Kohli serves master class, India send Proteas on leather hunt, make 349/8

At a stage of his career where every ODI innings carries scrutiny, star batter Virat Kohli delivered a statement hundred — his 52nd in the format — to propel India to a formidable 349 for 8 against South Africa in the series-opener here on Sunday.

Kohli reasserted his relevance and authority in the only international format he plays with a fluent 135-run knock that formed the spine of India’s innings.

His commanding knock came off 120 balls with seven sixes and 11 fours. His 136-run stand with Rohit Sharma (57 off 51) for the second wicket, set up India’s big total on a largely flat JSCA Stadium track.

With Kohli no longer part of T20Is, and only six ODIs scheduled for India in the next eight months or so, every outing in the format now comes with significance.

The 36-year-old responded with trademark authority, reminding the selectors and team management that he remains India’s most bankable batter in the format.

Rohit too had a great platform to assert himself after being dropped at 1 but he could make only 57 before being trapped by Jansen.

Still, their 136-run partnership — during a much-anticipated RoKo show — would give confidence not to the two stalwarts but also the team management that they still belong to big stage and can serve India a bit more.

It was a flat deck but the Proteas bowlers were also guilty of not bowling a probing line and length.

Kohli walked in early after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 18 ended via a faint edge off Nandre Burger, and the Ranchi crowd immediately anticipated a reunion worth waiting for.

The RoKo show

Rohit survived a sitter on one, spilled by Tony de Zorzi at mid-wicket, and used the reprieve to settle before opening up with a string of boundaries against Jansen and Corbin Bosch.

He hit Marco Jansen for two boundaries in a space of five balls and Bosch was also taken to task: his incoming deliveries were flicked with ease and the short ones were pulled with authority.

Kohli, meanwhile, was in vintage touch — a six over mid-off off Burger showing the full bat face signalled his intent as well as touch. It was followed by a silken cover drive.

With South Africa’s pacers erring in both line and length, the pair motored along, forcing stand-in captain Aiden Markram to introduce off-spinner Pranelan Subrayen, but the runs kept flowing.

Kohli raised his half-century with a six off Bosch, while Rohit reached his fifty with a single as India crossed the 100-run mark in quick time.

Jansen finally struck back by trapping Rohit leg before. The dismissal briefly stalled India’s scoring as Kohli went through a phase of limited strike.

Ruturaj Gaikwad (8) and Washington Sundar, promoted to No. 5, fell in quick succession to Ottneil Baartman, arresting the early charge.

But Kohli held firm.

Rotating strike smartly and putting away the loose balls, he ensured India did not drift. Soon after he completed his hundred, a manic fan breached security, knelt before his ‘King’, touched his feet before being whisked by security officers.

What was remarkable was Kohli’s ability to change the gears even when the ball had gone soft. Now only one ball of the two can be used after 34 overs, making the stroke-making challenging.

When skipper KL Rahul (60) was struggling to go hard at spinner Subrayen, Kohli creamed him off for 21 runs with consummate ease with two sixes and a four.

The 2027 World Cup is still some time away but Kohli reminded one and all that his touch is intact and hunger insatiable as ever.