The most anticipated battle between the two in-form giants of World Cup 2023 turned out to be a one-sided affair. After Virat Kohli’s 49th ODI hundred to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most centuries, a clinical bowling performance including Ravindra Jadeja’s fifer helped India beat Temba Bavuma’s South Africa by a massive margin of 243 runs. India became the first team to bowl out South Africa below 100 in World Cups. Also, it is South Africa’s worst defeat in World Cup history.
Rohit won the toss and opted to field first. Marco Jansen started off with a poor 10-ball over when he conceded two boundaries from Shubman Gill's bat. Rohit gave Lungi Ngidi a similar treatment. In the fifth over, he hit Ngidi for two sixes and a four. The breakthrough came in the sixth over. Kagiso Rabada struck in the first over he bowled. Bavuma took a good catch at mid-off. Rohit scored 40 runs from just 24 balls. Gill hit Jansen for a six in the seventh over. Kohli hit Rabada for two consecutive fours to get going. In the 11th over, Keshav Maharaj was introduced into the attack and he bowled a peach of a delivery that just flicked the bail. Gill scored 23 runs from 24 balls.
From 94/2 in the 11th over, India needed a steady partnership. The run rate was not a problem and it allowed Shreyas Iyer to take his time. Iyer hit his first boundary in the 22nd over off Tabraiz Shamsi. In the 28th over, Iyer hit Shamsi for a six. In the next over, Kohli reached his half-century from 67 balls. Iyer reached his fifty with a boundary in the 31st over off Jansen. He took 64 deliveries to reach his half-century. Iyer accelerated and was moving towards a well-deserved century but Ngidi got the better of him with a slower one. He scored 77 runs from 87 balls including seven fours and two sixes. After a few quiet overs, KL Rahul gave in to the pressure and departed for a single-digit score to Jansen in the 43rd over.
Suryakumar Yadav contributed with a 14-ball 22 cameo in the slog over. But playing a reverse sweep turned out to be the end of his innings in the 46th over to Shamsi. In the penultimate over, Kohli reached his century from 119 balls to equal Sachin Tendulkar's record for most ODI centuries. He also became the seventh batter to score a century on his birthday. In the final over, Ravindra Jadeja broke free. He hit NGidi for a six followed by two boundaries. With 17 runs from the last over, India posted 326/5. Jadeja contributed with a 15-ball 29 whereas Kohli scored 101 runs from 121 balls including 10 fours.
South Africa's run chase did not get off to an ideal start. Quinton de Kock hit Mohammed Siraj for a boundary but then played on to lose his wicket. After a few quiet overs, Rohit introduced Jadeja into the attack and he got Bavuma's wicket with a corker of a delivery. The captain scored 11 runs from 19 balls. Then Rohit gave the ball to Mohammed Shami. The in-form bowler conceded two boundaries against Aiden Markram but then managed to induce an outside edge off his bat that carried to Rahul. After several dot deliveries, Heinrich Klaasen went for the sweep shot and got out lbw. In the next over, Shami trapped Rassie van der Dussen in front of the stumps as India were reduced to 40/5 in the 14th over.
David Miller hit a couple of boundaries but could not last long in the middle. He got bowled by Jadeja trying to play a lap shot. In his next over, Jadeja bowled a 'ball of the tournament' contender to dismiss Maharaj. Jansen and Rabada tried to prevent South Africa from getting bowled out under 100. Kuldeep Yadav ended his ressistance in the 26th over. Jansen handed an easy catch to Jadeja at cover. Rabada lost his cool too and handed Jadeja an easy catch. The left-arm spinner completed his fifer in the ninth over he bowled. Kuldeep wrapped up the proceedings with the wicket of Ngidi. South Africa were bowled out for 83 in 27.1 overs to win by 243 runs.
