IND vs SA: Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad centuries go in vain as South Africa chase 358 to make series 1-1 against India

South Africa won the second ODI in New Delhi by four wickets and tied the series 1-1, even after Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed amazing centuries. India made a big score of 358, but South Africa still chased it down with strong batting from Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, and Dewald Brevis. The last match of the series will now be played in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, and that game will decide the winner.

Aiden Markram Leads South Africa against India With 110 as Dewald Brevis and Matthew Breetzke Keep Chase Alive

South Africa started their chase with a small shock when Quinton de Kock got out early to Arshdeep Singh. But right after that, the game changed. Aiden Markram played a very calm and clean innings. He kept the scoreboard moving and reached his first century against India.

There was a nice flow to the innings when Temba Bavuma joined him. They made a 101-run stand, and this helped South Africa settle in. Markram kept hitting smart shots, especially against the spinners, because the heavy dew made it very hard for the Indian bowlers to grip the ball.

When Markram reached 53, he got a lucky moment as Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped him at long-on off Kuldeep Yadav. That drop hurt India later. After Markram got out to Harshit Rana, the chase again looked tight. But then Dewald Brevis came in and hit a fast 54 off 34 balls. At the same time, Matthew Breetzke stayed calm and played a strong 68.

Their 92-run stand in just 64 balls pushed South Africa into control. Even when Brevis got out, Breetzke kept the chase steady. In the final moments, Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj stayed firm and finished the game with four balls left.

Kohli, Gaikwad tons in vain; South Africa beat India to level series 1-1 https://t.co/bQroKKxccz pic.twitter.com/u2H1yqu312

— Gags (@CatchOfThe40986) December 3, 2025

Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad Hit Record Stand as KL Rahul Lifts India to 358

Earlier in the day, India batted very well. Virat Kohli scored 102 off 93 balls, and Ruturaj Gaikwad made 105 off 83 balls. They built a 195-run stand for the third wicket, which is now India’s highest partnership against South Africa in ODIs. This broke the 189-run record set by Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in Durban in 2018.

There was a nice rhythm between Kohli and Gaikwad as they ran hard and kept rotating the strike. Gaikwad looked more relaxed after his fifty and matched Kohli’s shots with ease. Kohli started his innings with a smooth pull shot for six and kept going strong until he reached his 53rd ODI century.

At the end, KL Rahul added an unbeaten 66 off 43 balls and took India to 358/5. India also tried a new move by sending Rahul at No. 5 before Washington Sundar.

But even with this big score, the bowling struggled. Prasidh Krishna gave away 79 runs, and the wet ball made it tough for the spinners.