‘South Africa ki jersey me Pakistan khel rahi thi’ – Fans react as India register their 8th win in ODI World Cup 2023 after massive 243-run win over South Africa

India produced an unbelievable all-round performance at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, November 5. They thrashed the No. 2 team of the tournament South Africa by a massive margin of 243 runs in the 37th match of the ODI World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue extended their unbeaten streak, having secured victories in all eight matches played so far in the tournament.

Talking about the match, opting to bat first after winning the toss, captain Rohit Sharma provided India with a scintillating start, notching up a brisk 40 runs from 24 balls, setting the stage for the middle order. However, he was dismissed while attempting to hit Kagiso Rabada for a boundary.

Shubman Gill also made an impressive start but couldn’t capitalize on it, falling to a superb delivery from Keshav Maharaj after scoring 23 runs. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer took their time to settle, but once they found their rhythm, they began consistently finding the boundaries. Iyer, in particular, accelerated the pace and maintained the momentum.

Brilliant bowling performance by Ravindra Jadeja

After Iyer’s departure with 77 runs to his name and a quick exit by KL Rahul, Kohli held firm and steadied the ship. While he slowed down before reaching his century, Ravindra Jadeja came in and immediately made an impact. Kohli eventually notched his 49th ODI century, equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s record and guiding India to an imposing total of 326 runs.

In pursuit of the target, Mohammed Siraj struck early to remove the in-form Quinton de Kock, the highest run-scorer of the tournament. Captain Rohit then introduced Jadeja into the attack, and he went on to claim a five-wicket haul, dismantling the South African batting order. Mohammed Shami continued his excellent form, contributing with two wickets, and Kuldeep Yadav joined in to clean up the tail by taking two quick wickets.

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/Ra__Virat/status/1721181266643759332