Ravindra Jadeja expressed his admiration for Virat Kohli’s remarkable century in Kolkata on Sunday, which played a pivotal role in India’s significant victory. Kohli’s 49th ODI hundred equaled Sachin Tendulkar’s longstanding record. Jadeja highlighted Kohli’s ability to guide the team through a challenging phase on a slow, turning wicket at the Eden Gardens.
In the afternoon, as the pitch offered turn and proved sluggish, batting became a formidable task. Jadeja praised not only Kohli but also the middle-order batsmen for their skillful handling of South Africa’s spinners. He emphasized the difficulty of maintaining the run rate during this period and credited Kohli’s achievement of scoring above 300 while remaining not out.
During the middle overs, South Africa’s spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, slowed down India’s scoring rate after Rohit Sharma’s explosive start. Maharaj’s dismissal of Shubman Gill with a sharply turning delivery foreshadowed the challenges faced by Indian batters.
Kohli, undeterred, with strong support from Shreyas Iyer, steered India through this tricky phase. South Africa’s head coach, Rob Walters, acknowledged that his team had conceded more runs than they would have liked and refrained from blaming the pitch.
Jadeja explained that India’s decision to bat first was a deliberate strategy to test their batting capabilities on a slow pitch and to assess how the bowlers could adapt to the dew later in the evening. This decision aimed to prepare the team for potential challenges in knockout stages where similar conditions might be encountered.
As a result of their emphatic victory, India climbed to the top of the points table, securing their eighth consecutive win. South Africa, who have also qualified for the semi-finals, will aim to extract valuable lessons from the match in preparation for the knockout phase.
