India Player Ratings as inspired South Africa cruise to comfortable victory in the 1st ODI
KL Rahul's first match as captain in List A cricket didn't go to plan as India lost to South Africa by 31 runs in the first ODI at Boland Park in Paarl on Wednesday, January 19.
After losing the toss, India scalped the first three South African wickets cheaply. But twin hundreds from Proteas captain Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen ensured the hosts posted an above-par total on a slowish pitch. Despite fifties from Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Shardul Thakur, India crumbled to a disappointing loss.
Here are India's player ratings for the first ODI against South Africa.
India vs South Africa 1st ODI: Misfiring middle order continues to plague Men in Blue
KL Rahul: 1/10
Rahul's ODI captaincy debut was miserable to say the least. His bowling changes -such as his non-utilization of Venkatesh Iyer - were bizarre as he ended up allowing Bavuma and Van der Dussen to put together a massive partnership. Tasked with salvaging the game in the chase, Rahul succumbed to South Africa's sixth bowling option in tame fashion.
Shikhar Dhawan: 8/10
Dhawan came into the game on the back of some poor personal form but he stroked his way to a confident 79 before falling to one that spun sharply. With his place in the team under serious doubt, the southpaw came up with a classy innings.
Virat Kohli: 7/10
Kohli, strangely subdued on the field, notched up another ODI fifty. But soon after reaching the milestone, an ill-adjudged sweep saw him fall to Tabraiz Shamsi and fail to capitalize on a fluent innings yet again.
Shreyas Iyer: 2/10
Picked ahead of the exciting Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas didn't do himself any favors. He trundled to 17 before being caught out by a short ball, not for the first time in his career. The batter also dropped a straightforward catch at backward point and was lackluster on the field.
Rishabh Pant: 3/10
Like Iyer, Pant dropped a chance, but his was more challenging. The southpaw struggled for timing during his 16-run knock and was inexcusably dismissed stumped down the leg-side.
Venkatesh Iyer: 4/10
Venkatesh didn't get to bowl even when Bavuma and Van der Dussen were taking the game away from India and had a mixed day on the field. While he failed to gather the ball cleanly several times, he sent back Aiden Markram with a smart direct hit. Batting at No. 6, the all-rounder found a fielder in the deep to perfection with a crunching pull.
Shardul Thakur: 5/10
Thakur had another expensive ODI outing as he leaked 72 in 10 overs, over the course of which he exhibited minimal control. The 30-year-old hit a fighting fifty in the second innings but the match was long gone by then.
Ravichandran Ashwin: 6.5/10
Ashwin was one of the better Indian bowlers on display. He created a few wicket-taking opportunities and sent back Quinton de Kock with a smart piece of deception. However, he allowed things to slip away during his second spell and couldn't contribute in the other two departments.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 3/10
Bhuvneshwar once again offered nothing by way of penetration. He went wicketless in his 10 overs and appears to be nearing the end of his time with the national team.
Jasprit Bumrah: 8/10
Bumrah was the pick of the visiting bowlers. He dismissed Janneman Malan with a smart outswinger and returned to break the Bavuma-Van der Dussen stand, finishing with respectable figures of 2/48 in his 10 overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal: 5.5/10
Chahal's returns of 0/53 don't justify how well he bowled on the day, but his leg-stump line became too predictable for the South African batters, who were more than happy to employ the sweep to great effect. The leg-spinner needs to be a bit smarter with his execution and must also rely on the googly more.