India Player Ratings from 1st ODI vs South Africa as Arshdeep & Avesh run through Proteas
Team India registered a commanding win in their first ODI since the 2023 World Cup final as they thrashed South Africa by eight wickets in Johannesburg on Tuesday, December 19.
The Men in Blue were asked to bowl first, and their bowlers responded well by using the conditions on offer to bowl the Proteas out for just 116. The chase was a straightforward one, with India losing just two wickets and scaling down the total in 16.4 overs.
On that note, here are India's player ratings from the first ODI against South Africa.
IND vs SA 2023: Men in Blue crush Proteas in Johannesburg
Ruturaj Gaikwad: 2/10
Gaikwad was trapped in front, with South Africa using the DRS to great effect. It was a close LBW shout that could've gone either way, but the opening batter missed a good chance to get some runs under his belt. He also grassed a tough chance in the slips.
B Sai Sudharsan: 9/10
Sai Sudharsan made an immediate impression in ODI cricket, smashing a drive through the covers to get off the mark. He did get an early life, but he was assured and played some sizzling strokes throughout his maiden fifty in the format. The left-hander was at the crease when the winning runs were hit.
Shreyas Iyer: 8/10
Batting at No. 3, Shreyas notched up a calm half-century that featured a couple of eye-catching strokes. He was dismissed as India appproached the total.
Tilak Varma: 5/10
Tilak wasn't needed with the ball and scored one run. He receives a standard rating.
KL Rahul: 6/10
Rahul missed out on a chance to dismiss Reeza Hendricks off the very first ball of the innings and was tidy otherwise. He helped himself to two simple catches.
Sanju Samson: 5/10
Samson didn't have much to do in the first ODI and receives a standard rating.
Axar Patel: 5/10
The same goes for Axar, who was the only frontline bowler not to be used in Johannesburg.
Kuldeep Yadav: 7/10
Kuldeep bowled 15 balls and picked up the final South African wicket to fall.
Arshdeep Singh: 9.5/10
Arshdeep was the wrecker-in-chief for India as he ran through the South African top order in an excellent new-ball spell that yielded four scalps. The left-arm pacer, who has been in rather indifferent form lately, picked up his first wickets in ODI cricket in his fourth outing. He ended up with five as Rahul brought him back later in the piece.
Avesh Khan: 9/10
Avesh was the first change for the hosts and turned in an excellent display. He got the ball to seam around and wasn't afraid to bang the ball in short either. A fifth wicket eluded the fast bowler, but he seems to be coming into his own after two years of sub-standard performances.
Mukesh Kumar: 3/10
Mukesh was the only Indian bowler to be taken for runs in the series opener, with Tony de Zorzi adopting an aggressive approach early in the powerplay. The quick was unlucky not to have Hendricks trapped in front but didn't create many other wicket-taking opportunities.