In the third and final ODI between South Africa and India at the Newlands, South Africa won a nail-biting thriller by five runs, and registering a historic 3-0 whitewash over India.
South Africa, batting first, lost Jaaneman Malan early to a Deepak Chahar delivery that was caught by Rishabh Pant. Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma stitched a 26-run partnership, before Bavuma was run-out thanks to a sharp throw from Indian captain, KL Rahul.
Aiden Markram, under pressure to score big runs for South Africa in the ODI format, scored 15 off 14 balls, after which he holed out to Ruturaj Gaikwad. At the other end, de Kock looked in fine form, as he scored boundaries at regular intervals, but needed a partner to dominate for a long period of time.
De Kock found a partner in Rassie van der Dussen, and they put up a partnership of 144 runs. De Kock was at his imperious best, and continued to add to his already impressive record against India. Hitting 12 boundaries and two sixes in his knock of 124 off 130 balls, de Kock put South Africa in the driver’s seat. Van der Dussen was equally impressive, scoring yet another fifty.
De Kock’s dismissal triggered a collapse, with South Africa losing three wickets for 14 runs. David Miller (39 off 38 balls) and Dwaine Pretorius (20 off 25 balls) stitched an important partnership of 44 runs, leading South Africa to 287 all out.
Given the manner in which de Kock and van der Dussen were batting, it appeared as if South Africa would score over 320 with remarkable ease, but 287 was still going to be a competitive total because India’s batting group has been misfiring through this series.
India, chasing 287 in 50 overs, lost KL Rahul to a Lungi Ngidi delivery for 9 off 10 balls. Once again, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli joined hands to build a partnership to rebuild India’s innings. Dhawan and Kohli put on a valuable 98-run partnership in which both batters impressed with regular boundaries, as well as aggressive rotation of strike.
Andile Phehlukwayo broke the partnership with an awkward bouncer that had Shikhar Dhawan top edge to Quinton de Kock. Rishabh Pant was dismissed off the next ball in the over, trying to assert his authority prematurely.
Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer put on a 38-run partnership, before Keshav Maharaj dismissed Kohli with a ball that seemed to stop on the wicket. Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav tried to rebuild again, stitching a 39-run partnership.
Sisanda Magala ended that partnership, dismissing Iyer for 26 off 34 balls. Yadav continued to display aggressive intent, but could not continue for long, given he was deceived by a Dwaine Pretorius variation, which he chipped into the air and comfortably into Temba Bavuma’s safe pair of hands.
Deepak Chahar came in at 7, when India looked all but defeated. Chahar, however, had other plans, as he took on the South African attack with a match-defining 54 off 34 balls.
He formed a potentially match-changing 55-run partnership with Jasprit BumrahIn particular, two consecutive sixes off Dwaine Pretorius swung the momentum in India’s favour, followed by a 14-run over off Lungi Ngidi.
Ultimately, it took a slower ball from Ngidi when India required 10 off 14 balls that Chahar was dismissed.
Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo were South Africa’s standout bowlers, picking three wickets each. Dwaine Pretorius, Sisanda Magala, and Keshav Maharaj picked one wicket each.
