Ranchi: Senior batter Virat Kohli’s awesome genius in 50-over format was on full view during his 52nd hundred that guided India to a strong 349 for eight against South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series Sunday.
Kohli’s 120 (135 balls, 11b, 7×6) and his 136-run stand with long-time associate Rohit Sharma (57, 51b) was the engine room of India’s charge to a 300-plus total.
Kohli went past the three-figure mark with a boundary of SA left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, raising bedlam in the stadium, even forcing a spectator to invade the ground to touch the master’s feat.
Kohli also went past the legendary Sachin Tendulkar as the batter with most hundreds in one format of the game. Tendulkar has 51 Test hundreds, and Kohli now has 52 ODI tons.
Rohit too had his own moment when he smashed a world record 352nd six in ODI cricket to go past former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi’s mark of 351.
KL Rahul gave a late thrust to the innings with a 56-ball 60.
Brief scores: India: 349/8 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 120, Rohit Sharma 57, KL Rahul 60; Ottneil Baartman 2/60, Nandre Burger 2/65).
PTI