Virat's second successive ton, Ruturaj's maiden ODI century lift India to 358/5 against South Africa in Raipur

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], December 3 (ANI): It was once again festivities for Team India fans as Virat Kohli slammed his second successive and 53rd ODI ton, while Ruturaj Gaikwad also secured a long-overdue maiden ODI century, taking India to 358/5 in 50 overs against South Africa in the second ODI at Raipur on Wednesday.
Ruturaj (105 in 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes) and Virat (102 in 93 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) had a 195-run stand for the third wicket, while KL Rahul (66* in 43 balls, with six fours and two sixes) also had a fine partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (24*) towards the end, taking India past the 350-run mark.
After being put to bat first again by the Proteas, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal started off with a first-ball four against Nandre Burger. But the pace duo of Lungi Ngidi and Burger were generous with the extra runs, producing six wides within the second and third overs, with Ngidi throwing four of them in the second over.
In the fifth over, Rohit collected a hat-trick of fours against Burger, with two of them being thick outside edges. However, after three successive fifty-plus scores, the law of averages caught up with him as the pacer trapped him leg-before-wicket for 14 in eight balls. India was 40/1 in 4.5 overs.
Virat Kohli was up next and continued from where he had left at Ranchi, getting off the mark with a brilliant swivel pull for a six to end the sixth over. In the next over, Jaiswal unleashed a pull against Burger, bringing up the 50-run mark in 6.5 overs.
Once again, Jaiswal threw away a start, not getting the right amount of elevation while going for a pull shot, succumbing to a left-arm pacer, Burger, yet again, with Corbin Bosch taking the catch at square leg to remove him for 22 in 38 balls, with two fours and a six. India was 62/2 in 9.4 overs.
India ended the 10 overs at 66/2, with Ruturaj Gaikwad (4*) and Virat (13*) unbeaten.
With Ruturaj gaining some confidence with a four and six, India steadily moved to the 100-run mark in 15.3 overs. The duo completed their 50-run stand in 55 balls, putting on a fine masterclass of strike rotation, with Virat finding an odd boundary in between.
India reached the 150-run mark in 23.4 overs, courtesy of a fine boundary from Ruturaj.
Ruturaj completed his second ODI fifty in 52 balls, with four boundaries and a six. In the next over, Virat completed his half-century too, in 47 balls, with three fours and a six.
Halfway through their innings, India were standing at 158/2, with both Ruturaj and Virat unbeaten at 51* each.
In the 26th over, Keshav Maharaj was greeted with two boundaries by the duo, one a sublime glance by Virat and the other a remarkable inside-out loft over extra cover by Ruturaj. India had these two stars completing their century stand in just 93 balls.
The duo picked up on their aggression, with Virat steering a Ngidi delivery towards third man to end the 27th over with a four. In the next over, Ruturaj made an absolute meal out of Maharaj, getting two fours and a six off him and fetching India 16 runs in the over. In the over, with a pull, loft and a sweep, Ruturaj showcased his versatility.
Ruturaj also saved some punishment for Bosch, ending the 30th over with two fours, moving into the 80s.
Ruturaj-Virat kept collecting boundaries at will, inching towards their respective centuries and completing a 150-run stand in 127 balls. Virat was at his most attacking against the pace of Marco Jansen and Bosch. Ruturaj pulled a Bosch delivery wide of mid-on, reaching his maiden ODI ton in just 77 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes.
India brought up the 250-run mark in 34.1 overs.
The 195-run stand came to an end, with Jansen producing the breakthrough for the Proteas. Ruturaj holed the ball out towards deep backward square leg, where Tony de Zorzi took a catch, removing him for 105 in 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes. India was 257/3 in 35.4 overs.
KL Rahul was up next. He seemed to have switched on his attacking mode right from the start, getting a four against Maharaj and a six towards mid-off against Jansen in the first nine balls he faced.
Virat continued his rampaging run in ODIs, bringing up his 53rd ODI ton, his second successive ton and 84th international ton in 90 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. But unlike the last time, he could not give himself enough time to accelerate, finding Aiden Markram at long-on while going big against Ngidi. Virat was gone for 102 in 93 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. India was 284/4 in 39.1 overs. This was the first time he was dismissed by Ngidi in ODIs.
Washington Sundar's poor ODI run continued as he was run out by Bosch and Quinton de Kock for an eight-ball one. India was 289/5 in 41 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja and KL once again built a crucial partnership, with Bosch leaking 12 runs in the 44th over, bringing up India's 300-run mark in 43.4 overs. Jadeja and KL managed to get a four each against the pacer.
A four over deep backward point brought up KL's second successive fifty in just 33 balls, with five fours and a six. The duo completed yet another fifty stand in just 46 balls. The duo finished off in style, with Jadeja collecting a boundary in the final over and KL getting a four and six against Bosch. The last over generated 18 runs, taking India to 358/5, with KL (66* in 43 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and Jadeja (24* in 27 balls, with two fours) unbeaten.
Jansen (2/63) in 10 overs was the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas, while Ngidi and Burger also got a wicket each. Bosch had a sub-par outing, conceding 79 runs in eight overs.
Brief Scores: India: 358/5 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 105, Virat Kohli 102, Marco Jansen 2/63) vs South Africa. (ANI)