Blog - Kohli, Gaikwad tons in vain as SA level series

Virat Kohli eased to his second successive century and Ruturaj Gaikwad hit his first in ODI cricket as India piled up 358 for 5, in front of 60,000 spectators, in Raipur. That total, however, didn't turn out to be a dew-proof one, with South Africa sneaking to the target to silence the packed crowd and set up a decider in Visakhapatnam.

Aiden Markram, who led South Africa's chase with his first hundred in an ODI chase, Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis upstaged Kohli and Gaikwad, with some help from dewy conditions. When Brevis holed out for 54 off 34 balls, after raising his maiden ODI fifty, South Africa were still ahead, needing 70 off 57 balls with six wickets in hand.

The visitors then suddenly fell behind when they lost Breetzke and Marco Jansen in successive overs. By the time Jansen holed out to long-off, South Africa required 37 off 33 balls with four wickets in hand. Tony de Zorzi hobbling off the field with a potential hamstring injury after 45 overs added another twist to the chase. He joined Nandre Burger, who had hurt his own hamstring and left the field earlier in the first innings, on the sidelines.

It boiled down to South Africa needing 27 off 30 balls. Corbin Bosch's attacking enterprise and Keshav Maharaj's calmness got the job done for them, leaving India wondering what might have been.

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After the 45th over, de Zorzi leaves the field. Maharaj joins Bosch with SA needing 27 off 30 balls. Burger is also nursing a hamstring injury and may come out to bat, if needed.

Prasidh Krishna traps Breetzke lbw for 68 in the 44th over. In the next over, Arshdeep Singh has Marco Jansen holing out to long-off. De Zorzi collapses in pain in the same over. He clutches his hamstring and has the physio treating him. Maharaj is waiting at the edge of the boundary.

Okay, de Zorzi is back up on his feet and is ready to resume. Bosch clatters the next ball for four, leaving SA needing 27 off 30 balls.

One good over.

SA were just one good over from taking control. Brevis produced that with twin sixes off slower balls from Harshit Rana. He manufactures his own pace and clubs the ball over the boundary.

In the next over, Brevis races to his half-century, off 33 deliveries, with another six. However, when he attempts another six next ball, he holes out to long-on, giving Kuldeep his first wicket on the day. SA are 289 for 4, needing 70 off 57 balls. This could be another thriller.

Breetzke extends his golden run in ODI cricket with yet another fifty. He gets to the landmark with a tucked single off Kuldeep. Pin-drop silence at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur. Sure, dew has helped SA, but they've done well to stay in touch with the asking rate. Brevis, meanwhile, is approaching a fifty of his own.

Brevis gets cracking with a straight six off Kuldeep and a ramped four off Arshdeep. It was a slower bouncer from the left-arm quick, but Brevis spotted it, delayed his shot, and flipped it over the keeper with ridiculous ease. Breetzke, meanwhile, has been fairly circumspect against spin, but he continues to take on fast bowler Prasidh. He backs away and crunches him through the covers in the 37th over which costs India 16 runs. SA need 106 from 13 overs in dew conditions with seven wickets in the shed.

Here's Al Muthu from Raipur: "Sometimes Indian cricket grounds become impossible engines. It shouldn't be possible for 60,000 people to be silent but that's what happened as Aiden Markram kept going and going and going. Two centuries in the first innings were greeted with thunderous applause. This one in the second was greeted by a great big gulp of the throat.

"SA have paced this chase so well, scoring over run a ball with the dew allowing them to play a lot more expansively. India were feeling the pinch. KL Rahul the stand-in captain went to his 'do something against the run of play' bowlers. Harshit Rana bowled with Rohit Sharma, stationed at mid-off, in his ear every other ball. Kuldeep Yadav came on from the other end. Rohit tried to get the wet ball changed. The umpires weren't having it. India caught a break when Markram fell after a special hundred, his first in an ODI chase, and finally Raipur breathed. "Ind-i-aaa jeetega" came the rallying cry. This game is still South Africa's with Dewald Brevis and Marco Jansen more than capable of meeting the required run rate."

