India Takes Lead as Bosch Surge Nearly Leads to SA Heist

India edged South Africa by 17 runs in a high scoring thriller in Ranchi on Sunday, taking a 1 -0 lead in the three-match ODI series after a night shaped by sharp contrasts between daylight struggle and dew soaked fluency.

Batting first, India piled up 349 for 8 on the back of a vintage performance from Virat Kohli, who struck 135 and controlled the innings from start to finish. Rohit Sharma joined him in a brisk 136 run stand, and in the process moving past Shahid Afridi for hitting the most sixes in the history of ODI cricket. While India raced ahead during the first twenty overs, the pitch slowed once the ball grew older and scoring became a grind until KL Rahul’s late burst lifted the total to a commanding level.

After sunset the conditions flipped. Heavy dew made the surface skid on, forcing India to rely on the few overs of movement available with the new ball. Harshit Rana made the most of that brief window by removing Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock for ducks, helping reduce South Africa to 11/3. From there the visitors rebuilt through Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, and Marco Jansen, who launched a fierce counterattack. Jansen’s 39-ball 70 and Breetzke’s 72 brought South Africa back into the contest and pushed India into a corner until Kuldeep Yadav returned to dismiss both set batters in the same over.

Corbin Bosch kept the chase alive with 67 off 51 balls and took the requirement down to 19 from the final 10 deliveries, but with only the last wicket in hand Arshdeep Singh closed out the match with accurate yorkers to secure India’s narrow win.