India Posts Strong Total of 358/5, Kohli and Gaikwad Lead the Charge

India showed some real strength in their first innings during this match. They racked up a huge score of 358 for 5 wickets after batting through their full 50 overs.

Virat Kohli really held things together with a fine century. He made 102 runs from 93 balls, including 7 fours and 2 sixes. That steady innings gave India a solid base to build on. Ruturaj Gaikwad also shone brightly out there. He scored a classy 105 off 83 balls, with 12 fours and 2 sixes, at a strike rate that hit 126.50.

The openers did not last long at the crease. Rohit Sharma got out early for 14 runs off just 8 balls, at a strike rate of 175.00. De Kock was caught behind him on Nandre Burger's bowling. Yashasvi Jaiswal followed soon after with 22 off 38 balls. He got caught by Bosch off Jansen's delivery.

Even with those quick losses up top, the middle order steadied the ship pretty well. KL Rahul, who was captaining the side, stayed not out on 66 from 43 balls. His scoring rate reached 153.48, which was quite quick. Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with good support too. He ended unbeaten on 24 off 27 balls.

South Africa's bowlers had a tough time keeping India's aggressive batsmen in check. Marco Jansen did the best among them, taking 2 wickets for 63 runs in 10 overs. Nandre Burger managed 1 wicket for 43 runs in his 6.1 overs.

Wickets started tumbling a bit faster during the middle part of the innings. Gaikwad went at 257 for 3. Then Kohli fell at 284 for 4, right when India seemed ready to push harder. Still, they finished strong overall. Sundar got run out at 289 for 5 in the 41st over. That left Jadeja to help drive the total beyond 350.

Fall of wickets

• 1-40 (Rohit Sharma, 4.5 overs)
   
• 2-62 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 9.4 overs)
   
• 3-257 (Ruturaj Gaikwad, 35.4 overs)
   
• 4-284 (Virat Kohli, 39.1 overs)
   
• 5-289 (Washington Sundar, 40.6 overs)

South African Bowlers’ Performance

• Nandre Burger: 6.1 overs, 43 runs, 1 wicket, economy rate 6.97
   
• Lungi Ngidi: 10 overs, 51 runs, 1 wicket, economy rate 5.10
   
• Marco Jansen: 10 overs, 63 runs, 2 wickets, economy rate 6.30
   
• Keshav Maharaj: 10 overs, 70 runs, 0 wickets, economy rate 7.00
   
• Corbin Bosch: 8 overs, 79 runs, 0 wickets, economy rate 9.87
   
• Aiden Markram: 5.5 overs, 48 runs, 0 wickets, economy rate 8.22

With 358/5 on the board, India has put itself in a commanding position in the first innings. Kohli and Gaikwad were the stars, while the South African bowlers struggled to find breakthroughs. India will now look to capitalize on this total, while South Africa will need a strong response to chase down the challenging target.