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India's Virat Kohli , left, chats with India's Harshit Rana during the first One Day International match between India and South Africa in Ranchi, India, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo)
India lost the second One-Day International to South Africa by a margin of four wickets at Raipur to level the series 1-1. For India, the game had seen their long streak of lost tosses continue as skipper KL Rahul oversaw the Men in Blue lose their 20th toss in a row in ODIs. After winning the toss, South Africa had opted to bowl first where India plundered 358 runs, but it was still not enough.
Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar pointed out how losing the spin of the coin had been the writing on the wall for the Indian team.
“It (the toss) was crucial. Just look at how wet the outfield was. Apart from perhaps the first half-dozen overs, the ball was always going to get wet. That affects not just the bowlers but the fielders too, you can’t get a proper grip. The ball feels like a bar of soap. Even when you try for a strong return to effect a run out, it slips out of your hand. That’s why if you win the toss in Indian conditions, you always want to bowl first, so you don’t have to deal with a wet ball when defending. So yes, the toss made a big difference,” Gavaskar said on JioHotstar after the game.
India’s captain KL Rahul, right, flips coin for the toss as South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram looks on during the first One Day International match between India and South Africa in Ranchi, India, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo)
After their defeat, India captain Rahul had also joked about kicking himself for losing his second spin of the coin in a row.
“A (tough one to swallow) given how much dew there is and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation. “Thought we did well in the last game. Today the umpires were nice to change the ball. Toss plays a big role so I’m kicking myself for losing 2 tosses in a row (laughs).”
When asked if there were areas where India could have done better, Rahul joked: “yeah, win the toss”. Then he admitted there were areas where India could have done better but were waylaid by the wet ball.
“With the bat, I know that 350 looks good, but that has been the chat in the dressing room even after the last game about how we can get the extra 20-25 runs to give bowlers a cushion with the wet ball,” he said.
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