De Kock’s Masterclass Lights Up the Vizag ODI
What a day it has been in Visakhapatnam, where the third ODI between India and South Africa has unfolded with plenty of drama and standout moments. The match was already buzzing with energy when India opted to bowl first, and the decision seemed to set the tone for an intense afternoon. South Africa’s innings had its ups and downs, but one performance stole the spotlight completely — Quinton de Kock’s sensational century.
De Kock’s hundred felt like it came straight out of a seasoned batter’s playbook. He reached the landmark in just 80 balls, pulling Harshit Rana for a towering sixth six to seal it. The reaction from the crowd said it all — they knew they were witnessing something special. And no wonder, because this was de Kock’s seventh ODI century against India. Imagine that: seven hundreds in only 23 innings. No other player has managed more centuries against India, and de Kock reached that number at a pace that leaves legends like Sanath Jayasuriya far behind.
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As he kept finding boundaries with ease, more records quietly fell into place. His tally of seven ODI tons in India now puts him on level terms with AB de Villiers for the most by any visiting batter in the country. And when it comes to converting fifties into hundreds, de Kock’s numbers shine even brighter — his conversion rate is currently the best among all batters with at least 100 ODI innings. Even icons like Virat Kohli and Hashim Amla sit just behind him on that list. It felt as though every stroke added another line to his growing legacy.
What made this knock even more remarkable was the added responsibility of keeping wickets. De Kock’s hundred took his tally as a designated wicketkeeper to 23 ODI centuries, placing him alongside the great Kumar Sangakkara at the very top. For a role that demands so much physically and mentally, matching Sangakkara’s record is a massive achievement.
South Africa’s innings continued to wobble as India’s spinners tightened their grip. Kuldeep Yadav, in particular, bowled beautifully, using drift and subtle variations to pick up crucial wickets. His caught-and-bowled dismissal of Corbin Bosch showed just how tricky the pitch had become in the afternoon. Without dew, the ball was stopping, gripping, and forcing batters into mistakes. Still, de Kock had done enough damage before he was eventually cleaned up by Prasidh Krishna for 106.
In the end, South Africa finished on 252 for 8 in 42.4 overs, a total built on one extraordinary innings surrounded by determined but less fluent contributions. As India prepares to chase, the spotlight remains firmly on de Kock’s record-breaking brilliance — an innings that was not just powerful, but historic in more ways than one.
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