Team India missed a golden opportunity to clinch the ODI series in Raipur as South Africa pulled off the highest run chase on Indian soil, leveling the three-match series 1–1. India had to pay heavily for three major mistakes that ultimately cost them the high-scoring encounter.
South Africa chased down a stiff 359-run target with four balls to spare, finishing at 362/6.
A High-Scoring Thriller in Raipur
The second ODI between India and South Africa turned into a run-fest, with 720 runs scored and 11 wickets falling in total.
Batting first after being invited, India piled up 358/5 in 50 overs. In response, South Africa maintained the scoring pace and successfully reached the target in 49.2 overs.
With this win, South Africa drew the series level. India had won the first ODI in Ranchi by 17 runs. The decisive third ODI will be played on Saturday in Visakhapatnam.
India has now lost an ODI only for the second time after setting a target above 350—the previous instance was in 2019 against Australia.
However, three major errors cost Team India dearly at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
Here’s a closer look at those costly mistakes:
1) Poor Fielding
India’s fielding performance in the second ODI was disappointing.
- Ravindra Jadeja made two errors near the boundary, giving away an extra 8 runs.
- Washington Sundar and Yashasvi Jaiswal also misfielded crucial balls.
- India conceded unnecessary runs through overthrows.
- Sundar failed to even attempt a catch opportunity.
These lapses allowed South Africa to keep the scoreboard ticking and proved extremely costly.
2) Ineffective Bowling
Indian bowlers struggled to contain the Proteas batters.
Only:
- Arshdeep Singh and
- Ravindra Jadeja
bowled with an economy rate under 6 runs per over.
Meanwhile:
- Harshit Rana,
- Prasidh Krishna,
- Washington Sundar, and
- Kuldeep Yadav
all conceded runs at over 7 per over. Prasidh Krishna was the most expensive bowler, giving away runs at an economy of over 10.
India clearly needs improvement in both bowling discipline and death-overs strategy.
3) Slow Batting in the Final Overs
Virat Kohli (102) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (105) put on a brilliant 195-run stand for the third wicket.
When India reached 257/2 with 86 balls left, the team was well on course for a total of 370–380 runs.
However, slow batting in the final overs cost India crucial runs:
- Washington Sundar scored 1 run off 8 balls.
- Jadeja made 24 off 27 balls, hitting a boundary only in the final over.
This meant India fell 20–30 runs short, which ultimately made a big difference as South Africa maintained the scoring rate throughout their chase.
Conclusion
India’s defeat in this high-scoring contest was shaped by:
- sloppy fielding,
- inconsistent bowling, and
- slow finishing with the bat.
South Africa capitalized on every opportunity and chased down 359 with composure, setting up a thrilling decider in Visakhapatnam.
