1 February 2018
Kohli completes a unique set of centuries
By ESPN cricinfo
Virat Kohli scored yet another hundred in a chase, his 20th, 18th in a successful chase and 33rd of his career. This was his first in South Africa and with that he completes a unique set.
He has played in nine countries, all full-members, and has centuries in all of them. Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya are the only other players to score centuries in nine of the first ten full-member nations. Tendulkar did not manage a century in West Indies and Jayasuriya in Zimbabwe. Kohli misses one in Pakistan where he has not played yet.
Kuldeep, Chahal beat all others
Kuldeep Yadav with his career-best 3 for 34 and Yuzvendra Chahal's 2 for 45 halted the South Africa batting. They picked 5 wickets in their 20 overs conceding just 79 runs at an economy of 3.95. All other Indian bowlers managed just one wicket in 30 overs giving 187 runs, at economy of 6.23. The two wristspinners gave only four boundaries while others conceded 23 of them. This was also only the second time India spinners picked five or more wickets against South Africa in South Africa.
South Africa's spinners were incomparable to India's spinners. They bowled 12 overs, conceded runs at 6.21 and picked no wickets. Imran Tahir, the wristspinner, gave 51 runs in his 10 overs and part-timers JP Duminy and Aiden Markram bowled four overs between them for 36 runs, economy of nine.
Ajinkya Rahane's record run
The 79 in the first ODI is his fifth-consecutive fifty for Ajinkya Rahane. Before this, he had hit four fifties in last four ODIs against Australia at home. He is only the third batsman to hit five consecutive fifty-plus scores for India. Kohli did this twice, in 2012 and 2013, and Sachin Tendulkar in 1994. Rahul Dravid had also done it, which had one fifty for Asia XI.
Kohli and Rahane shared 189 runs for the third wicket which is the third-highest for any wicket against South Africa. This is also the highest third-wicketstand by any pair against South Africa going past the 180 added by Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor in Hamilton last year.
South Africa's success streak ends
South Africa had won 17 consecutive ODIs at home before this loss. Their last defeat at was about two years back against England. Since then they won three ODIs against England, one against Ireland, handed 5-0 whitewashes to Australia and Sri Lanka and 3-0 against Bangladesh. This was also their first loss against India in Durban. They had won all of the previous six encounters with India.
