India vs. South Africa: Winners and Losers from 1st ODI
South Africa drew first blood in the first of five one-day internationals against India, winning by five runs.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, South Africa notched up 303 for five, with AB de Villiers leading from the front scoring an unbeaten 104 off 73.
Young Kagiso Rabada was tasked with bowling the final over and defended 11 off the final six balls to help South Africa seal a thrilling victory and take a 1-0 series lead.
We’ve picked some winners and losers from Sunday’s match, add your own in the comments.
Loser: Quinton De Kock
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This is perhaps a little bit harsh on Quinton de Kock, but he didn’t have a great time with the bat. He got out to a good ball, but not an unplayable delivery.
He also had a few nervy moments behind the stumps, including a missed run out. It might just be a few nerves as he adjusts to the pace of international cricket again after being dropped from the team’s previous series.
Winner: AB De Villiers
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Is there anything AB de Villiers can’t do? He didn’t open the batting, but he did lead from the front.
South Africa’s openers had an okay start before Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla combined for a solid 59-run partnership. However, it was De Villiers’ aggressive approach that helped South Africa get to a big total.
His innings inspired the first time a team had managed to score over 300 in an ODI at Kanpur.
Winner: Ravi Ashwin
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Having Ravi Ashwin on the “winners” list whenever India play is becoming the norm these days. He is an exceptional bowler and one has to wonder how different the result might have been had he not injured himself and been forced to leave the field.
Once again Ashwin had the lowest economy rate (3.00) of all the bowlers, and he managed a wicket within the first four balls he bowled. His consistency would have been really useful for India on Sunday.
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Loser: Rohit Sharma
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This might sound harsh for a guy who opened the batting and scored 150, but there is a reason behind it. Rohit Sharma has been in destructive form recently and he was well on course to help lead India to a very impressive win.
Instead, he got himself out by hitting a ball straight back to Imran Tahir when his side was within touching distance of a win. Perhaps he did it because he knew India had to pick up the pace if they wanted to chase down the total, but it was a disappointing dismissal.
Losers: India
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Make no mistake, South Africa didn’t win this match, India lost it. That might be stating the obvious, but South Africa’s bowlers didn’t exactly fire at full tilt and they were gifted most of their wickets.
Toward the latter stages of the innings the bowlers had to hold their nerve, but India were cruising at one stage and to lose it from such a dominant position is disappointing.
Winner: Kagiso Rabada
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Defending 11 off the final over when you are bowling to MS Dhoni, one of the best finishers in world cricket, is a daunting task for any bowler. For a youngster with just a handful of ODI caps to his name, even more so.
However, Rabada held his nerve and backed his line. Thanks to India feeling the pressure just a touch more, he came out top and picked up two wickets in the final over.
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