Batting paradise at Ranchi: 1st IND-SA ODI sees highest match-aggregate between both sides in 50-over format

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], November 30 (ANI): The India-South Africa clash at Ranchi saw batting records and statistics being rewritten and broken left and right, and the match also resulted in the highest-match aggregate between both sides in ODIs.

During the Ranchi ODI, both sides scored a massive 681 runs, outdoing their 662 runs scored during the clash at Wankhede in the 2015 series, which saw SA pile up 438/4 with centuries from Quinton de Kock (109), Faf Du Plessis (133) and AB de Villiers (119) and India crumbling to 224 all out in return, with fifties from Ajinkya Rahane (87) and Shikhar Dhawan (60) as highlights.

Also, the six count of this match was 28, the highest it has ever been in an Indian-South Africa ODI, outdoing the 25 sixes smashed in the aforementioned Wankhede clash.

In the match, SA put India into bat first. While Yashasvi Jaiswal was removed after a promising start for a 16-ball 18, Rohit (57 in 51 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and Virat enthralled the Ranchi crowd with a 136-run second-wicket stand. India lost their way in the middle, with Rohit, Ruturaj Gaikwad (8) and Washington Sundar (13) dismissed in quick succession and India at 200/4.

But a partnership of 76 runs between KL (60 in 56 balls, with two fours and a six) and Virat and later a 65-run stand for KL with Jadeja (32 in 20 balls, with two fours and a six), took India to 349/8 in 50 overs.

During the run chase, SA lost three quick wickets to Indian pacers and was staring at defeat at 11/3. A 66-run stand between Tony de Zorzi (39 in 37 balls, with seven fours) and Matthew Breetzke brought some stability. Dewald Brevis also played a fine cameo of 37 in 28 balls, with two fours and three sixes, but half their side was gone at 130 runs.

From there, a 97-run stand between Breetzke (72 in 80 balls, with eight fours and a six) and Marco Jansen (80 in 39 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) threatened to take away the game from India, but a timely Kuldeep Yadav intervention removed both, reducing SA to 227/8. But Corbin Bosch (67 in 51 balls, with five fours and four sixes) kept the fight alive alongside the lower order, taking SA near the touching distance of a win, but they fell short by 17 runs. Harshit Rana (3/65) was also fine with the ball.

India is 1-0 up in the series. Virat got the 'Player of the Match' award for his century. (ANI)

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