Fans applaud India as hosts outshine South Africa in series decider in Vizag

by

New Delhi: India walked off the field in VIzag knowing they had finally stitched together the kind of all-round performance this series kept teasing. India finally dropped the curse as they finally won the toss for the first time since the 2023 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand and chose to bowl first. They had a shaky start but found control once Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav hit their rhythm. Quinton de Kock’s superb hundred kept the Proteas afloat for a while yet the innings never recovered after Krishna’s three-wicket burst cracked open the middle field.

Kuldeep picked from where Krishna left running through the lower half and leaving the visitors at 270, a total that felt light on this pitch. Then they began the chase with a moment most Indian fans will remember for a long time. The openers played their role beautifully with Rohit Sharma pushing past the 20,000 mark while Yashasvi Jaiswal delivered the innings of the evening with his maiden ODI century. For a young player recently settled into international cricket the knock felt another step forward. Virat Kohli who is in the kind of form that has defined his late-career resurgence, chipped in with yet another fifty, easing India through a chase that could have been trickier.

Social Media rection

More to follow…