Harshit Rana digs an offcutter into the surface and hides it away from the reach of Markram. The batter fetches it from there and drags a catch to Gaikwad at long-on. Gone for 110 off 98 balls. It's hard to execute these variations in dewy conditions, so props to Harshit. He's showing why India's team management rates him highly. He can strike with the new ball as well as the old one. SA are 197 for 3 in 30 overs.

In Ranchi, Markram's dismissal was part of an early wobble. In Raipur, he saw off the new ball and once the early juice disappeared, he began to play his shots and show his range. He was also helped by the dew, with the ball skidding onto the bat and into the boundary. He powers his way to 99 with a blazing straight drive off Jadeja. He then reaches the landmark with a bunt to long-on off 88 balls. It's his first ton in an ODI chase. Subdued celebrations from Markram - he knows that the job is not done yet. SA need 182 runs from 23 overs with eight wickets in hand.

Prasidh Krishna has Bavuma caught on the hook at deep midwicket for 46. Bavuma was quite comfortable against spin. So, India and Prasidh shake things up. Bavuma hooked Prasidh for six on the fourth ball of the 21st over, but that doesn't deter Prasidh from sticking to his guns. He bangs another one into the middle of the deck and has Bavuma holing out. SA are 127 for 2 in the 21st over.

Rana kisses the ball after taking the catch in the outfield. Rahul punches his fist in joy. India feel like they're regaining control in Raipur.

A drag-down from Kuldeep on off. Markram loads up for the pull but does not middle it. This is a fairly straightforward catch for Jaiswal at the wide long-on boundary. But he makes a mess of it. He gets into an awkward side-on position, snatches at the ball, and lets it tip over the ropes. A catch turns into a six. Markram gets a life on 53. It's not going to be easy for India's spinners in dewy conditions.

He gets there off 52 deliveries. He has settled down against spin and with the dew setting in, he seems to be building towards a big knock. At the other end, Bavuma has shaken off that blow to his elbow and is keeping SA in the hunt. India have turned to Kuldeep after 15 overs. The left-arm wristspinner gives up nine in his first over. SA are 92 for 1 in 16 overs.

After seeing off the new ball, Markram has found his groove. He has played some handsome back-foot punches, moving to 30 off 32 balls. No wickets for Rana in his opening spell in Raipur after he had caused damage in Ranchi. Prasidh Krishna has pinged Bavuma on his unprotected elbow, but the SA captain is okay to resume. He's yet to find his groove today. SA are 51 for 1 in ten overs.

In the early window that offered some swing and seam in Ranchi, India took three wickets in the first five overs. Raipur also provides that early window and Arshdeep strikes in the fifth over. He pushes it full and takes it away from de Kock, who tries to heave the ball over the leg side, but ends up popping it to mid-on, where Washington takes the catch. Gone for 8 off 11 balls.

Arshdeep also troubled Markram with swing when he got one to move back in sharply and thump his back pad, but ball-tracking indicated that it would've sailed over the stumps. At the other end, Harshit Rana is also testing the edges of Markram. SA are 26 for 1 in five overs.

After proving his match fitness in the SMAT, Hardik Pandya has returned to India's T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against SA. Gill has also been named in the squad, subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI's CoE. There's no room for Rinku Singh or Nitish Kumar Reddy.

India T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar

Breetzke's drop costs SA 22 runs as Rahul remains unbeaten on 66 off 43 balls. He finishes India's innings with 4,6,2 off Bosch while Jadeja also did his bit, scoring an unbeaten 24 off 27 balls. Bosch concedes 18 in the final over - the most expensive of the innings. Rahul's power and invention has swelled India's total. Is it a dew-proof one? I'll let you be the judge. Be back for SA's reply. They need to chase down 359 if they're to keep the series alive.

