At MS Dhoni’s hometown, they set the bar high for their heroes.
On the long walk to the stadium, fans in India blues articulated their wishes to reporters and influencers eager to capture the voice of the people. With 18 or 45 printed on their back, they wanted the men who have made those numbers iconic — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — hit sixes and hundreds, too. They got what they wished, almost.
Virat Kohli finished on 135 from 120 ba lls, Rohit Sharma scored 57 from 51 balls. And between them, they hit 10 sixes. Virat’s 52nd ODI ton and Rohit overtaking Shahid Afridi to become the highest six-hitter ever were the entertaining outcomes that took India to 349 for eight against South Africa in the opening match of the ODI series.
Their 136-run partnership, after the unbeaten 168-run stand they put up last month against Australia in the last ODI India played, had turned back the clock. Of late, the batting stars, in their late 30s, had been asked to play domestic cricket to prove their relevance. At Ranchi, they proved the permanence of class and the futility of judging them by their age.
After the 2-0 humiliation of the Test series against South Africa, where the home team’s proud domestic record fell, Indian cricket needed a fillip. And those responsible for lifting the mood of the nation were the old guards — Kohli and Rohit. It was not for the first time that they were providing hope for Indian cricket.
On Sunday, by the fourth over after India were asked to bat, the collective wish of the packed galleries had been granted. The nation’s Next Big Batsman, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, after a brief exhibition of eye-catching flashy strokes, edged the ball behind stumps. This brought together the two Forever Big Batsmen, the spotlight once again on them. A failure would reignite speculation about their departure, with renewed calls of hastening the transition, like in Test cricket.
But, after an iffy start — an edged four, an lbw appeal, a gloved glance — Kohli finally hit that one shot which for years has given fans a hint that this could be his day. It was a straight down the wicket four from the middle of the bat. There would be anxious applause from the stands. Was this their lucky day?
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On the fifth ball of the eighth over, Kohli roared, the crowd roared louder. It seemed they had got their answer and they couldn’t hold back their excitement. Kohli charged down the track to whack speedster Nandre Burger over mid-off for an almost dictatorial six. There was no edginess, no uncertainty, just single-minded bloodiness.
Virat Kohli scored his 52nd ODI century during the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi. (PHOTO: AP)
This was a flat track no doubt but this was Kohli showing the sharpness and gumption of old. A rattled Burger would bend his back bowl a faster ball. The track wasn’t spicy but it would still need the reflexes of a young man to guide the ball to the point fence for four. Kohli didn’t look like a cricketer approaching 40. In the space of two balls, the old master has displayed both brutality and finesse.
Kohli now was rolling, and also rolling back the years. Having retired from Tests and T20Is, settled in London’s Notting Hill for close to two years now, the fans had missed him, felt the drop in energy on the field and witnessed a drop in batsmanship. Except for the reruns on televisions, the live demonstration of Kohli’s signature strokes had become a rarity. At Ranchi, Kohli laid out his famous playlist, rocked the stage and expectedly blew off the stadium roof.
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There hasn’t been a Kohli classic without that awe-inspiring cover drive. That ‘work of art’ was displayed in the 11th over, off South African pacer Corbin Bosch. It wasn’t an easy half-volley but back of a good length delivery. A confident Kohli merely pushed at it with immaculate timing. The ball never left the turf as it raced to the fence.
As if making a point to offer a complete package to his fans, Kohli played his famous swat-flick six, too, once again off Bosch. The full ball on the legs was dispatched over the long-on boundary by a subtle jerk off his wrist.
South Africa seemed caught in a revolving door gone wonky as Rohit from the other end too was attacking. As graceful as ever, he used the pace of the fast bowlers to guide the ball to hit a boundary and in the next over slog-sweeping a spinner for a six.
When Rohit reached his fifty, Kohli gave him a warm hug. They cracked jokes between overs, shared intelligence about the rival bowlers. They were like old mates, now in the same boat that was negotiating high tide.
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A cruel skidder from 6″ 7′ pacer Marco Jansen, probably the only misbehaviour of the pitch in the innings, saw Rohit getting out after his half-century. But soon, he was in the front seat in the dressing room, egging on Kohli who had slowed down in the 90s. A boundary to the point boundary finally saw Kohli reach the hundred. He leapt, hung in the air and let out a victory cry. Rohit, too, clapped heartily.
That’s when a fan dared to jump over the deep moat that separated the playing area from the lower tier. Catching the security off-guard, he ran like a hare to the pitch and fell at Kohli’s feet. There were many in the stands, and millions around the country, who would have wished to do the same.
The new team management has insisted that they want a dressing that has no star culture, the selectors have dropped enough hints that the not-so-young legs of Virat and Rohit might not last till the 2027 ODI World Cup. The sound and sights at Ranchi stadium that had a sea of ’18’ and ’45’ might force these decision-makers to have a rethink.
Virat Kohli scored his 52nd ODI century during the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi. (PHOTO: AP)
