Kohli, Rohit star on record-breaking night for India – cricket.com.au

Match Report:
Records tumbled as veteran Indian superstars helped overcome Proteas in a thriller in Ranchi
Virat Kohli’s record-extending 52nd one-day international century laid the groundwork for India’s 17-run win over South Africa on Sunday on a record-breaking night for Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
The narrow victory got India off to a winning start in their three-match series after South Africa swept the two-match Test series last week.
Former captains Kohli and Rohit, who have retired from Tests and Twenty20 internationals, delighted the Ranchi crowd with a 136-run partnership for the second wicket.
It was their 20th century stand in ODI cricket, taking them equal second in the all-time list for such partnerships alongside Sri Lankan duo Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Only legendary Indian pair Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have more ODI century partnerships together, with 26.
It was also the 392nd match together for Kohli and Rohit, another record for India, surpassing the 391 matches Tendulkar and Dravid played as teammates.
The latest effort from Kohli and Rohit saw them reach 100 runs together off 85 balls and helped India set a target of 350 that got them the victory despite Corbin Bosch’s heroic last-wicket stand for the visitors.
“It’s always fun to watch them play like that, play with that freedom… put oppositions under pressure, make them look silly at times and just show the world why they are who they are,” Indian captain KL Rahul said.
India were put to bat after losing their 19th ODI toss in a row, and Yashasvi Jaiswal (18) departed in the fourth over, making way for Kohli. After Tony de Zorzi dropped Rohit in the same over, the veteran duo made few mistakes.
Rohit (57) hit spinner Prenelan Subrayen (0-73) for back-to-back sixes before completing his fifty in 43 balls, his third half-century in a row.
Rohit’s third six of the evening saw him become the all-time leading six-hitter in ODI cricket, surpassing Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi with his 352nd career six.
352*  – Rohit Sharma (IND, 269 innings)
351 – Shahid Afridi (PAK, 369 inns)
331 – Chris Gayle (WI, 294 inns)
270 – Sanath Jayasuriya (SL, 433 inns)
229 – MS Dhoni (IND, 297 inns)
Rohit fell lbw to Marco Jansen (2-76), whose ball kept low and hit Rohit’s back leg in front of the stumps.
Ottniel Baartman (2-60) dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar soon after, leaving India on shaky ground at 4-200.
But Rahul (60) helped Kohli steady the ship as the two added 76 runs for the fifth wicket until Kohli mis-timed an effort to hit it over extra cover, and Ryan Rickelton ran in to take the catch with a dive.
Kohli’s player-of-the-match knock of 135 from 120 balls, which included seven sixes and 11 fours, gave Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja (32 off 20) the stability they needed to hammer away, as India added 72 runs in the last seven overs to post 8-349.
South Africa got off to a terrible start with Harshit Rana sending back Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock for ducks, before Arshdeep Singh got Aiden Markram (7) to edge it to keeper Rahul in the fifth over to make it 3-11.
But Matthew Breetzke (72) and Marco Jansen (70 off 39) got South Africa back in the game, getting them to 5-227 before Kuldeep Yadav (4-68) got them both out in the 34th over.
South Africa needed 50 to win from the last six overs with two wickets left, but the Indian bowlers did not allow Bosch and Nandre Burger a single boundary for the next two overs, forcing Burger to risk it with a big swing that got him caught by Rahul.
Bosch (67 off 51) completed his maiden fifty but his stand ended in the last over when he got caught trying to hit big, ending South Africa’s innings at 332.
Kohli ruled out any possibility of returning to Test or Twenty20 internationals after his player-of-the-match century, but is happy to keep starring in the 50-over game.
The 37-year-old defied his age on Sunday as his sprightly running between the wickets yielded 49 runs, including 40 in singles in his 120-ball 135. 
“Yeah, that’s how it is going to be. I am just playing one format of the game,” said Kohli, who retired from international T20s last year after India won the 20-over World Cup. He retired from Test cricket earlier this year.
Former India captain Kohli, who still plays T20 cricket in the Indian Premier League, added: “I have played 300-odd ODI games, and so much cricket over the last 15-16 years.
“If you are in touch with the game, you know your reflexes are there, you can bat two hours in the nets without taking a break, you are meeting all those markers.”
Kohli said he had taken the previous day off to conserve his energy for the match.
“I’ve never been a big believer of a lot of preparation… all my cricket has been mental. As long as I feel, mentally, I can play the game, I work physically hard every day,” he said in the post-match presentation.
“As I said many times before, if I arrive somewhere, I’ll arrive 120 per cent.”
Kohli, who last played a competitive game in October against Australia, added: “I thought, let me just go out and hit the ball, not think too much about any of the other stuff. Just me and the ball coming at me. And just enjoy the game of cricket, which is the very reason I started playing this game.”
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