India’s Batting Blitz: Kohli, Gaikwad Tons & Rahul’s Fifty Set 359 Target in 2nd ODI
Raipur, India – December 3, 2025: The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur witnessed a batting masterclass today as India posted a colossal 358 for 5 in the second One Day International against South Africa. Anchored by record-breaking centuries from Virat Kohli and a maiden ODI ton from Ruturaj Gaikwad, followed by a
Raipur, India – December 3, 2025: The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur witnessed a batting masterclass today as India posted a colossal 358 for 5 in the second One Day International against South Africa. Anchored by record-breaking centuries from Virat Kohli and a maiden ODI ton from Ruturaj Gaikwad, followed by a blazing fifty from KL Rahul, the hosts have set a daunting target of 359, putting immense pressure on the Proteas in this crucial series encounter.
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India’s Innings: A Tale of Resilience and Dominance
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The day began with South Africa winning the toss and electing to field, a decision influenced by the perennial dew factor in India, as noted by captain Temba Bavuma. India, unfortunately, extended their ‘unwanted world record’ for consecutive ODI toss losses to 20, a streak that began around the 2023 World Cup final. Despite this, the Indian batting line-up, unchanged from their previous victory in Ranchi, was ready to fire.
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The start was not without its hiccups. Openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal began aggressively, with boundaries flowing freely. Rohit, in particular, brought up a significant personal milestone, becoming only the fourth Indian to score 9000 or more runs at home in international cricket, joining an elite club featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid. However, his stay was cut short at 40 runs, dismissed via a DRS review for a caught behind. Jaiswal, after some audacious strokes and living ‘on the edge’, fell to Marco Jansen for 22, leaving India at a precarious 62 for 2.
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Kohli and Gaikwad: The Architects of the Comeback
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What followed was a partnership that not only stabilized the innings but propelled India towards a formidable total. Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad stitched together a magnificent 195-run stand for the third wicket, systematically dismantling the South African bowling attack.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Maiden ODI Century: The young CSK skipper, who had been ‘gutted to miss out on a knock’ in the previous game, showed immense maturity and resolve. Gaikwad admitted his approach today was to bat ‘as if I was already 25 or 30 balls in after powerplay and bat accordingly, look to rotate strike.’ He overcame an initial struggle on a ‘slightly two-paced’ wicket to accelerate beautifully, reaching his first ODI century with a confident four wide of mid-on. This was his second international hundred, adding to his T20I century, showcasing his growing prowess across formats. His innings of 105 off 83 balls was a perfect blend of caution and aggression, proving his mettle at the international level.
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Virat Kohli’s Record-Extending Masterclass: The ‘King Kohli’ narrative continued to unfold in Raipur. Virat Kohli, seemingly ‘back in his groove’, smashed his 53rd ODI century, extending his own record and bringing up his 84th international hundred. This was also his second consecutive ton, highlighting his exceptional consistency and insatiable hunger for runs. His innings of 102 off 93 balls was characteristic Kohli – a mix of powerful drives, judicious strike rotation, and clinical boundary hitting, including a ‘tracer bullet’ shot that left spectators awestruck. While he eventually departed, caught by Aiden Markram off Lungi Ngidi, his century had laid a rock-solid foundation for India.
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KL Rahul’s Late Fireworks and South Africa’s Bowling Woes
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With Kohli’s departure and Washington Sundar’s unfortunate run-out, the onus fell on KL Rahul to provide the late impetus. Rahul, who has consistently showcased his finishing abilities, rose to the occasion once again. He registered his ‘second consecutive fifty’ in the series, smashing an unbeaten 66 off just 43 balls, studded with fearless hitting, including a crucial four and a six off Corbin Bosch in the final over. His knock was vital in converting a strong total into a ‘mammoth target’, pushing India comfortably past the 350-run mark.
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Ravindra Jadeja, initially struggling with a poor strike rate of 76, found some rhythm later, lofting a boundary over mid-off. South Africa’s bowlers, despite some tight overs from Lungi Ngidi (1 for 51 from 10 overs) and Marco Jansen, largely struggled to contain the Indian batters. The Proteas’ early bowling was ‘bizarre’ and ‘all over the place’, conceding 12 extras in the first three overs alone, reminiscent of the 23 extras conceded in the first ODI. This lack of discipline certainly played a role in India’s ability to accumulate such a large total. Matthew Breetzke also made a ‘huge blunder’ dropping a catch of KL Rahul, which proved costly in the death overs.
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The Chase Begins: A Daunting Task for the Proteas
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As South Africa began their chase of 359, the pressure was palpable. Openers Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram took to the crease, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana opening the bowling for India. The Proteas got off to a quick start, with runs coming ‘quite easily’ due to the ball ‘coming nicely onto the bat’. Harshit Rana leaked 13 runs in his second over, getting hit for three fours by Markram, while de Kock registered the first boundary for South Africa with a well-placed shot through point. An early LBW appeal against Markram off Arshdeep Singh was reviewed by India, but the ball was found to be going over the stumps.
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South Africa, with captain Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, and Lungi Ngidi returning to the squad (replacing Rickelton, Subrayen, and Baartman), will need a colossal effort to chase down this total. Their batting lineup is deep, but a target of 359 against a confident Indian bowling unit, even with the prospect of dew, will test their resolve to the absolute maximum. The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to this second ODI in Raipur, a stadium that has only hosted one previous ODI in 2023.
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Disclaimer: Cricket Mantra aggregates breaking cricket news from multiple reputable sources, enriching them with in-depth analysis and expert commentary to provide comprehensive coverage for our readers.
