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South Africa and Sri Lanka locked horns with each other to kick off their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign in New Delhi on October 7, Saturday.
Taking center stage at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi was South Africa's fiery opener Quinton de Kock, who crafted a scintillating innings that will long be remembered by fans.
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With a blistering 100 runs off just 84 deliveries, de Kock's innings was punctuated with 12 well-timed boundaries and three towering sixes. This remarkable century meant that de Kock successfully leaped over the legendary Jacques Kallis, making him the South African with the fourth-highest number of ODI centuries (18) to his credit.
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Further showcasing his stunning form, de Kock, who made a shocking announcement of retiring from cricket after the conclusion of World Cup 2023, went on to forge a mammoth 204-run partnership with Rassie van der Dussen to achieve a sensational feat. This stand occupies the fourth spot in the record books for the highest partnerships by South Africans in World Cup ODIs. Adding to de Kock's list of accolades from the game is the fact that this was his fifth ODI ton against Sri Lanka and equally impressively, his fifth on Indian pitches.
The match began with Sri Lanka's skipper, Dasun Shanaka, opting to field first after winning the toss. South Africa's innings had a rocky start with an early dismissal of their captain, Taemba Bavuma. However, the day was soon dominated by de Kock and Van der Dussen, who displayed aggressive yet controlled batting, steadily increasing the scoreboard's pace.
Their strategic partnership was the game-changer, with both players achieving their respective half-centuries. De Kock's celebration of his century, however, was short-lived. In an attempt to score consecutive boundaries off Matheesha Pathirana, he found himself caught by Dhanajaya de Silva in the mid-on position.
Post de Kock's departure, Van der Dussen showcased his resilience by clinching his fifth ODI century (108 off 110). Assisting him in maintaining the offensive against the Sri Lankans was Aiden Markram (106), who struck a lightning century to help South Africa post a colossal total of 428. Apparently, this was highest total in the ODI World Cup history.
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