Following Team India's impressive victory in the first ODI between India and South Africa, former batsman Mohammad Kaif made a significant statement. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif said that India won the match only because Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma held their nerve. According to him, if these two batsmen had gotten out early, India wouldn't have even reached 200.
"This South African team will beat you."
Kaif said on his YouTube channel, "If Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma get out early, you'll lose the match. Then you won't be able to score enough runs. First of all, if you can't score 300 or 350, this South African team will beat you. Therefore, I believe there's a direct connection between this victory and Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. If Virat and Rohit had gotten out early, you wouldn't have been able to score so many runs. The young players aren't able to contribute as much yet, so the team had to rely on Kohli and Rohit in this match."
A remarkable partnership and record
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's 136-run partnership changed the course of the match. Kohli and Rohit were playing together for the 392nd time in an international match. This was their 20th-century partnership in ODI cricket. With this record, they have now become the second most successful pair in history, behind only Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly (26 century partnerships).
Experience proved the key to victory.
Kaif said that Team India is working with youth, but experience is crucial in such big tournaments. He said, "You're talking about young players, but they won't even be able to score 200 runs right now. So, in the end, you had to return to Kohli and Rohit." He also explained that the team had already lost the Test series, and this victory brought relief to the players and fans.
"Our past is still gold."
Kaif further said, "Virat Kohli scored a century, and this victory is directly linked to the runs they scored. He hit seven sixes and Rohit Sharma three. They formed a partnership, the same thing they did in Sydney before this series. And the Indian team was in a very bad shape. After losing the Test series, you get a sigh of relief. Our past is still gold. They are getting older; Kohli is 37, Rohit is 38, and they were needed in this match. If they hadn't scored runs, South Africa would have won this match very easily."
Kohli-Rohit's Performance
In the first ODI, Virat Kohli scored a brilliant 135 runs (120 balls), including 11 fours and seven sixes. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, provided a solid start for the team with 57 runs (51 balls). Kaif said, "Kohli and Rohit may be getting older, but they are still as important in the team." If he had not scored runs, South Africa would have easily won this match.
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