South African batting line-up wreaked havoc on the Sri Lankan bowlers in their opening match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi on Saturday (October 7).
Invited to bat first, the Proteas lost skipper Temba Bavuma (8) cheaply but the duo of Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen added 204 runs for the second wicket to put their team in a commanding position.
While De Kock got out after scoring 100 off 84 balls, Van der Dussen fell for 108 in 110 deliveries. After dismissing them, the Sri Lanka bowlers must have thought of getting some respite but Aiden Markram ruined their wishful thinking by hitting the fastest century in World Cup history.
Batting at No. 4, Markram notched up the three-figure mark in just 49 balls, beating Kevin O’Brien’s previous record by one ball. Markram was eventually dismissed for 106 off 54 balls, including 14 fours and 3 sixes.
The likes of David Miller (39* off 21 balls) and Heinrich Klaasen (32 off 20 balls) also returned with dazzling cameos as South Africa racked up a gigantic 428/5 on the board – the highest team total in a 50-over World Cup match.
Cricket fraternity was left mesmerized by South African batters’ whirlwind display and showered rich praise on them via social media
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