India's pace and spin duo of Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav produced disciplined spells to bowl out South Africa for 270 runs in the first One Day International at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday. This effort came despite a magnificent counter-attacking century from the Proteas' wicketkeeper-batter, Quinton de Kock.
De Kock's Lone Battle Against Indian Attack
South African innings was built almost entirely around a spectacular innings from Quinton de Kock. The left-hander, playing in his final ODI series, smashed a belligerent 121 runs off just 118 balls. His knock was laced with 17 boundaries, including 5 sixes, as he took on the Indian bowlers from the outset.
De Kock found little support from the other end, however. The Indian new-ball bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan, struck early blows. Avesh Khan dismissed Reeza Hendricks for a duck in the very first over, setting the tone. While de Kock counter-attacked, wickets fell regularly at the other end. Captain Aiden Markram managed 12, while Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen fell cheaply for 4 and 6 runs respectively.
Prasidh and Kuldeep Apply the Brakes in Middle Overs
After the early strikes, the pair of Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav took control of the middle overs, effectively derailing South Africa's progress. Prasidh Krishna was the pick of the Indian bowlers, finishing with excellent figures of 3 for 59 in his 10 overs. He broke the dangerous-looking 39-run partnership between de Kock and David Miller by dismissing the latter for 24.
At the other end, wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was equally impactful. He bowled with great control and variation, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 51 runs in his allotted 10 overs. He removed the well-set de Kock, caught by Sanju Samson, and later cleaned up Wiaan Mulder for 20. Their combined effort ensured South Africa could never build a match-defining partnership after the early setbacks.
Tail Fails to Wag as South Africa Fold for 270
Once de Kock was dismissed in the 35th over with the score at 197, the South African lower order failed to provide a strong finish. Andile Phehlukwayo contributed a handy 33, but the innings lost its last five wickets for just 73 runs. Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh returned to clean up the tail, with the latter taking the final wicket of Nandre Burger.
South Africa was eventually bowled out for 270 in 49.5 overs, a total that seemed below par on a good batting surface at the Bullring. For India, apart from the three-wicket hauls from Prasidh and the two from Kuldeep, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh chipped in with two wickets each.
The Indian bowling performance, characterized by early strikes and tight middle-over control, set up a manageable chase for the visiting side. It highlighted the team's depth in bowling resources even in the absence of some senior players, putting them in a strong position to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
