By Prakash Nair 
New Delhi, December 3: For a warm weekday afternoon in Raipur, the noise inside the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium felt far bigger than the crowd numbers. Every time Virat Kohli opened up his stance or tapped his bat to reset, there was a hum, like everyone already knew what was coming. And by the time he reached his 53rd ODI century, as reported by The Times of India, the place felt like it was celebrating something far larger than a milestone.
India were cruising at 297 for 5 after 43 overs, and truthfully, that score looked inevitable from the moment Kohli settled in. The pitch wasn’t easy. The ball stopped, gripped, and occasionally stayed low. But Kohli made it all look annoyingly simple.
Kohli Finds His Flow, And Suddenly Everything Opens Up
For all the chatter around where he stands in India’s plans, the past two games have been a pretty loud answer. According to The Economic Times, this was his second straight century in the series, and the certainty with which he played suggested a man who has stopped worrying about narrative arcs.
He began quietly, nudging and blocking through the early overs when Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi were getting some movement. But once he crossed 30, the timing returned. A flick here, a checked drive there, and suddenly the strike rotated with almost casual ease.
There were no theatrics when he reached the hundred. A small raise of the bat, a look upward, and then straight back to business. It was the kind of innings India needed in a series that can still swing if they let it slip. And maybe that’s what made it feel so reassuring. No fireworks. Just craft.
Gaikwad’s Century Offers A Glimpse Of India’s Next Gear
Right alongside Kohli’s assuredness came Ruturaj Gaikwad’s burst of freshness. As per The Times of India, he struck 105 off 83 balls, and while his shot range isn’t the loudest in India’s lineup, it is very clean. A punch through cover, a risk-free loft down the ground, and that calm head he’s become known for.
With spots constantly opening and closing in limited-overs cricket, Gaikwad’s knock gives the selectors something real to hold on to. It wasn’t a cameo or a flat-track breeze. It was a proper, grown-up ODI innings, stitched patiently through the middle overs and accelerated only when he felt he had the measure of the bowlers.
There’s a quietness to the way he bats that contrasts sharply with the noise around him. And as it turns out, that silence worked in India’s favour. South Africa couldn’t break the rhythm once he and Kohli locked in together.
Rahul And Jadeja Prepare The Final Push
By the time both centurions departed, India was already deep into control of the innings. At 297 for 5 after 43, with KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle, the plan seemed straightforward. Keep wickets intact, then let the last six or seven overs explode.
This pitch never quite turned into a batting paradise, but India made it feel manageable. The biggest difference was that they rarely seemed rushed. Rahul, who has grown comfortable in the middle-order finisher role, looked ready for the late overs again. Jadeja’s presence always gives India the option to attack spin and pace from angles most teams don’t have.
Nothing flashy. Just composed cricket.
Bavuma’s Call To Field First Begins To Look Risky
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma had chosen to field first, likely hoping the early movement would damage India’s top order. And early on, it might have worked. According to Mint, the ball did swing and bounce enough to ask questions. But once the shine faded, their attack looked strangely toothless.
Rabada and Ngidi bowled decent spells. Keshav Maharaj tried to hold the middle. But drops, misfields, and a few overly defensive phases kept letting India off the hook. Bavuma’s own body language dipped a touch in the middle overs, and the energy in the field followed.
Still, South Africa have the batting to chase scores like these. Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Bavuma, and Heinrich Klaasen on a less tacky surface could easily keep this alive. But on this pitch, under lights, against India’s spinners, it already feels like a heavy climb.
India’s Momentum In This Series Begins To Look Real
What stands out isn’t just today’s batting. It’s the sense that India seems settled, at least for now. After winning the first ODI, as reported by The Indian Express, they’ve come into Raipur carrying confidence instead of simply hoping for form.
This is important because India’s ODI setup has been in a strange place for a while. Injuries, constant switches, unclear roles. Suddenly, the lineup feels more coherent. Kohli at his dependable best. Gaikwad stepping up. Rahul is embracing responsibility. Jadeja is anchoring the all-rounder slot. These aren’t small pieces.
And yes, it’s only a bilateral series. But bilateral series often shape the tone of a cricketing year.
A Century That Says Kohli Isn’t Going Anywhere
Kohli’s knock may not have been his flashiest, but it carried a weight that numbers won’t fully convey. According to The Economic Times, fans went into a frenzy after he brought up the landmark, with plenty calling it the clearest sign yet that his ODI game remains untouched.
Something is grounding about watching him bat this way. No chase for sixes, no forced aggression. Just a studious reading of conditions, an unhurried tempo, and the kind of quiet dominance that defined the early years of his career.
And maybe that’s what India needs right now: someone to steady the innings while the rest of the squad evolves around him.
Where Things Stand Heading Into The Chase
India will want to push past 330, but even where they are, the advantage feels significant. South Africa will have to bat with clarity right from ball one. Anything tentative, and India’s bowlers will smell blood.
For now, India look like a side that knows exactly how it wants to play this series. And that confidence, more than the runs themselves, is what South Africa will be wary of.
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- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
Ayesha Khan and Prakash Nair