Before the toss of the first ODI between India and South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30, renowned commentator Ravi Shastri stole the show with his humorous tinge. Shastri called the venue “Dhoni-bhoomi” in honor of his hometown MS Dhoni, which received a thunderous applause from the crowd.
In the opening match of the three-match series, stand-in captain KL Rahul misplayed the toss as Proteas skipper Aiden Markram chose to bowl first. The visiting team made some notable changes to their lineup and rested regular captain Temba Bavuma and senior spinner Keshav Maharaj.
We have come for the toss in Dhoni-land – Ravi Shastri delights MS Dhoni fans
At the time of toss in Ranchi, Ravi Shastri reminded everyone that the match was being held in MS Dhoni’s hometown. Shastri’s comments delighted fans who know how special the city is to Dhoni.
“We are in the state of Jharkhand, in Ranchi, home of the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni. And this is the venue for the first ODI between India and South Africa, because we have come to Dhoni’s land at the time of the toss,” Shastri said.
Toss proceedings disrupted by KL Rahul’s initial coin toss attempt
Had a funny moment with KL Rahul during the toss in Ranchi. As soon as he arrived at the center with Aiden Markram, he hugged the South African captain and quickly got ready to flip the coin. Rahul moved forward very quickly and tried to overturn it even before Ravi Shastri could finish introducing the two captains.
Shastri stopped and said to Rahul, “You have to hold on, KL,” which made Rahul smile as he waited for the signal. After completing his introduction, Shastri finally proceeded with the toss.
The toss fell in favor of South Africa. Markram decided to bowl first and Rahul knew the result immediately. Even before Markram spoke into the microphone, the Indian players knew that they would be batting.
This is a great opportunity to challenge our skills – KL Rahul
After ending up on the wrong side of the toss, KL Rahul said that he would prefer to bowl first. He said that the team’s preparation was solid. Rahul said the message within the group was to enjoy the game and make the most of every opportunity in the ODI setup.
“We would have bowled first as well. The preparation has been good, there is energy with a lot of players coming back, we want to have fun in the middle. That’s the conversation we’ve had, we need to use every opportunity we get in the ODI team, this is a great opportunity to challenge our skills against a very good team. We have three spinners and three fast bowlers today,” Rahul said.
India entered this match without its regular captain Shubman Gill. Rohit Sharma came out to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The team chose a balanced attack consisting of three fast bowlers and three spinners. Ruturaj Gaikwad was placed in the middle order, and Washington Sundar was expected to bat at number 5.
Also read: Virat Kohli tells BCCI about his future domestic cricket availability
Ravi Shastri caught everyone’s attention with ‘Dhoni-land’ comment during the toss in Ranchi, took a dig at ‘cheeky’ KL Rahul
Before the toss of the first ODI between India and South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30, renowned commentator Ravi Shastri stole the show with his humorous tinge. Shastri called the venue “Dhoni-bhoomi” in honor of his hometown MS Dhoni, which received a thunderous applause from the crowd.
In the opening match of the three-match series, stand-in captain KL Rahul misplayed the toss as Proteas skipper Aiden Markram chose to bowl first. The visiting team made some notable changes to their lineup and rested regular captain Temba Bavuma and senior spinner Keshav Maharaj.
We have come for the toss in Dhoni-land – Ravi Shastri delights MS Dhoni fans
At the time of toss in Ranchi, Ravi Shastri reminded everyone that the match was being held in MS Dhoni’s hometown. Shastri’s comments delighted fans who know how special the city is to Dhoni.
“We are in the state of Jharkhand, in Ranchi, home of the great Mahendra Singh Dhoni. And this is the venue for the first ODI between India and South Africa, because we have come to Dhoni’s land at the time of the toss,” Shastri said.
Toss proceedings disrupted by KL Rahul’s initial coin toss attempt
Had a funny moment with KL Rahul during the toss in Ranchi. As soon as he arrived at the center with Aiden Markram, he hugged the South African captain and quickly got ready to flip the coin. Rahul moved forward very quickly and tried to overturn it even before Ravi Shastri could finish introducing the two captains.
Shastri stopped and said to Rahul, “You have to hold on, KL,” which made Rahul smile as he waited for the signal. After completing his introduction, Shastri finally proceeded with the toss.
The toss fell in favor of South Africa. Markram decided to bowl first and Rahul knew the result immediately. Even before Markram spoke into the microphone, the Indian players knew that they would be batting.
This is a great opportunity to challenge our skills – KL Rahul
After ending up on the wrong side of the toss, KL Rahul said that he would prefer to bowl first. He said that the team’s preparation was solid. Rahul said the message within the group was to enjoy the game and make the most of every opportunity in the ODI setup.
“We would have bowled first as well. The preparation has been good, there is energy with a lot of players coming back, we want to have fun in the middle. That’s the conversation we’ve had, we need to use every opportunity we get in the ODI team, this is a great opportunity to challenge our skills against a very good team. We have three spinners and three fast bowlers today,” Rahul said.
India entered this match without its regular captain Shubman Gill. Rohit Sharma came out to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The team chose a balanced attack consisting of three fast bowlers and three spinners. Ruturaj Gaikwad was placed in the middle order, and Washington Sundar was expected to bat at number 5.
Also read: Virat Kohli tells BCCI about his future domestic cricket availability
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