A superb century from Aiden Markram, supported by fluent fifties from Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis, powered South Africa to a memorable four-wicket victory over India in the second ODI in Raipur. Chasing 359, the Proteas reached 362 for 6 with four balls remaining, levelling the series 1–1 and stunning a packed Raipur crowd.
India had piled up 358 for 5, thanks to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden ODI century and Virat Kohli’s second successive hundred in the series. Gaikwad’s 105 off 83 and Kohli’s 102 off 93 anchored a 195-run stand that repaired early damage after the dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma. KL Rahul then injected late momentum with an unbeaten 66 off 43, taking India well beyond the 350 mark.
Markram Anchors a Clinical Chase
In response, South Africa executed the chase with composure. Markram held the innings together with a measured 110 off 98 balls, constructing vital partnerships of 101 with Temba Bavuma and 70 with Breetzke. His innings might have ended much earlier had Jaiswal held onto a chance at 53, a lapse India would regret as dew grew heavier and the bowlers struggled to grip the ball.
Breetzke’s 68 and Brevis’ lively 54 kept South Africa ahead of the required rate. Their 92-run fourth-wicket stand came at a crucial stage, steering the team into a position of control as India’s bowlers leaked runs under slippery conditions.
Bosch Finishes Calmly; Leaders React
Corbin Bosch closed out the chase with a steady unbeaten 29, guiding South Africa to their third-highest successful ODI pursuit and equalling the joint-highest ever against India.
Happy to have crossed the line. We were thinking about how to get better with the ball, but with the bat, we needed a solid start. The partnership with Aiden and then Breetzke carrying on his form set things up. Bosch showed a lot of maturity finishing it off. It was a record chase and shows how tough India are to play against.
India captain KL Rahul admitted that conditions tilted heavily against his bowlers.
Not really tough to swallow given how much dew there was. It’s very difficult to bowl in the second innings. Toss plays a big role. Even though 350 looked good, we’ve been speaking about getting those extra 20–25 runs to give the bowlers a cushion with a wet ball.
A Decider Now Awaits
South Africa’s spirited chase sets up a thrilling series finale in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, with both teams carrying serious batting firepower into the decider.
Brief Scores: India 358/5 in 50 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 105, Virat Kohli 102, KL Rahul 66*; Marco Jansen 2-63, Nandre Burger 1-43) South Africa 362/6 in 49.2 overs (Aiden Markram 110, Matthew Breetzke 68, Dewald Brevis 54, Temba Bavuma 46; Arshdeep Singh 2-54, Prasidh Krishna 2-82) South Africa won by 4 wickets. Series level 1–1.
