CHENNAI, India, Oct 8, (AP): Virat Kohli inspired India’s recovery from 2-3 in its reply to Australia’s below-par 199 all out to secure a six-wicket win for the host nation in its opening match at the Cricket World Cup on Sunday. Kohli hit 85 off 116 balls and delivered a calmly constructed fourth-wicket stand of 165 with KL Rahul (97 not out) as India reached 201-4 with 52 balls to spare in front of a passionate home crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Australia had taken three wickets in the first two overs to leave India in a perilous position before Kohli and Rahul came to the rescue in a meeting of two of the tournament favorites. After winning the toss, Australia - a five-time world champion - slumped after being 74-1 in the 17th over. Steve Smith was the top scorer with 46. South Africa rewrote Cricket World Cup batting records as they beat Sri Lanka by 102 runs, with three Proteas batters smashing centuries in their tournament opener. Aiden Markram (106) hit the World Cup’s fastest-ever century off 49 balls; Quinton de Kock, in his farewell international tournament, scored 100; and Rassie van der Dussen made 108 as South Africa amassed 428-5.

It was the first time three batters from the same team had scored centuries in a single innings of a World Cup game. Sri Lanka, which won the toss in New Delhi and chose to field, always lagged behind despite Kusal Mendis’ blistering 76 off 42 balls in the batting powerplay. Sri Lanka was dismissed for 326 in 44.5 overs. “Probably a blessing in disguise that we lost the toss,” South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said afterward. Markram’s belligerent knock surpassed Kevin O’Brien’s 50-ball century in Ireland’s famous win over England at the 2011 World Cup. The South African total was also the highest in a World Cup, surpassing Australia’s 417-6 against Afghanistan in 2015. De Kock and van der Dussen shared a 204-run second wicket stand after Bavuma was trapped leg before wicket by Dilshan Madushanka.

Sri Lanka, going into the World Cup without injured ace legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga, couldn’t stop the flow of runs either through pace or spin as de Kock and van der Dussen smashed 25 boundaries and five sixes between them. De Kock top-edged an easy catch at mid-on off Matheesha Pathirana a ball after he completed his century and van der Dussen also holed out at long-on soon after completing his century. It was all Markram’s brilliant power-hitting in the latter stage of South Africa’s innings as he cut loose soon after completing his half-century off 34 balls. He raised his next 50 off only 15 balls when he smacked Pathirana over square leg for a six in an over that went for 26 as all the Sri Lanka bowlers got a hammering. “I know what’s expected of me as a batter,” Markram said.

“Initially, you want to get a feel for the wicket and find out the options you can take and then back it.” Pathirarana (1-95) and Kasun Rajitha (1-90) went for plenty while Madushanka (2-86) and young left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage (1-81) also had a forgetful World Cup outing. Markram was dismissed after smashing 14 fours and three sixes in hot conditions as he holed out at long off before David Miller continued to push the scoring rate with a breezy unbeaten 39 off 21 balls. Chasing a huge target, Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka (68) finally ended a lean spell in ODIs with his first score of 50-plus since his century against India early this year while Charith Asalanka (79) was also among the runs before Sri Lanka got bowled out with more than five overs to spare. “We expected to keep them to 350-370, we thought it would be manageable given Asalanka and Mendis’ form but we couldn’t deal with the extra runs,” Shanaka said. Seamer Gerald Coetzee picked up 3-68 and spinner Keshav Maharaj took 2-62. Marco Jansen, who picked up two early wickets before being smashed around, had 2-92 as Mendis flicked the left-arm seamer for big sixes.