Ranchi — Chasing a Virat Kohli masterclass under lights, South Africa unravelled in the dew-soaked finale of the 1st ODI, as India’s batters made hay while the tourists lost footing—literally and tactically.
After Heinrich Klaasen opted to bowl first, the game swung early toward India. Kohli, anchoring the innings, manipulated lengths with clinical precision, collecting boundaries square of the wicket and rotating strike to perfection. Supported by Shubman Gill, who kept the scoring rate surging, the pair built partnerships that felt like a marathon for South African bowlers and a sprint for the scoreboard.
But the real twist came post-interval. As evening settled, the dew descended. The Indian attack—led by Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav—had anticipated the conditions, gripping cutters and wobble seam deliveries that skidded low. South Africa, by contrast, found themselves “slipping on Ranchi’s dew,” struggling with a soaked ball that refused to hold shape or obey fingers.
Fielders slid on the glossy outfield, misjudging pickups and tumbling on quick turns. Bowlers overshot yorkers, grasp softened seam, and spinners lost revolutions on a greasy surface. The visitors never recalibrated, and India’s total ballooned into an imposing target.
The chase began brightly, but soon mirrored their first-innings frustrations. Bumrah’s cutters neutralized bat swing, Kuldeep’s flatter trajectories clipped edges, and misfields compounded pressure. While India thrived in the same environment, South Africa were left chasing answers—along with runs that kept flowing in “Kohli’s run-flood.”
In the end, the margin wasn’t just the scoreboard difference—it was the gulf in adaptation to conditions that turned challenging dew into India’s ally and South Africa’s slide.
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