Kohli stars as India outplay South Africa in sixth ODI
Centurion: Disciplined bowling and unbeaten century by skipper Virat Kohli helped India outplay South Africa by eight wickets in the sixth and final One-day International (ODI) at the Supersport Park here on Friday.
After a disciplined performance by the bowlers which helped India restrict South Africa to a modest 204, Kohli (129 in 96 balls), who slammed his 35th ODI ton, anchored the innings perfectly and helped his team to wrap up the six-match series 5-1.
After Indian openers were sent back to the pavilion inside 15 overs, Kohli along with middle-order batsmen Ajinkya Rahane (34 not out) forged a 126-run partnership for the third wicket to hand a comfortable victory.
Kohli, who was adjudged Man of the Match and Man of the Series, completed his third ton of this series through a boundary off leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who bowled an overpitched delivery and Kohli hammered it back down for four.
Soon, the South African bowlers and fielders started feeling the heat and also missed few chances to break the partnership. But the Indian duo kept the things tight in the middle, and as a result, Rahane and Kohli finished off the proceedings in style in just 32.1 overs.
Earlier, Zondo struck his maiden ODI fifty to steer South Africa to 204 even as the other batsmen failed to find an answer to the disciplined Indian bowling.
Playing his first match of the series, Mumbai youngster Thakur was on fire in his first five overs, getting rid of Amla, caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and then the key wicket of Markram with a slow off-cutter, caught by Shreyas Iyer at cover.
Chahal soon joined the party, knocking off de Villiers' leg stick with a flipper to reduce the Proteas to 105/3, before wicketkeeper-batsman Klassen (22) joined Zondo for a brief 30-run fourth wicket stand.
Such was the dominance of the Indians that the explosive Klassen failed to find a way to free his arms and when he attempted to drive a slower one from Bumrah, Kohli smartly grabbed a low catch at short cover.
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Rain havoc: Crores spent, zero results, say oppn; Closely monitoring, says D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): The Opposition in Karnataka on Monday blamed the ruling Congress government for letting rains overwhelm the city, claiming that despite crores of rupees being spent on infrastructure, the result was zero.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, also in charge of Bengaluru, said he was in touch with officials concerned and is "closely monitoring the situation".
Former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and MLA of Malleswaram, CN Ashwath Narayan criticised Shivakumar, saying, "Crores spent. Zero results."
Taking to 'X' he said: "Last night's rains didn't expose Bengaluru's infrastructure — they exposed @DKShivakumar's track record of the last two years of doing nothing."
Shivakumar also said in his 'X' post that he is deeply concerned by the havoc caused by relentless rains in Bengaluru.
"I've been in continuous touch with the concerned officers, and I'm closely monitoring the situation. As always, I remain committed to Bengaluru - working round the clock to address challenges and ensure relief. I will be visiting the BBMP War Room and flood-affected areas personally to take stock on the ground."
The Deputy Chief Minister agreed that the issues Bengaluru faces are not new.
"Let us be clear: the issues we face today are not new. They have been ignored for years, across governments and administrations. The only difference now is - we are working to solve them. Not with temporary fixes, but with long-term, sustainable solutions," he said further in his post on 'X'.
Shivakumar further reiterated that he stands with Bengalureans.
"To my fellow Bengalureans - I am one among you. I understand your concerns, I share your frustration, and I assure you of my commitment to resolving them. I stand with you," he wrote.
Earlier, Karnataka BJP General Secretary and MLA of Karkala, Sunil Kumar Karkala had challenged the government on 'X' to release a white paper on how much has actually been spent on Bengaluru's infrastructure in the last two years.
"Visit Silk Board once — you'll see your real contribution," he said.
Speaking at a press conference, BJP spokesperson Ashwath Narayan Gowda said "Despite the weatherman predicting heavy rainfall almost a week ago, there were no efforts made to meet any monsoon-related exigency. The Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is directly responsible for the rain havoc in the city”.
He alleged that the Deputy Chief Minister kept repeating ‘Brand Bengaluru’ and in the last assembly session, Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill was passed.
“From Brand Bengaluru to Greater Bengaluru, and now from Greater Bengaluru, it has now become ‘Submerged Bengaluru’. This is the achievement of the state government,” Gowda charged.
The BJP leader said no development works took place in the city in the past two years, which finally culminated in rain havoc.
“Maximum taxes in Karnataka are collected from Bengaluru, but the investment required on the basic infrastructure here is not being done,” the party spokesperson said.
