India's ODI Setback: South Africa Levels Series with Four-Wicket Victory
India's Disappointing Performance in Raipur
In a challenging match, India faced a four-wicket defeat against South Africa in the second ODI of the three-match series held at the Shaheed Veer Narayanan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on December 4. Despite scoring 358 runs, India could not defend their total as South Africa successfully chased down the target with four balls remaining.
Aiden Markram emerged as the standout player for South Africa, scoring 101 runs. Other notable contributions came from Matthew Breetzke (68), Dewald Brevis (54), Temba Bavuma (46), and Corbin Bosch (29*), helping the Proteas level the series at 1-1.
India's Ongoing Toss Struggles
India's misfortune at the toss continued, marking the 20th consecutive ODI where they failed to win the coin flip. The last time they won a toss was during the 2023 World Cup against New Zealand, where they opted to bat first. Since then, the team has not managed to secure a toss victory in any of their last 20 ODIs.
Despite this ongoing issue, India has won 12 out of those 20 matches, indicating that they have still performed well on the field.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Shines with Maiden ODI Century
After a disappointing return in the series opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad made a remarkable comeback, scoring his first ODI century in Raipur. He played a stellar innings of 105 runs off 83 balls, forming a crucial 195-run partnership with Virat Kohli, which helped India reach a total of 358/5.
Virat Kohli Continues to Impress
Virat Kohli also made headlines with his century, scoring 102 runs off 93 balls, marking his 53rd ODI century and 84th overall in international cricket. This achievement highlighted his consistency, as it was his 11th instance of back-to-back centuries in ODIs.
Kohli's performance solidifies his position in India's plans leading up to the 2027 World Cup, and discussions regarding his future with the BCCI are anticipated after the series.
Criticism of Ravindra Jadeja's Slow Batting
Ravindra Jadeja faced criticism for his slow innings, scoring only 24 runs off 27 balls. Coming in at a crucial moment, he failed to capitalize on the scoring opportunities, which affected India's momentum during the death overs.
In contrast, KL Rahul, who partnered with Jadeja for an unbeaten 69-run stand, scored 66 runs off just 43 balls, highlighting the disparity in their batting approaches.
Concerns Over Bowling and Fielding
India's bowling and fielding were subpar, allowing South Africa to chase down the target with ease. Four bowlers, including Prasidh Krishna (2/82) and Kuldeep Yadav (1/78), conceded over 50 runs, which proved detrimental in a high-scoring match.
Fielding errors, including missed chances and overthrows, further compounded India's difficulties, particularly a missed opportunity by Yashasvi Jaiswal that allowed Markram to continue his innings.