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India clinched a splendid victory in the ODI series against South Africa. This marks India's 26th ODI win this year, with Australia holding the record for 30 wins in 1999. India secured a crucial 1-0 lead in the series by defeating the South African team. The second match of the series will be played on December 19 at Gakberah.
It's been five years since India won an ODI in South Africa, with their last victory in 2018 at Centurion. After that, they faced three consecutive defeats in 2022.
Sai Sudharsan, making his debut for India, showcased a remarkable performance. In Johannesburg at the New Wanderers Stadium, South African captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to bat. His team managed to score 116 runs before being bowled out. In response, Team India chased down the target of 117 runs in just 16.4 overs. Sai Sudharsan, debuting for India, scored an unbeaten 55 runs in 43 balls. Shreyas Iyer contributed 52 runs in 45 balls. Rituraj Gaikwad scored five runs, and Tilak Varma remained unbeaten with one run. For South Africa, Wiaan Mulder and Andile Phehlukwayo took one wicket each.
In the bowling department, Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan performed exceptionally well, taking a combined total of nine wickets. Arshdeep took five wickets, including a hat-trick, while Avesh claimed four wickets. Arshdeep's hat-trick included the dismissals of Rassie van der Dussen, Reza Hendricks, and Klaassen.
After Arshdeep's onslaught, Avesh Khan delivered a deadly spell in the 11th over, securing a hat-trick by dismissing Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, and David Miller. However, he missed out on taking a fifth wicket. South Africa's innings concluded at 98 runs, and India secured a comprehensive victory.
Arshdeep Singh has been named the Player of the Match for his remarkable bowling figures of 5/37. Let's hear his thoughts on the performance:
File photo I feel a little sore but loving the moment. I just want to thank God. I only came to know that after 3-4 overs when I was running out of breath and that it's a little different to normal grounds (the altitude). (On leading the attack) Personally it feels really good. It's always good to play for your country. When you start doing well you get responsibility as well. I want to thank Rahul bhai as well - he backed me and motivated me to get a five-fer. I want to thank my family as well. It's about just enjoying the moment right now. When we go to Gqeberha it's about seeing what works there as a team.
KL Rahul (India captain):
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Lost three ODIs here as captain last time around. Good to have a win under your belt. It's completely different to what we expected. The plan was to bring spinners into the game. We were expecting Axar and Kuldeep to get us wickets. The boys did really well to stay disciplined and hit the right areas. It's just how cricket's been, you need to rest some players, you prioritise one format at times. It's Test cricket and T20s for now. We believe in whoever is here, will do their best to their country. The players are doing well in First-Class and IPL, it's nice for them to get a chance at the international level.
Stats :
South Africa suffered their biggest ODI defeat in terms of balls remaining:
- 215 balls remaining vs ENG, Nottingham, 2008
- 200 balls remaining vs IND, Johannesburg, 2023*
- 188 balls remaining vs AUS, Sydney, 2002
- 185 balls remaining vs IND, Delhi, 2022
India achieved their most significant ODI victories in terms of balls remaining:
- 263 balls remaining vs SL, Colombo RPS, 2023*
- 231 balls remaining vs KEN, Bloemfontein, 2001
- 211 balls remaining vs WI, Thiruvananthapuram, 2018
- 200 balls remaining vs SA, Johannesburg, 2023*
Sai Sudharsan becomes the 17th Indian opener to score 50+ runs on ODI debut
Indian openers to score 50+ runs on ODI debut:
- 86 - Robin Uthappa vs ENG, 2006
- 100* - KL Rahul vs ZIM, 2016
- 55* - Faiz Fazal vs ZIM, 2016
- 55* - Sai Sudharsan vs SA, 2023*
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