Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s 34th ODI century helped India post a mammoth 303 against South Africa in Cape Town that eventually proved too much for the home team as they lose the third game of the series by 124 runs.
While Indian spinners managed to bowl out South Africa for 179, it was Virat’s 159-ball-160 that set the stage for the big Indian win. The second-highest score in the team belonged to Shikhar Dhawan who managed 76.
Virat’s second century in the three ODIs in South Africa so far also helped him set the record for the highest individual score by an Indian batsman against South Africa in South Africa, going past Sourav Ganguly's 127 at Johannesburg in 2001.
It was also Kohli's second-highest ODI score after 183 against Pakistan in 2012.
He also became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred against South Africa at Newlands. Only Ganguly previously had an ODI century at this ground, but that came against Kenya in March 2003.
.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&fmt=webp&width=720)
Records kept tumbling as his innings progressed. He also became the Indian ODI captain with most hundreds to his name. He went past Ganguly again, who has 11 centuries in 142 innings. Kohli now boasts of 12 hundreds as skipper but in only 43 innings.
Kohli, with 318 runs in this series so far, now also has the most runs for a visiting batsman in a bilateral ODI series against South Africa in South Africa. Ricky Ponting, with 283 runs in 2001-02, was the previous best.
.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&fmt=webp&width=720)
Fun Facts
Virat Kohli scored 160 against South Africa and guided India to 303/6 in 50 overs. That you know. But here are some thing you will know about his innings already, and some you may have missed.
You Know: Virat scored 160 runs, hit 12 fours & 2 sixes
You Know: He batted for 49 overs & was at the crease for 220 minutes
Need to Know: He was ruled out LBW when on 0, but decision was overturned on appeal
Need to Know: He ran 75 singles, 11 twos & 1 three for himself
Need to Know: He struck only one boundary between Overs 10.1 & 37.0, during which period he scored 66 runs
Need to Know: He ran 61 singles & 7 twos for his partner
Need to Know: He got to 100 off 119 balls & added the last 60 off 42 balls
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)