Five talking points from India's victory over South Africa
India cruised to a compelling victory over South Africa in the 1st ODI in Durban. South African skipper, Faf Du Plessis scored a brilliant hundred to rescue the hosts and set a 270 run target for India, but chase master, Virat Kohli made the target look paltry with some sensational batting. Here are the 5 talking points from the fixture.
Kohli stands tall above the rest
Virat Kohli is a cut above the rest. The Indian skipper scored his first hundred in ODIs in South Africa to remind us why he is the best ODI batsman in the world and a master at chasing down targets. The right-handed batsman scored his 33rd ODI hundred and is now inching closer to Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI hundreds.
Indian spinners outclass Proteas on their own turf
Not often do we hear spinners controlling games on the pitches of South Africa. But on Thursday, Indian wrist spinners, Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were a delight to watch. They kept it tight and picked up 5 wickets between themselves while the rest of the bowlers bagged 2 wickets. Chahal and Kuldeep are definitely capable of filling Ashwin and Jadeja's shoes.
Ajinkya Rahane ends debate over India's number 4
Rahane has faced severe criticism over the last few months. His poor form during the Sri Lanka series led to him being dropped for the first two Tests. However, the Mumbai man made a strong comeback in the third Test and continued where he left, when he walked out onto the Durban's 22-yard strip. India are definitely looking at him as their number 4.
Rohit Sharma needs to reinvent himself
It is unfair to criticise Rohit Sharma, who has time and again proved his critics wrong. But statistics do not lie. Rohit averages a mere 13.25 in 8 ODI innings in South Africa which clearly indicates he has a problem playing on these pitches. For a world class batsman, Rohit will have to work towards getting rid of this blotch from his ODI career.
Faf du Plessis was the lone warrior
South African top order failed against the brilliant spin attack of India, but captain, Faf Du Plessis played an exceptional knock, sparing South Africa's blushes. Despite being tested by the conditions, the right-handed batsman stuck to his grind and scored his 9th ODI century. His partnership with Morris was crucial for the hosts. Finally, South Africa missed their best batsmen de Villiers.
