A four-wicket haul from spinner Kuldeep Yadav and vital contributions from other Indian bowlers powered India to defeat South Africa by seven wickets in the third and final ODI of the series here on Tuesday.
India won the series 2-1. South Africa were bowled out for a paltry 99 in 27.1 overs. Kuldeep Yadav was the pick of the bowlers as he scalped four wickets for 18 runs. He was ably assisted by Washington Sundar (2/15) and Mohammad Siraj (2/17). Shahbaz Ahmed also took two wickets and gave away 32 runs. Heinrich Klaasen scored 34 runs, but none of the other batters could stay long on the crease. India comfortably chased the target in 19.1 overs, with opener Shubman Gill (49) and Shreyas Iyer (28*) making major contributions.
India got off to a solid start as Shubman Gill feasted on the pace of Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, hitting them for some delightful boundaries.
Shikhar Dhawan was more cautious, though he also hit a stylish cover drive. The 42-run opening stand came to an end after Dhawan was run out by wicketkeeper-batter Quinton De Kock and Marco Jansen after a mix-up between the batters. Dhawan had made 8 runs in 14 balls.
Ishan Kishan joined Gill at the crease and the team reached the fifty-run mark in 9.3 overs. At the end of the power play in 10 overs, India were 53/1 with Gill (31*) and Kishan (6*).
Spinner Bjorn Fortuin ended Kishan’s stay at the crease as he nicked the ball to keeper De Kock for 10 runs of 18 balls. India was 65/2 at this point.
Shreyas Iyer joined Gill and hit some impressive strokes, smashing Anrich Nortje for a six and Fortuin for two straight four-run hits.
With three runs left for India to win the match, pacer Lungi Ngidi trapped Gill lbw for 49, which came of 57 balls.
Sanju Samson joined Iyer in the crease and levelled the scores with a take of two runs. Iyer finished the match with a huge six, taking India to 105/3.
Proteas wickets came from Ngidi (1/21) and Fortuin (1/20), but it was not enough.
Earlier, Indian bowlers justified the decision of their captain, Shikhar Dhawan, to field as they bundled out South Africa for just 99.
As the Proteas lost their first wicket for 7, Washington Sundar took the prized scalp of wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock for 6.The other opener, Janneman Malan, too, did not last long as pacer Mohammed Siraj dismissed him for 15 and India lost their second wicket with only 25 runs on the board.
Siraj struck again in his next over, dismissing Reeza Hendricks for three runs, as the Proteas lost their third wicket in the first ten overs of the mandatory powerplay with only 26 runs on the board.
Aiden Markram too failed to deliver as slow left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed dismissed him for 9, stumped by Sanju Samson. South Africa scratched their way to the 50-run mark in 17.1 overs. Sundar cleaned up skipper David Miller for seven runs as the visitors lost half their side for 66.
Kuldeep Yadav too joined the party, dismissing Andile Phehlukwayo as the visitors lost their sixth wicket for 71. Heinrich Klaasen was the only batter who was showing some fight, but he also perished for 34 off 42 balls by Shahbaz, who got his second scalp in the match.
Bjorn Fortuin became the second scalp of Kuldeep Yadav as he was dismissed leg before wicket to leave the visitors tottering at 94 for 8. In the next ball, the Chinaman bowler cleaned up Anrich Nortje for a duck.
Marco Jansen became his fourth victim of Kuldeep as he was caught in the boundary line by Avesh Khan to bundle out South Africa for 99 in just 27.1 overs. The 27-year-old UP bowler finished with figures of 4/18.
Shahbaz Ahmed also took 2 wickets for 32 runs.
