2nd Ind-SA ODI: Master and understudy enthral full house in Raipur

A master and his understudy were at work at the sprawling Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur this afternoon. It’s a pity Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden ODI century came on the same day as Virat Kohli’s back-to-back one as it is likely to be overshadowed somewhat, but the Men in Blue’s dominance in this format and familiar conditions was once again underlined in no uncertain terms.

The festive atmosphere at Raipur, Chattisgarh’s capital city, was tailormade for a high-scoring entertainer. A capacity crowd of more than 50,000 — which makes this a venue with the biggest capacity in the country after Ahmedabad and Kolkata — must have got its money’s worth and more as Kohli and Gaikwad were on song on a flatbed where none of the South African bowlers, barring Marco Jansen, could pose questions.

A rollicking 195-run stand for the fourth wicket must have been an unforgettable experience for those privy to it, albeit for different reasons. The new venue, hosting only its second international game, witnessed the master continuing his job from where he had left off in Ranchi — though his 102 off 93 deliveries was a bit of study in contrast with the one on Sunday. It was more a return to the anchoring role that one has got used to in recent years, where he allowed Gaikwad to flower after the latter’s rather long wait in the wings.

For those curious about Kohli’s track record of ODI centuries on the trot, back-to-back tons were a defining feature of Kohli’s peak years between 2016 and 2018,  and this latest effort marks the 11th instance of back-to-back hundreds in his ODI career. His 53rd ODI century takes him four clear of Sachin Tendulkar — while an aggregate of 84 international hundreds makes him sit only behind the Mumbaikar’s 100 in all — and he is 26 ahead of the next active player Joe Root.   

It was only on Sunday that, having received his Player of the Match award, Kohli said he did not believe in too much preparation. Speculation was rife about whether he would agree to play the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy like his peer Rohit Sharma – with the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) confirming his availability only late on Tuesday evening. Kohli, on his part, looked as well-prepared as ever in terms of physical fitness and focus to send out a signal of intent for the 2027 ICC World Cup.

A breakdown of his ODI centuries shows Kohli now has seven or more ODI centuries against four different opponents: 10 against Sri Lanka, nine against West Indies, eight against Australia and seven against South Africa. Kohli’s last three ODI knocks against the Proteas make for a remarkable sequence: 101 not out in Kolkata during the 2023 World Cup, 135 in Ranchi last week and 101 not out in Raipur. 

Gaikwad, dubbed 'the nearly man' of Indian cricket for almost five years, showed he had arrived with a century at an unaccustomed no. 4 position. An opener for Maharashtra as well as his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, he had been piling up the runs but got the breaks only in the absence of the regulars.

Speaking about his partnership with Kohli, Ruturaj said: "It was a dream to share the partnership with him (Kohli). He was very helpful, advising me on how to access the gaps and play lesser dot balls."

The ever-smiling batter from Pune, now captain of Chennai Super Kings, looked a bit circumspect at the short-pitched deliveries bowled at his body but carried on undaunted, milking South African spinners Keshav Maharaj and Aiden Markram in particular.  After this ton, Gaikwad now has the highest List A average in the world (58.02), surpassing Michael Bevan (57.86), and certainly deserves his due.