South Africa Achieves Historic ODI Victory Over India with Record Chase

In a thrilling second ODI, South Africa secured a historic four-wicket victory against India by successfully chasing down a target of 359 runs. This match marked the joint-highest successful chase against India in ODI history. Captain Temba Bavuma praised his team's performance, highlighting key partnerships that led to their success. India initially set a challenging target with strong performances from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The match showcased remarkable batting from both sides, setting the stage for an exciting decider in the series.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 4, 2025, 00:06 IST

South Africa's Remarkable Win

In a thrilling encounter at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, South Africa triumphed over India by four wickets in the second ODI. The Proteas successfully chased down a daunting target of 359 runs in just 49.2 overs, marking the joint-highest successful chase against India in ODI history. This victory also highlights South Africa's impressive record of three successful chases of 350 runs or more, tying them with India for the most in ODIs.

Bavuma Reflects on the Historic Chase

Temba Bavuma, the captain of South Africa, expressed pride in his team's performance, emphasizing the positives from this match. He addressed the injuries of players Nandre Burger and Tony de Zorzi, stating, "We were focused on improving our bowling. The partnerships at the top were crucial, and this record chase demonstrates our capability against a strong Indian team. I aimed to build a partnership with Aiden and take the game deep, which was essential for our success."

"Sending Brevis in early proved beneficial. This win boosts our confidence significantly. The competition for spots is intense, and the players understand the need to perform at their best. I’m not a medical expert, but the situation doesn’t look promising for the injured players. However, we have capable replacements if necessary," Bavuma added.

India Sets a Challenging Target

India batted first after being put in by South Africa, initially struggling at 62/2 with the dismissals of Rohit Sharma (14) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (22). However, Virat Kohli (102 off 93 balls, including seven fours and two sixes) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (105 off 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes) formed a formidable partnership of 195 runs for the third wicket, putting India in a strong position. KL Rahul (66* off 43 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (24* off 27 balls, with two fours) added a quick 69 runs for the sixth wicket, finishing the innings at 358. Marco Jansen was the standout bowler for South Africa, taking 2 wickets for 63 runs.

Markram's Century Fuels the Chase

The chase began with South Africa hitting boundaries, although they lost Quinton de Kock early. Temba Bavuma (46 off 48 balls, with three fours and a six) partnered with Aiden Markram to build a 101-run partnership. Markram scored his fourth ODI century and first as an opener, finishing with 110 runs off 98 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes.

A pivotal 92-run partnership between Matthew Breetzke (68 off 64 balls, with five fours) and Dewald Brevis (54 off 34 balls, with one four and five sixes) shifted the momentum in favor of South Africa. Despite the injuries to Burger and de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj (10*) and Corbin Bosch (25*) guided the team to a memorable victory with four wickets remaining and four balls to spare. Arshdeep Singh was India's top bowler with 2 wickets for 54 runs, while Prasidh Krishna's performance was notably poor, conceding 82 runs in 8.2 overs. The series now heads to an exciting decider on Saturday.