AI Simulation, IND vs SA | Kohli shines as India notches up tense win in 1st ODI

‌Pitch and Weather

Ranchi offered a true, batting-friendly surface with good bounce and a fast outfield. Early seam movement assisted pacers for the first 6-8 overs, after which spinners exploited the dry surface in the middle overs. Temperatures hovered around 22-24°C with light evening dew under the floodlights, slightly aiding batters and making it tricky for spinners to grip the ball.

Toss

India won the toss and elected to bat first, aiming to set a challenging total on the flat surface while taking advantage of early batting conditions.

Lineups

India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (c & wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

South Africa: Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Temba Bavuma (c), Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi

Match Report

Opting to bat first, India lost Rohit Sharma early but Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli steadied the innings with a 120-run partnership. Jaiswal rotated strike and punished loose deliveries, while Kohli paced his innings with trademark timing. Though Tilak Varma fell cheaply, KL Rahul and Nitish Kumar Reddy added useful runs, with Rahul finishing unbeaten on 45. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav contributed vital late runs, with Kuldeep finishing 20* off 24 balls, as India posted 287/7 at the end of 50 overs.

South Africa started cautiously, with Quinton de Kock and Markram forming a resilient partnership. De Kock scored 78, Markram 82, while Bavuma added 45. The chase appeared on track until Kuldeep Yadav struck thrice in the middle overs, dismissing De Kock, Markram, and Matthew Breetzke, halting momentum. Bavuma and Dewald Brevis added 56 late runs, keeping the game alive. However, tight death bowling from Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, combined with fielding brilliance, ensured South Africa finished at 283/9, four runs short.

Player of the Match

Virat Kohli was named player of the match for anchoring India’s innings with a measured 96, setting a defendable total and providing the platform for a tense win.

Scorecard