South Africa vs India 2018: 1st ODI, 5 things we learnt from the match

#4 Sublime du Plessis slams ninth ODI hundred

du Plessis survived a sore back to take South Africa to a competitive total

It isn't often that Faf du Plessis starts off with a bang. Quite often the South African skipper has been criticised for his tendency to get bogged down at the wicket, particularly in the One Dayers. None of that was visible at Durban in the first ODI against India as he kicked off his innings with three delightful boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The stability and the composure that he brings to the crease was evident in the absence of AB de Villiers, as he kept his cool even as wickets tumbled around him. When Kohli dozed off for a few overs and let Chris Morris settle in at the crease, du Plessis knew it was time for payback. He rallied along the maverick all-rounder and the duo put on 74 in quick time to bring the Proteas back into the game.

After Morris departed, du Plessis found a reasonable ally in Andile Phehlukwayo and the skipper went on to play his shots, racing to a fabulous hundred in the process.