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“headline”: “India’s Batting Blitz: Kohli, Gaikwad Tons & Rahul’s Fifty Set 359 Target in 2nd ODI”,
“category”: “Match Analysis”,
“article”: “
Raipur, India – December 3, 2025: The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur witnessed a batting masterclass today as India posted a colossal 358 for 5 in the second One Day International against South Africa. Anchored by record-breaking centuries from Virat Kohli and a maiden ODI ton from Ruturaj Gaikwad, followed by a blazing fifty from KL Rahul, the hosts have set a daunting target of 359, putting immense pressure on the Proteas in this crucial series encounter.
\n\n
India’s Innings: A Tale of Resilience and Dominance
\n
The day began with South Africa winning the toss and electing to field, a decision influenced by the perennial dew factor in India, as noted by captain Temba Bavuma. India, unfortunately, extended their ‘unwanted world record’ for consecutive ODI toss losses to 20, a streak that began around the 2023 World Cup final. Despite this, the Indian batting line-up, unchanged from their previous victory in Ranchi, was ready to fire.
\n
The start was not without its hiccups. Openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal began aggressively, with boundaries flowing freely. Rohit, in particular, brought up a significant personal milestone, becoming only the fourth Indian to score 9000 or more runs at home in international cricket, joining an elite club featuring Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid. However, his stay was cut short at 40 runs, dismissed via a DRS review for a caught behind. Jaiswal, after some audacious strokes and living ‘on the edge’, fell to Marco Jansen for 22, leaving India at a precarious 62 for 2.
\n\n
Kohli and Gaikwad: The Architects of the Comeback
\n
What followed was a partnership that not only stabilized the innings but propelled India towards a formidable total. Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad stitched together a magnificent 195-run stand for the third wicket, systematically dismantling the South African bowling attack.
\n
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Maiden ODI Century: The young CSK skipper, who had been ‘gutted to miss out on a knock’ in the previous game, showed immense maturity and resolve. Gaikwad admitted his approach today was to bat ‘as if I was already 25 or 30 balls in after powerplay and bat accordingly, look to rotate strike.’ He overcame an initial struggle on a ‘slightly two-paced’ wicket to accelerate beautifully, reaching his first ODI century with a confident four wide of mid-on. This was his second international hundred, adding to his T20I century, showcasing his growing prowess across formats. His innings of 105 off 83 balls was a perfect blend of caution and aggression, proving his mettle at the international level.
\n
Virat Kohli’s Record-Extending Masterclass: The ‘King Kohli’ narrative continued to unfold in Raipur. Virat Kohli, seemingly ‘back in his groove’, smashed his 53rd ODI century, extending his own record and bringing up his 84th international hundred. This was also his second consecutive ton, highlighting his exceptional consistency and insatiable hunger for runs. His innings of 102 off 93 balls was characteristic Kohli – a mix of powerful drives, judicious strike rotation, and clinical boundary hitting, including a ‘tracer bullet’ shot that left spectators awestruck. While he eventually departed, caught by Aiden Markram off Lungi Ngidi, his century had laid a rock-solid foundation for India.
\n\n
KL Rahul’s Late Fireworks and South Africa’s Bowling Woes
\n
With Kohli’s departure and Washington Sundar’s unfortunate run-out, the onus fell on KL Rahul to provide the late impetus. Rahul, who has consistently showcased his finishing abilities, rose to the occasion once again. He registered his ‘second consecutive fifty’ in the series, smashing an unbeaten 66 off just 43 balls, studded with fearless hitting, including a crucial four and a six off Corbin Bosch in the final over. His knock was vital in converting a strong total into a ‘mammoth target’, pushing India comfortably past the 350-run mark.
\n
Ravindra Jadeja, initially struggling with a poor strike rate of 76, found some rhythm later, lofting a boundary over mid-off. South Africa’s bowlers, despite some tight overs from Lungi Ngidi (1 for 51 from 10 overs) and Marco Jansen, largely struggled to contain the Indian batters. The Proteas’ early bowling was ‘bizarre’ and ‘all over the place’, conceding 12 extras in the first three overs alone, reminiscent of the 23 extras conceded in the first ODI. This lack of discipline certainly played a role in India’s ability to accumulate such a large total. Matthew Breetzke also made a ‘huge blunder’ dropping a catch of KL Rahul, which proved costly in the death overs.
\n\n
The Chase Begins: A Daunting Task for the Proteas
\n
As South Africa began their chase of 359, the pressure was palpable. Openers Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram took to the crease, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana opening the bowling for India. The Proteas got off to a quick start, with runs coming ‘quite easily’ due to the ball ‘coming nicely onto the bat’. Harshit Rana leaked 13 runs in his second over, getting hit for three fours by Markram, while de Kock registered the first boundary for South Africa with a well-placed shot through point. An early LBW appeal against Markram off Arshdeep Singh was reviewed by India, but the ball was found to be going over the stumps.
\n
South Africa, with captain Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, and Lungi Ngidi returning to the squad (replacing Rickelton, Subrayen, and Baartman), will need a colossal effort to chase down this total. Their batting lineup is deep, but a target of 359 against a confident Indian bowling unit, even with the prospect of dew, will test their resolve to the absolute maximum. The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to this second ODI in Raipur, a stadium that has only hosted one previous ODI in 2023.
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Disclaimer: Cricket Mantra aggregates breaking cricket news from multiple reputable sources, enriching them with in-depth analysis and expert commentary to provide comprehensive coverage for our readers.