Kohli’s Birthday Ton and Jadeja’s 5-Wicket Blitz Rout South Africa

Nov 8, 2023

IND vs SA ICC CWC 2023 Match 37 Report: In a memorable match that unfolded on Virat Kohli’s 35th birthday, India celebrated in style by registering a resounding victory in the ODI World Cup against South Africa. The match took place at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens, where Kohli treated himself to a record-equalling 49th ODI century. This incredible achievement drew him level with the cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar for the most ODI centuries ever made in the game. India’s victory, by an astonishing margin of 243 runs, marked their eighth consecutive win in the tournament.

Kohli’s century, though far from guaranteed, was a testament to his mastery of the game. The challenging conditions in Kolkata, coupled with the spin variations of South African bowlers Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, posed a stern test. While Maharaj managed to dismiss Shubman Gill early in the innings, Kohli’s defenses remained impervious. As the innings progressed, Kohli adapted to the conditions, adopting a more measured approach against the spin. He seized opportunities to attack the seamers, making effective use of Lungi Ngidi’s return to the bowling attack.

Shreyas Iyer, recognized as India’s top player of spin, took charge of scoring boundaries against Shamsi, which provided Kohli the stability to build a substantial innings. Iyer, who initially struggled, went on to score 77 runs from 87 balls. With Hardik Pandya absent due to injury, Kohli adopted a more cautious approach, while Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja took calculated risks to ensure India’s total exceeded 300.

Rohit Sharma played a pivotal role in setting the foundation for India’s score with a brisk 40 runs from 24 balls. His aggressive play during the powerplay put South Africa on the back foot, as India’s captain took on both Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi. Unfortunately, Ngidi was forced to leave the field due to injury.

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In response, South Africa’s woes continued as Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma were dismissed early. The duo of Jadeja and Mohammed Shami wreaked havoc in South Africa’s middle order, with Jadeja claiming the wickets of Henrich Klaasen and David Miller, while Shami bowled Aiden Markram. Despite a late resurgence from the lower-order batsmen, India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja eventually wrapped up South Africa’s innings.

Jadeja’s extraordinary performance earned him a remarkable five-wicket haul, making him the second Indian spinner, after Yuvraj Singh, to achieve this feat in World Cup matches.