Another good hand from Rahul in the middle order. He's taken charge of India's innings after the departure of centurions Gaikwad and Kohli. He gets to his half-century off 34 balls with a scythed boundary off Jansen. The left-arm quick could've had Rahul on 44 in his previous over, but Breetzke ended up dropping a regulation catch at sweeper cover. How much is the drop going to cost SA?

Burger hurts him hamstring in the 39th over and leaves the field. He has hobbled off the field after bowling just one ball in that over. Markram completes the over.

Burger had started his seventh over when he lost his run up twice and appeared to struggle to land on his right leg. He held onto his right knee before walking off the field.

ESPNcricinfo understands that Burger is undergoing assessments but that the early diagnosis is that the injury has been sustained in his right hamstring. In the immediate term, it will affect South Africa's plans in this match and the third ODI on Saturday. Burger was not part of the T20I squad, where Anrich Nortje will make his return, and he may be called on earlier if South Africa feel they need extra pace. They are already without Kagiso Rabada, who has a rib niggle, and Gerald Coetzee, who was not picked for this tour.

Gone for 1. After reverse-sweeping more or less straight to short third, Washington searches for a non-existent single. Rahul rightly sends his partner back, but by the time Washington undoes his steps and pulls out a dive, he's caught short. There was no single there. India are 289 for 5 in 41 overs.

Ngidi has Kohli holing out to long-on for 102 off 93 deliveries. He rolls his fingers across this back-of-a-length delivery and has Kohli dragging a catch to Markram at long-on. Kohli looked good for a whole lot more, but holes out. Washington Sundar joins KL Rahul at the crease with India are 284 for 4 in the 40th over.

There's an air of inevitability around an ODI hundred from Kohli. And this one is no different though he's in the twilight of his career and is a one-format player these days. It's the 11th time that Kohli has notched up back-to-back ODI tons. Kohli leaps for joy and has Raipur roaring with him.

He had opened his account with a superbly pulled six off Ngidi and continued to function on autopilot.

The outfield was so wet yesterday that India cancelled their fielding session, according to Deep Dasgupta, and dew could be a factor today too, but Kohli seems to be taking India to a dew-proof total.

After bothering Gaikwad with quick short deliveries in his opening spell, Jansen comes back and finally gets rid of Gaikwad with a slower offcutter into the pitch. Jansen has Gaikwad holing out for 105 off 83 balls, ending a terrific 195-run third-wicket stand with Kohli. Rahul joins Kohli in the middle with India at 257 for 3 in 36 overs.

Before today, Gaikwad had hit 17 List A centuries in 87 innings at an average of nearly 55. All of those tons, including an unbeaten 220, had come while opening the batting. But there's no room at the top for India in international cricket across formats.

Had Shreyas Iyer been fit, Gaikwad may not have got this chance in the middle order either. Picked ahead of natural middle-order batters like Tilak Varma and Rishabh Pant, Gaikwad shows his middle-order chops with his first List A hundred, also his first ODI hundred, as a non-opener. Gaikwad leaps for joy, soaks in the applause, and a hug from Kohli is also part of the celebrations.

Gaikwad had a shaky start against Jansen, but has been dominant against spin, sweeping and taking trips down the pitch with purpose. Some of those shots by Gaikwad against spin even had Kohli excited at the other end.

Kohli advances at Bosch once again and drills it so very hard, leaving Gaikwad in the firing line and toppling over at the non-striker's end. The ball just eludes Gaikwad and rockets away into the boundary. Kohli surely enjoyed that. He then walks up to Gaikwad and pats him on his head. Kohli enters the 90s in style

Gaikwad shows his middle-order gears by crashing Maharaj for 4,6,4 in the 28th over, which costs SA 16 runs. After sweeping Maharaj flat and hard for four, Gaikwad ventures out of his crease, reaches the pitch of the ball and launches a six over midwicket. The pressure now gets to Maharaj. The left-arm fingerspinner is usually known for his accuracy but he drags a half-tracker on middle and Gaikwad duly dispatches it over wide mid-on for four more. India are 193 for 2 in 28 overs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad gets to his half-century off 52 balls, in the 24th over. In the next over, Kohli reaches his own fifty off 47 balls. Kohli has been the more fluent of the two, and is looking good to convert this into back-to-back centuries. He continues to function on autopilot in this format.

