Kohli Matches Tendulkar’s ODI Ton Record in ICC World Cup, India Scores 326/5

On his 35th birthday, Virat Kohli marked a historic moment in the ICC World Cup as he equaled Sachin Tendulkar’s remarkable record of 49 ODI centuries. India chose to bat and posted a total of 326/5 against South Africa. Kohli, who reached his century off 119 balls, finished his innings unbeaten on 101.

The opening partnership between Captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill showed early promise, accumulating 62 runs from 35 balls. Rohit, displaying his brilliance, struck six fours and two sixes, but was eventually caught by his counterpart Temba Bauma, falling for a well-fought 40. Gill’s contribution came to an end when he was clean-bowled by a delightful delivery from left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, scoring 23 runs off 24 balls.

Kohli and Shreyas Iyer carefully built their partnership before showcasing their mastery with some exquisite shots, amassing a vital 134 runs for the third wicket. However, Lungi Ngidi put an end to their stand by dismissing Iyer for a commendable 77, consisting of seven fours and two sixes.

K L Rahul was dismissed for a modest eight runs, falling victim to Marco Jansen’s bowling. India had chosen an unchanged XI, while South Africa included the left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi in their lineup.

India, boasting an undefeated streak of seven consecutive wins, stands at the top of the table. On the other hand, South Africa, with six victories out of seven matches, holds the second position. Both teams have already secured their spots in the semifinals. However, a victory in this game would guarantee India the top spot in the group stage.

Here are the lineups for the two teams:

**India:**
– Rohit Sharma (capt)
– Shubman Gill
– Virat Kohli
– Shreyas Iyer
– K L Rahul (wk)
– Suryakumar Yadav
– Ravindra Jadeja
– Mohammed Shami
– Jasprit Bumrah
– Kuldeep Yadav
– Mohammed Siraj.

**South Africa:**
– Quinton de Kock (wk)
– Temba Bavuma (capt)
– Rassie van der Dussen
– Aiden Markram
– Heinrich Klaasen
– David Miller
– Marco Jansen
– Keshav Maharaj
– Tabraiz Shamsi
– Kagiso Rabada
– Lungi Ngidi.