Follow UsSouth Africa levelled the ODI series 1-1 in Raipur after chasing down India’s 358 with four balls to spare, a result that prompted former India legend Sunil Gavaskar to highlight how the conditions heavily favoured the side bowling first.
India, after being asked to bat, posted 358/5, which appeared to be a commanding total built on centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad. But the hosts struggled to defend it once the dew set in. India’s total looked competitive, but Aiden Markram’s century and a calm chase from the South African middle order exposed the challenges posed by the dew-soaked ball.
Gavaskar was firm in his assessment that the toss shaped the match and added that fielding became unpredictable and error-prone as the ball repeatedly skidded off wet patches.
“Just look at how wet the outfield was. The ball was always going to get wet. That affects not just the bowlers but the fielders too, you can’t get a proper grip. The ball feels like a bar of soap,” the former Indian legend said on Jio Hotstar, as quoted by The Indian Express.
“Even when you try for a strong return to effect a run out, it slips out of your hand. That’s why if you win the toss in Indian conditions, you always want to bowl first, so you don’t have to deal with a wet ball when defending. So yes, the toss made a big difference.”
Indian bowlers repeatedly had towels brought out, but struggled to maintain control, often missing lengths and offering scoring opportunities.
Captain KL Rahul admitted after the match that the conditions made defending the total significantly harder.
“(A tough one to swallow) given how much dew there is and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings,” he said, acknowledging India’s recent run of unfavourable tosses. With a rueful smile, he added, “Toss plays a big role so I’m kicking myself for losing 2 tosses in a row.”
Rahul also noted that India may have been slightly short despite crossing 350.
“With the bat, I know that 350 looks good, but ... we can get the extra 20–25 runs to give bowlers a cushion with the wet ball.”