no.1 bowler, not hitting his straps either, scoring became rather easy. Not one to let go of any opportunity to cross the three-figure mark, Kohli completed his first hundred in South Africa. He now has hundreds in all nine countries where he has played ODIs in.