It was a happy ending for India in Durban on Thursday night (February 1). But it could have been worse for the "Men in Blue" as captain Virat Kohli had a "freakish" experience on the field at Kingsmead.
Kohli's 33rd ODI hundred powered India to a six-wicket victory over South Africa in the first One Day International yesterday. The visitors have a 1-0 lead in the six-match series.
Also read: SA-India series schedule, squads, Live stream info
Chasing 270, India were well served by Kohli (112) and Ajinkya Rahane (79), who had a record 189-run partnership for the third wicket. India won with 27 balls to spare.
Earlier during South Africa's batting innings, things could have gone worse for India and the skipper Kohli. The Delhi right-hander had an injury scare when his left knee got stuck in the ground while fielding. He had to go off to the pavilion two times but returned to captain the side.
Speaking about that injury, Kohli said it was "quite dangerous" and they had to be careful not to lose players in "freakish" ways.
"It was my knee and my groin. The knee took the impact and the groin. I did not realise how damp the outfield was. It was quite dangerous. We have to be more careful with these things especially in a long series. You don't want to lose your main players in a freakish way like that. I am fine for now. Just have to take care of it," the 29-year-old told Shaun Pollock in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Kohli also said he likes to chase runs, which, according to him is easier. "It's easier [to chase]. You can break down a total when you have a number on the board, you know exactly what you want to do against which bowler, and it sort of suits my game-plan. I have a lot of energy and I would rather use it there, using my head as to where the game is going and planning it. It's a lot of fun. Watching from the outside I get very nervous. It suits me well," he said.
