India’s bowlers faced an uphill battle in the second ODI against South Africa, ultimately conceding a record chase after setting a massive 358/5. Captain KL Rahul candidly attributed the loss to the significant impact of dew and his team’s failure to win the toss for the second consecutive match. Rahul emphasized that the wet conditions made bowling extremely difficult, causing the ball to be hard to grip and control. He confessed, “I’m kicking myself about losing two tosses in a row.” Rahul felt that an extra 20-25 runs would have provided a much-needed buffer for the bowlers. Despite stellar batting performances from Virat Kohli (102) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (105), South Africa’s batting lineup, led by Aiden Markram’s brilliant 110, navigated the conditions expertly. Matthew Breetzke (68) and Dewald Brevis (54) also played crucial roles in scripting the highest successful ODI chase on Indian soil for South Africa. The series is now evenly poised at 1-1, with the tactical battle, particularly at the toss, expected to be crucial in the upcoming decider.
