The battle between the No. 1 and No. 2 of Cricket World Cup 2023 unfolded as India took on South Africa in a top-of-the-table clash at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. As the likes of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill looked to orchestrate a solid partnership, they avoid a slight hiccup when the latter looked to take a tight single. Gill seemed to have risked his wicket as he ran at the danger end but the throw wasn't on target. Yet, South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma decided to disturb the stumps using his hand.
Bavuma antics, however, didn't create any confusion among India duo or the umpires but Kohli was quick to point out to Gill that it was a risky single. In fact, had the throw been at Virat's end, he could've been in danger. Here's the video:
On the occasion of his birthday, Kohli wasn't keen on getting run-out, and thankfully, the duo avoided such a mistake from happening. Gill, however, didn't last long after the incident and was dismissed by Keshav Maharaj while batting on 23.
As for the match, India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat first. India didn't make any change in the line-up, picking the same XI that hammered Sri Lanka by 302 runs in the last match.
"We will bat first. Looks like a good pitch, it wasn't to do with the pitch, we wanted to challenge ourselves. It'll be a good game, two teams who have played consistent cricket and have topped the table, will be nice to win and go on top. I love to play over here, not just me, the entire team looks forward to play at this historic ground. We're playing the same team, don't think we need to change anything with the way we've been playing," Rohit said after winning the toss.
Rohit's decision turned out to be a correct one as India scored over 300 runs with the bat before bowling out the Proteas for under 100, securing a resounding victory.