At the other end, Gaikwad, who began his career as a top-order batter, is getting used to a new role in the middle. After surviving the short-ball burst from Jansen, he has been more comfortable against spin and combined well with Kohli. India are 158 for 2 in 25 overs. Kohli and Gaikwad are setting India up for a dew-proof total.

Bosch is doing a good job for SA by pounding the ball on a hard length. But Kohli disrupts his rhythm by manufacturing his own length. He dashes out of the crease, takes it on a half-volley, and bashes him straight of mid-on for four.

He then flat-bats the offspin of Markram through the covers for four more. Ravi Shastri, someone who knows Kohli well, reminds us that it's a shot that Kohli used to play against Nathan Lyon all those years ago. Vintage Kohli

In the second over, Jansen bests Jaiswal with an aggressive short ball. He gets it up to shoulder-height and draws a weak flap from Jaiswal. Caught at square leg for 22 off 38 balls. Jansen also greets No.4 Gaikwad with a nastier bouncer. Gaikwad takes his eyes off the ball, throws his hands up in defence, and manages to glove it over the keeper.

In the 14th over, Jansen discomfits Gaikwad with another head-high bouncer. Gaikwad goes for the hook and top-edges it over long leg for six. At 2.08 m tall, Jansen continues to use his height to his advantage and trouble India's batters.

Ngidi bangs one into the middle of the Raipur deck and targets the body of Kohli. It's a rib-high delivery, but Kohli gets into position early, swivels into a pull and sends the ball over the square-leg boundary for six. He gets off the mark in grand style and the Raipur crowd loves it. Crunched off the middle of the bat. Is this a potent for what is to follow?

Kohli then welcomes Jansen into the attack with a flicked four. He brings his wrists into play and places it to the right of midwicket for another boundary.

Burger tightens up in his third over and tests the outside edge of Rohit. He keeps testing the outside edge and gets third-time lucky. After the first two edges streaked past short third into the boundary, the third one settles into the gloves of de Kock, the keeper. De Kock immediately threw the ball up in the air, but Burger wasn't convinced. Not given out caught behind on the field. Bavuma reviews and it's a successful one. Rohit has indeed nicked this one behind, with UltraEdge detecting a spike. India are 40 for 1 in the fifth over, with 13 of those runs coming via wides

There's swing on offer in Raipur, but both Burger and Ngidi haven't been able to control it. Ngidi starts with four wides in his first six balls on comeback. India are 22 for 0, with two fours from Jaiswal - both off Burger's first over, which cost SA 14 runs.

"That's the most pressure I've had. I have been practicing but not working," says India captain Rahul. He says the pitch looks good and that India are unchanged from their win in Ranchi.

For SA, Bavuma is back after being rested for the ODI series opener. He returns to take charge of the side. Bavuma is among three changes for the visitors. Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi also come back in for South Africa. Rickelton, Subrayen and Baartman are out for SA.

India: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 5 Washington Sundar, KL Rahul(capt, wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Prasidh Krishna

South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Temba Bavuma(capt), 4 Matthew Breetzke, 5 Tony de Zorzi, 6 Dewald Brevis, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Nandre Burger, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Virat Kohli is set to return to domestic cricket for Delhi in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-over competition, the DDCA has confirmed

"He will definitely play a few games, but not sure about the entire tournament," DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told ESPNcricinfo. "It will depend upon his India matches too.".

Once the last ODI of the ongoing series finishes on December 6 in Vizag, Kohli will have enough time before the start of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, it is not clear yet if he will play all of Delhi's seven league matches, which will go on till January 8, just three days before the start of the ODI series against New Zealand in Vadodara.