roach at the crease, initially slowing down the run rate and focusing on preserving wickets. Iyer managed to contribute 77 runs during his 87-ball innings before being dismissed, leaving Kohli at 64 not out. Kohli, however, held his ground and, alongside KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja, added to India’s total and eventually equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record with an unbeaten century. Kohli displayed brilliant patience under immense psychological pressure, persevering until the 48th over to reach his century, despite South Africa’s disregard and determined efforts.
India concluded their innings with a total of 326 for 5 wickets, thanks to the contributions of Kohli, Iyer, and Sharma. However, what followed next was far from what Indian fans at the Eden Gardens had expected from the powerhouse Proteas batting line up.
South Africa crumbled to their lowest ever score in a World Cup, with Ravindra Jadeja securing a five wicket haul amidst all the chaos. It all started when Mohammed Siraj claimed the first wicket of the match, dismissing Quinton De Kock in the second over. South Africa were soon shaken and this played in India’s favor. Temba Bavuma was next to depart, falling victim to Jadeja after a brief stint at the crease.
South Africa then lost two more wickets, taking their score from 22 for 2 to 40 for 4, courtesy of Mohammed Shami. The Indian paceman who humiliated Sri Lanka in the previous game with a five-fer, removed the dangerous Van der Dussen and Markram, leaving South Africa struggling to find their feet.
Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, in an entertaining manner, then dismantled and outspun the remaining South African batters, allowing them an additional 43 runs before the close of play. Jadeja completed a five-wicket haul, conceding just 33 runs in his 9 overs while Kuldeep Yadav and Mohamed Shami finished with two each. India had recognized early on that spin would be the key to South Africa’s downfall, and their strategy certainly proved successful.
India bowled out South Africa for a mere 83 runs in 27 overs, marking their second consecutive match with the opposition failing to reach 100 runs, a feat unprecedented in World Cup history. With this win, India extended their unbeaten streak in their home World Cup to 8 victories in 8 matches and will look to carry this form through to the end of the tournament.
Chief Scores:
India – 326 for 5 (Virat Kohli 101*, Shreyas Iyer 77, Rohit Sharma 40,Keshav Maharaj 1 for 30, Kagiso Rabada 1 for 48, Lungi Ngidi 1 for 63)
South Africa – 83 for 10 in 27.1 Overs (Marco Jansen 14, Rassie van der Dussen 13, David Miller 11, Ravindra Jadeja 5 for 33, Kuldeep Yadav 2 for 7, Mohammed Shami 2 for 18)
South Africa
