Kohli played a 120-ball knock of 135, studded with 11 boundaries and 7 sixes, helping India post 349/8 in 50 overs, and
this was backed up by Kuldeep Yadav, who returned with four wickets to help the hosts take a 1-0 lead.
It was Harshit Rana who provided the best start possible to India, dismissing Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock in the
second over. Arshdeep Singh joined in by dismissing Aiden Markram, and the Proteas were reduced to 11/3.
Kaif spoke about how Virat and Rohit were constantly in the ears of the young speedsters, and how this helped settle
their nerves. He said that the seniors should always be part of the team, as they can share their experience with the
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“Harshit Rana bowled on good lengths. He was bowling short, but here he kept his lengths ahead. He made solid use of the
new ball. Rohit and Virat were also giving him advice on the field. This is what I am saying, youngsters will do well
under seniors, and this has always been the case with Indian cricket,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“How many times we saw Virat going and talking to Arshdeep and Prasidh. Rohit was giving inputs too. They want India to
win even if they are not leading. They don't care about credit. They spoke a lot to the bowlers, and the results were
‘Why is Shami not there?’
Despite the visitors being 11/3 at one stage, the Indian bowlers let South Africa get to 332 as Marco Jansen, Corbin
Bosch and Matthew Breetzke all scored half-centuries. This performance in the latter half raised the question of
Mohammed Shami's omission from the squad.
Shami currently finds himself out of favours despite giving good performances in the Ranji Trophy. Recently, contrasting
versions came out from both Shami and the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, clearly showcasing there is more to what
“The question is valid. No matter what kind of pitch it is, a bowler like Shami does not care if it is flat. He has so
much class that he finds ways to pick wickets there as well. I don't know why he is still not playing, because Bumrah
and Siraj have been rested,” said Kaif.
“The young pacers would also benefit from his presence. There is no senior pacer to tell the likes of Prasidh, Harshit,
and Arshdeep what to do under pressure. India missed this,” he added.