Virat Kohli, left, and Ruturaj Gaikwad (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil) NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad set a new record for India’s highest partnership against South Africa in ODIs during the second ODI at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday.The pair put together an impressive 195-run partnership for the third wicket, helping India surpass 300 runs. Their stand came after India lost early wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 22 runs from 38 balls, and Rohit Sharma, who made 14 runs from eight deliveries.
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Their partnership broke the previous record of 194 runs set by Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik in February 2010 at Gwalior. In that match, Tendulkar scored a double century and Karthik contributed 79 runs, leading India to 401/3, with South Africa later being dismissed for 248 runs.Gaikwad reached his first ODI century in 77 balls, marking the second-fastest hundred by an Indian against South Africa. Only Yusuf Pathan’s 68-ball century in Centurion in 2011 was faster.Gaikwad’s final score was 105 runs from 83 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes. Kohli continued his remarkable form by scoring his 53rd ODI century, reaching the milestone in 90 balls.This was Kohli’s second consecutive century in the series, following his 135-run innings in the first ODI at Ranchi, which India won by 17 runs.Kohli has now achieved 11 different streaks of centuries in consecutive ODI innings. This is significantly more than AB de Villiers, who holds the second-best record with six such streaks.The former Indian captain has now scored seven or more centuries against four different teams. His record includes 10 centuries against Sri Lanka, nine against West Indies, eight against Australia, and seven against South Africa. Only Sachin Tendulkar has achieved similar success against multiple opponents, with nine centuries against Australia and eight against Sri Lanka.This century marked Kohli’s 84th in international cricket. He remains second to Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the record with 100 international centuries.Kohli finished his innings with 102 runs from 93 balls, including seven fours and two sixes.
