Virat Kohli equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 one-day international centuries with a meticulous 101 not out before India’s magnificent bowling attack, led by spinner Ravindra Jadeja ‘s 5-33, dismantled South Africa for a feeble 83 all out to complete a resounding, record victory by 243-runs in their penultimate World Cup group match at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
It matched South Africa’s second lowest total in ODIs and was comfortably their heaviest defeat, surpassing the 182-run loss they suffered against Pakistan in Port Elizabeth in 2002.
Kohli reached his precious landmark in the 48th over of India’s innings from an apparently pedestrian 119 balls with just 10 fours to lead India to a commanding total of 326-5 after Rohit Sharma chose to bat first and South Africa had almost nothing to offer in reply as the top-of-the-table clash ended in embarrassingly one-sided fashion.
'He got smarter, he got harder in the nick of time
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 5, 2023
he rose up from the dead, he does it all the time' 🎵#CWC23 #INDvSL #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/Af4FMAMeOf
South Africa delivered a mostly incoherent and ill-disciplined bowling performance to make India’s task considerably easier than it might have been, but such was the domination of the hosts bowlers they could have defended 100 runs fewer.
Quadruple centurion Quinton de Kock (5) was bowled off an inside edge by Mohammad Shami (2-18) and Temba Bavuma (11) had his stumps disturbed by Jadeja before Jadeja, Shami and Kuldeep Yadav (2-7) sliced through the rest of the batting order as if they were playing against a youth team.
India highlight their championship qualities with their win over South Africa at Eden Gardens 🏆
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) November 5, 2023
Watch the post-match wrap here: https://t.co/ACEUH7ehZ3#BePartOfIt | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/1xhThloaG1
Earlier, openers Rohit Sharma (40 from 24 balls) and Shubman Gill (23) shared 10 fours and three sixes from a buffet of loose deliveries before the former drove the excellent Kagiso Rabada to mid off and the latter was bowled by a beauty from Keshav Maharaj which pitched outside leg-stump before spinning to clip the top of off.
Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen shared a horror first five overs during which the hosts raced to 61-0 with Ngidi shedding 34 runs in three overs and Jansen 27 in two, leaving South Africa with a long haul to fight their way back into the contest.
KING KOHLI
Jansen was unable to control the lavish early swing and conceded eight wides in his first over while Ngidi’s length and width offered generous scoring opportunities.
Maharaj (10-0-30-1) provided desperately needed control in the middle overs while Rabada (10-1-48-1) was immaculate with an opening spell of 5-1-19-1 to provide some common sense and normality to proceedings.
Shreyas Iyer batted beautifully for his 77 from 87 balls (7x4, 2x6) during a stand of 134 with Kohli before top-edging a legside heave against Ngidi to Aiden Markram at midwicket and there was a consolation wicket for Jansen when KL Rahul (8) miscued a pull to Rassie van der Dussen at deep square leg.
Tabraiz Shamsi (10-0-72-1) escaped with a late, consolation wicket but mostly struggled for control with one ten-ball over, including three wides and a no-ball, on a pitch offering generous turn for the spinners.
A reverse-sweep by Suryakumar Yadav (22) popped off his gloves into the gloves of a diving De Kock.
Jadeja finished the innings in some style with a rasping 29* from 15 balls with three fours and a six while Ngidi (1-63) limped from the field with a ankle sprain with four balls remaining, leaving Jansen (9.4-0-94-1) to finish the final over.
But the first half of the match undoubtedly belonged to ‘King Kohli’ who delighted the 70 000 capacity crowd with the century he has been desperate to score during the tournament to place himself alongside the greatest ODI run-scorer of all time.
A truly special evening for Virat Kohli 👑#INDvSA #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/Bs4ICv6r42
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) November 5, 2023
The result confirms that India will finish top of the table and play their semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai meaning that South Africa are likely to return to Eden Gardens to play their semifinal, possibly against Australia.
INDIA: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wkt), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj
SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wkt), Temba Bavuma (captain), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi.