The partnership between Jaiswal and Kohli finished unbeaten on 116 off just 84 balls (BCCI Photo)
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli finished the job for India after Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav put the breaks on South Africa earlier in the day, with the combined efforts of the players powering the hosts to a nine-wicket win in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam. India thus sealed a 2-1 win in the series, thus avoiding the blushes after having earlier been whitewashed 2-0 by South Africa in the preceding Test series.
Jaiswal on Saturday scored his maiden ODI century and his ninth overall in his international career as India chased down a target of 272 with 61 balls to spare. Kohli was at his brutal best as he blasted an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls. He thus finished with a whopping 302 runs in the series at an average of 151.00. Kohli hit the winning runs with a four off the last ball of the 40th over. Jaiswal, meanwhile, was not out on 116 off 121.
Jaiswal got to the century in 111 balls. The 23-year-old already has seven centuries in Test cricket and one in T20Is. This was only Jaiswal’s fourth appearance in ODIs though, a format in which he has had to wait to get a foothold in.
Jaiswal is now the sixth Indian to have scored centuries in all formats of men’s cricket and the 32nd overall. (BCCI Photo)
Jaiswal is now the sixth Indian to have scored centuries in all formats of men’s cricket and the 32nd overall. Meanwhile, Rohit scored 75 off 73 balls. In the process, he just the fourth Indian to go past 20,000 career runs in international cricket.
Earlier, India managed to pull things back after Quinton de Kock scored a dominant century. South Africa looked primed for a 300-plus total during De Kock and captain Temba Bavuma’s 113-run stand for the second wicket and when the former stepped up after the latter fell. However, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav wrestled back the early initiative gained by South Africa to dismiss them for 270 in 47.5 overs. Both bowlers finished with four-wicket hauls.
For a major part of their innings, South Africa appeared to take the same road India had taken in the first two ODIs at Ranchi and Raipur. It brought out wonderful match-ups and the gamble that the teams were willing to take in the decider. With Tony de Zorzi and Nander Burger ruled out, South Africa brought Ryan Rickelton at the top to combine with Quinton de Kock. It was the third different opening for Proteas this series as Aiden Markram, centurion in their previous outing, moved to No 5. It was a good gameplan, a shuffle that would allow batsmen with firepower to flex their muscles in search of those extra-runs to make up for dew while Markram was assigned to solidify when sandwiched between Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis. And having got the advantage to bowl first, India showed they were up for the cat and mouse game.
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