IND VS SA ODI

Right then, yet another game has flown by in the 2023 Cricket World Cup and now begins the final week of the group stage of the competition and a very crucial one at that. First up is a clash between two wounded Asian teams, Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Monday, the 6th of November. That game will begin at 2 pm IST (8.30 am GMT) but as usual, our build-up will begin much sooner. Do join us for all the action. Till then, take care and goodbye!

Rohit Sharma, the captain of India says that they are getting better every game and they have played some decent cricket in the last three games. Adds that they overcame challenges against England and Sri Lanka and in this game also they needed someone like Virat Kohli to bat deep and construct the innings. Tells that it is important to keep faith in the players and let them express themselves freely out there. Says look at Mohammed Shami on how he wasn't playing in the first few games but has made a fine comeback in the team and the same goes with Shreyas Iyer who had a couple of off days but has found his form back which is good for them. Mentions that there was no plan to attack in the first Powerplay and they just try to play on instinct. Praises Jadeja for his performance and says that his experience in the middle helps a lot and he has served the team for a long time. Says they don't want to look much ahead and that is a thing they also talk about in the dressing room and want to take one game at a time. Ends by saying that there is only one league game left but after that a couple of important games and they want to continue this momentum going forward in the tournament.

Temba Bavuma, the captain of South Africa says they know it is a challenge and is aware of the narrative about them chasing but when they have a conversation as a batting group, they need to reflect on it. Adds that the first 10 overs with the bowl hurt them quite a bit and the biggest challenge was taking wickets and they couldn't do that as Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were able to put on a big stand. Mentions that they did get a good look at the conditions here and they knew it would deteriorate and if they play their semifinals here, they will need to adapt to the conditions accordingly.

Virat Kohli is the Player of the Match for his brilliant ton! Kohli says that it was a big game. Adds that they were probably playing the toughest team in the tournament and the motivation was already there in the team. He says that honestly, he did have a feeling that this was not only going to be another World Cup game but a bit more and because it happened on his birthday, it became even more special. Mentions that when the openers start like that, you want to continue it that way but the pitch slowed down drastically later. Says that on pitches like this, if you get out that could make a difference in the score but once they got over 315 they knew that they were in a comfortable position. Further adds that he is enjoying playing cricket and which is important for him and he feels blessed that God has given him this enjoyment again. Tells that it is all a bit too much to take in and to equal his hero's record is a huge honor for him. Says people like comparisons but he will never be going to be as good as Sachin Tendulkar but getting the appreciation from his idol is an emotional moment for him and he knows where he comes from and all this means a lot to him.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first on a surface that looked certain to turn as the game went on and did extremely well to get those quick runs inside the first Powerplay. Once the ball got even slightly older, it got difficult to bat on but Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer put on a big stand for the 3rd wicket to put India in command. Iyer fell after a half-century but Kohli kept going. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja played handy cameos but it was the birthday boy who went on to score a ton and equalled the great Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI tons. With the ball, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi were poor up top and it was Kagiso Rabada who brought some control back with the wicket of the Indian skipper. Keshav Maharaj bowled a lovely spell but managed to pick up just one wicket and even though he and Rabada remained fairly economical, the rest of the pack was put to the sword. In reply, the Indian bowling unit was all over a sheepish-looking South African batting lineup and wrapped up another big win.

South Africa came into this contest with a lot of confidence and a lot of runs behind them but their shortcomings have been exposed and they simply cannot chase under pressure. This was also their lowest score ever in a World Cup but they need to put this loss behind them and look forward to the semifinals, which in all likelihood they will play at this very ground. The main man up top, Quinton de Kock was sent packing very early and after that, Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen put up a bit of a fight but couldn't muster up any runs. Once the bowling changes came, the Proteas lineup simply self-destructed and not a single batter, all of them who were in form, were able to get going. It just kept on getting worse and they eventually folded out on a meager 83 runs, losing the game by 243 runs.

GONE WITH THE WIND!  And, just like that India have blown away arguably the best batting unit at this World Cup and have yet again stamped their authority with their 8th successive win. Fireworks erupt all across the stadium as well! On an abrasive surface, India did extremely well to not just get near 300 runs but go well beyond it and that score on the board had done half the job for them. The seamers upfront though were once again on the money. Jasprit Bumrah was at his economical best at one end building up pressure and then Mohammed Siraj got the early and all-important wicket of Quinton de Kock. Rohit Sharma ringed in the changes inside the first Powerplay and brought on the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami, both of whom had an immediate impact and ran through the Proteas batting order. Jadeja was simply relentless and ended up with a stellar five-wicket haul, only the second Indian spinner to achieve that feat in ODI World Cups, following in the footsteps of Yuvraj Singh. Kuldeep Yadav too made good use of the surface and ended up with a couple of wickets.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! Kuldeep Yadav wraps things up for India! He tosses up this googly, full and around middle, turns away a bit, Lungi Ngidi gets stuck on his crease as he looks to defend it but plays completely down the wrong line as the ball goes past the outside edge to shatter the stumps. INDIA WIN BY 243 RUNS!

Fires this one full and on off, Tabraiz Shamsi manages to block it out.

Slower through the air, full and on leg, Tabraiz Shamsi looks to work play at it but misses to get hit on the pads.

FOUR! Fine shot! This is flighted, full and around middle, Tabraiz Shamsi steps across and whips it with the flick of the wrists through mid-wicket for a boundary.

Quicker, full and on middle, Tabraiz Shamsi works it towards mid-wicket.

Tabraiz Shamsi is the last man in for South Africa.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! FIVE FOR JADEJA! He floats this one up, full and around middle, Kagiso Rabada stays there and tries to drive it down the ground but the turn in means he hits it with the bottom part of the bat aerially and straight into the hands of Ravindra Jadeja who makes no mistake. India one wicket away from the win now!

Flatter, short and on middle, Kagiso Rabada tucks it towards short mid-wicket.