Kohli, Rahane guide India to victory in Durban

A scintillating 112 runs from Indian skipper Virat Kohli and a brilliant 79-run knock from Ajinkya Rahane helped the visitors annihilate South Africa by 7 wickets at the Kingsmead in Durban.

New Delhi: A scintillating 112 runs from Indian skipper Virat Kohli and a brilliant 79-run knock from Ajinkya Rahane helped the visitors annihilate South Africa by 6 wickets at the Kingsmead in Durban.

With a win, India take a 1-0 lead in the six-match rubber.

Chasing a competitive 270 runs, Virat and Rahane stitched formidable 189-run stand for the third wicket to eliminate the hosts from the game.

Virat, in his 119-ball innings, smashed his 33^rd hundred in the coloured outfit for India. His innings compiled of 10 fours.

Rahane, on the other, initially tried to set in but once he gained momentum he shifted gears and went all guns blazing against quality South African bowling attack.

Rahane registered a score of 50 plus for the fifth time in a row. His innings included 5 fours and 2 maximums.

Earlier, captain Faf du Plessis led from the front with an impressive 120 as he single-handedly took South Africa to 269 for 8.

India's leg-spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal shared five wickets among them in an impressive bowling show but du Plessis ensured that the Proteas have a competitive total on board after opting to bat.

Du Plessis scored his eighth ODI hundred after a half-empty Kingsmead Stadium bore witness to South Africa's top- order collapse. The hosts lost four wickets for 51 runs before du Plessis and Chris Morris (37) rescued them with a 74-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

The Protea skipper faced 112 balls from which he hit 11 fours and 2 sixes.

For India, Yadav took 3/34 and Chahal returned 2/45 as the duo excelled in their first proper overseas outing, underlining the team management's faith in leg-spin since July last year.