Ranchi, Nov 30 (NationPress) India weathered a tense challenge and triumphed over South Africa with a narrow 17-run win in the inaugural ODI, taking a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. This match proved to be a hard-fought contest, offering valuable insights for players on both sides.

India established a strong first innings total, spearheaded by an exceptional century from Virat Kohli along with crucial contributions from Rohit Sharma and K.L. Rahul. After being asked to bat first, India faced an early setback with the loss of Yashasvi Jaiswal to Nandre Burger, but Rohit and Kohli quickly took charge.

The seasoned duo formed a fluent 136-run partnership, relieving the pressure after the initial loss. Rohit scored a brisk 57 off 51 balls, surpassing Shahid Afridi’s longstanding record for the most ODI sixes before being trapped lbw by Marco Jansen.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s brief innings ended with a spectacular catch from Dewald Brevis, while Washington Sundar contributed a steady 17 before falling to Ottneil Baartman. Kohli, however, remained unfazed, reaching his 52nd ODI century and 83rd international ton. He accelerated his scoring after reaching three figures, attacking Prenelan Subrayen with two fours and two sixes.

Rahul provided solid backing with a well-constructed 60, forming a significant partnership of 76 runs with Kohli. After Kohli was dismissed for 135, Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja aimed for a substantial finish, combining for a 65-run partnership. However, a late collapse, featuring wickets from Jansen and Corbin Bosch, limited India to a total of 349/8, still a challenging target for the Proteas.

Chasing a daunting 350-run target, South Africa faced early turbulence as India’s bowling attack started aggressively. Harshit Rana, bowling in the second over, made an immediate impact with his first legal delivery. After an initial wide, the pacer quickly found his rhythm, delivering a sharp ball that jagged back into Ryan Rickelton. The South African opener offered a lazy defensive push, and his stumps were shattered, providing India with the breakthrough they sought.

Rana was not finished yet. Just a ball later, he struck again, leaving the visitors reeling. Quinton de Kock, new at the crease, chased a full delivery well outside off. The ball moved away just enough to catch the outside edge, and K.L. Rahul made no mistake behind the stumps. De Kock departed without scoring, and South Africa was already in deep trouble.

The pressure mounted further. In the fifth over, Arshdeep Singh extended India's dominance with a perfectly angled delivery to skipper Aiden Markram. Fishing at a ball moving away, Markram could only manage a thick edge, leading to another catch for Rahul. The captain fell for just seven off 15 balls, leaving South Africa three down and in serious trouble early on.

With the top-order dismantled and the run rate climbing, South Africa's chase faltered as India's bowlers maintained their grip on the match during the first Power-play. Effective bowling from Prasidh Krishna concluded the 10th over, granting the hosts an early edge.

Matthew Breetzke and Tony de Zorzi steadied the innings after India's bowlers had dismantled the Protea top-order, sharing a 66-run partnership for the fourth wicket before de Zorzi's dismissal by Kuldeep Yadav, who trapped him lbw.

Dewald Brevis then exhibited composure, taking on the bowlers alongside Breetzke to accumulate runs. Although the Indian bowlers faced threats from South Africa's middle order, they struck timely blows to break partnerships, as Brevis and Breetzke managed a 53-run stand.

Marco Jansen’s innings, however, shocked and rattled the Men in Blue as the tall all-rounder played an aggressive knock, getting his team closer to a win while Breetzke played a supporting role.

In the 34th over, a strategic switch to bring Kuldeep Yadav back into the attack paid dividends for India as the spinner dismissed both Jansen and Breetzke within three deliveries, prompting a sigh of relief among the Indian camp.

Prenelan Subrayen and Bosch provided some relief to their teammates, but Kuldeep struck again, claiming his fourth wicket by sending the former packing in his final over. Bosch and Nandre Burger fought valiantly, but Arshdeep's late strike in the 46th over to dismiss Burger kept the contest finely balanced.

With India needing just one wicket to seal the victory, Bosch kept everyone at the edge of their seats as he steadily approached his half-century, while the Proteas hoped for an unlikely finish. It all boiled down to the last over, with South Africa requiring 19 runs from the final six balls. In the end, a mis-hit from Bosch led to Rohit completing a spectacular catch, granting India a hard-fought victory.

With Prasidh Krishna delivering the final blow, India secured a narrow 17-run victory, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Brief scores:

India 349/8 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 135, K.L. Rahul 60; Ottneil Baartman 2-60, Nandre Burger 2-65) beat South Africa 332 all out in 49.2 overs (Matthew Breetzke 72, Marco Jansen 70, Corbin Bosch 67, Tony de Zorzi 39, Dewald Brevis 37; Kuldeep Yadav 4-68, Harshit Rana 3-65, Arshdeep Singh 2-64) by 17 runs.