From Rohit, Kohli blitz to Jaiswal's mental battle; India ticked all boxes under Vizag lights

India won the ODI series comfortably by 2-1 [Source: AFP]

A dominant nine-wicket victory isn't a rare occurrence in India's glorious ODI history. In fact, India have crushed their opponents by the whopping margin on 24 occasions in the format. 

But despite that, their most recent win over South Africa in Visakhapatnam held significant importance for the Men in Blue, particularly with a billion eyes focusing on their 2027 World Cup preparations. 

The Test series against South Africa wasn't memorable for India by any means. Yes, Shukri Conrad should've opted for a better word to sum up the hosts' misery, but, in the end, India had only themselves to blame for another embarrassing white-wash, their second clean-sweep at home inside thirteen months. 

Thus, the ODI series emerged as nothing but a golden opportunity for the hosts, who looked down and out throughout the Tests, to redeem themselves. India, as expected, huffed and puffed, even losing the second ODI against the odds. 

However, it was eventually Vizag where the Men in Blue unleashed their beast version, finding all the cues to the missing World Cup puzzle. 

Rahul's captaincy scripts Prasidh Krishna's dramatic turnaround

It all started with the toss, something that India hadn't won on twenty consecutive occasions. Despite back-to-back toss losses, the probability of winning the coin flip stood at 50-50 when KL Rahul stepped out, accompanied by his South African counterpart, Temba Bavuma. 

And this time, fortunately, toss favoured the home side, and Rahul jumped in joy along with his several teammates. It meant a lot to him as well as the Indian team, considering dew was expected to play a key role in Vizag. 

Although Quinton de Kock bludgeoned his way through to a belligerent ton, KL Rahul, blessed by the God of fortunes, couldn't do anything wrong this time. All his calls, starting from the toss, were absolutely spot on, and the tactical moves soon began to fall in place. 

The keeper-batter, leading India in Shubman Gill's absence, scripted South Africa's batting collapse by utilising Prasidh Krishna's middle-overs expertise. The fast bowler's resurgence couldn't have come at a better time, too, with his four-wicket haul not only keeping him alive in the 2027 World Cup race but also enlightening India like a ray of hope amid their fast-bowling transition. 

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Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli as hungry as ever

(Rohit, Kohli's performance in IND vs SA ODIs)

When the ODI series between India and South Africa started, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were the two biggest names under discussion. 

Despite performing admirably over the years, the talismanic duo was given a nearly non-existent margin for error, with serious threats looming over their spots in an otherwise young Indian side. 

But what they did was nothing short of remarkable, turning each challenge into an opportunity. Their blades roared louder than ever, sparkling with their brilliance amid the shining jewels of Gaikwad and skipper KL Rahul. 

Kohli concluded the tour with 302 runs at a Bradman-esque average of 151, while Rohit's improved fitness standards grabbed more limelight than his scintillating stroke play. 

The silken wrist work was there for everyone to see, and the trademark pull shot also came off perfectly when the team needed it. 

Thus, the legends silenced their doubters for the umpteenth time, making the jubilant crowd relive the nostalgia under Vizag lights. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal cracked the ODI code when it mattered the most

Jaiswal slammed his 1st ODI ton [Source: AFP]

(How Jaiswal paced his innings in IND vs SA 3rd ODI)

Amid Prasidh's renaissance and Rohit, Kohli's blitzkreig, one thing that silently made its presence felt was Yashasvi Jaiswal's poise and elegance. The southpaw definitely has all the ingredients to succeed in ODIs, but he needed to translate his potential into performance. 

A target of 271 runs was anyway going to be a routine chase with no substantial takeaways for the star-studded Indian side. 

However, Jaiswal made it more meaningful from the World Cup perspective, showing why he belongs to the highest level with sheer grit and determination. 

The South African bowlers thoroughly tested Jaiswal's patience by pitching the ball where it troubles him the most. However, unlike the previous instances, Jaiswal was more focused than ever, watching the ball like a hawk and making adjustments accordingly. 

It was a matter of time before the Proteas would run out of perseverance, and Jaiswal was eagerly waiting for his moment to arrive. 

Once he negotiated the initial phase, the flamboyant stroke-maker inside took over his monk-like instincts, dispatching the poor deliveries to the fence with ease and grace. 

He eventually went on to celebrate his first-ever ODI hundred. Kohli's twin tons and Rohit's flamboyant knocks definitely brought happiness to a billion faces, but it was Jaiswal's redemption that made India tick the final yet the most crucial box, with their reserve opener finally cracking the ODI code in the Vizag humdinger. 

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