India are up against South Africa in the 1st of the three-match ODI series on Sunday (November 30) at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.
The Indian team has Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back as they look to bounce back after a shocking whitewash in the Test series. Apart from that, this is an opportunity for KL Rahul to showcase his captaincy mettle as Shubman Gill is ruled out with a neck issue.
Cricket is back in Ranchi after a gap of three years. India played at this venue in 2022, and incidentally, their last ODI at Ranchi was against South Africa as well.
What happened when India last played in Ranchi?
India's last encounter in Ranchi had no Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, as Shikhar Dhawan led the side. In the India vs South Africa 2nd ODI match held at Ranchi on October 9, 2022, India won
by 7 wickets.
India successfully chased a target of 279, scoring 282 for 3, with standout performances from Shreyas Iyer, who scored an unbeaten 113, and Ishan Kishan, who made a career-best 93. The two shared a crucial 161-run partnership that helped India dominate the match.
South Africa posted 278 for 7 in their innings, with notable contributions from Aiden Markram (79) and Reeza Hendricks (74). India's Mohammed Siraj was the key bowler, taking 3 wickets for 38 runs and delivering tight bowling in the crucial death overs to restrict South Africa's scoring. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer's batting was aggressive and composed, targeting South Africa's spin and pace bowling effectively and sealing the chase with 25 balls to spare.
Shreyas Iyer was awarded Player of the Match for his brilliant century, which was instrumental in leveling the series. South Africa struggled with the dew factor and missed key players like Lungi Ngidi, which impacted their bowling attack's effectiveness. The second ODI victory put India on level terms in the series, setting up an intriguing decider in the next match. India eventually won the series 2-1.
