With a 35-run win against South Africa in Chennai, India leveled the five-match ODI series 2-2.
In the must win game against the Proteas, Virat Kohli helped the hosts to 299 for eight with a determined 138 to set up the match. He was involved in a 104-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane to set the stage for a big total, followed by a 127-run partnership with Suresh Raina. However, Dale Steyn (3/61) and Kagiso Rabada (3/54) conceded only 18 runs as SA picked four wickets in last four overs to rein India in.
While Quinton de Kock got the visitors off to a good start, AB de Villiers anchored the chase with a valiant century. However, the Harbhajan Singh-led attack utilised the spin friendly conditions to keep the visitors in check. They plugged the flow of runs to build up the pressure and struck at regular intervals to restrict SA to 264 for nine and bowl India to victory.
Defending the competitive total, Mohit Sharma gave the hosts their first breakthrough with the wicket of Hashim Amla with SA on 36. The opener hit the pacer straight to mid-wicket to depart for seven. However, Quinton de Kock continued to milk the pacers to score at a brisk pace. With Faf du Plessis he had taken the visitors to 62 for one in nine overs.
With SA cruising along, Dhoni deployed spinners from both ends and Harbhajan and Axar Patel curbed the flow of runs. In his second over Harbhajan forced an edge from de Kock through to the slips, and Rahane pounced on the catch.
Couple of overs later, Patel claimed the crucial wicket of du Plessis. The ball brushed past the bat was caught by Dhoni behind the wickets. Utilising the assistance offered by the wicket, the Indian spinners applied breaks on the SA innings. Nine runs later, Harbhajan had David Miller lbw to leave the opposition on 88 for four.
While de Villiers looked to rebuild the innings with Farhaan Behardien, Dhoni introduced Amit Mishra into the attack. But the SA batsmen kept the bowlers at bay and plodded their way towards the target. They ran risky singles as they kept the scorecard ticking. With the score on 144, Behardien survived a caught behind appeal off Mishra but two balls later he was trapped lbw by the leg-spinner.
With half the side back in the pavilion and the asking rate creeping up de Villiers had his task cut out for him. He found an able ally in Chris Morris and the pair had added 41 runs for the sixth wicket at a good pace until Rahane ran the latter out with a direct hit. Looking to get the strike, de Villiers had ran asked for single, but Morris, who had survived an lbw appeal couldn’t make it to the crease in time.
de Villiers rallied on and hit Mishra for a straight six to reach his century. But while looking to pull a short ball from Bhuvneshwar, he departed nicking it to the wicketkeeper leaving the team on 233 for seven. In his next the pacer accounted for Aaron Phangiso. A ball later, Dale Steyn swung his bat and was caught by Rahane.
Facing an impossible task, Imran Tahir and Kagiso Rabada plodded on until SA completed their quota of overs.
Earlier, Rohit Sharma looked in good nick as he sent Rabada over mid-wicket for four in the second over. However, after scoring 21 off India’s 28 runs, Rohit departed hitting Morris towards midwicket where du Plessis took the catch.
Couple of overs later, Shikhar Dhawan departed edging Rabada and de Kock took a diving catch to leave India on 35 for two.
With both the openers back in the dressing room early, Kohli set about the task of repairing the innings with Rahane. The pair ensured a steady flow of runs with singles even as they dispatched the ball to the boundary at regular intervals. While the No 3 lofted Phangiso over long-off for six, the No 4 took Steyn on. Rahane smacked the ace pacer for two boundaries through the point region to get the momentum going and continued to milk the bowlers as the partnership blossomed.
The Kohli-Rahane partnership seized the momentum from SA as they laid a solid foundation for a good total. Both batsmen were on song as they found the gaps and upped the ante. Crisp drives to lofted shots, an array of shots was on display as the duo built the innings until Steyn ended the partnership. The fast bowler forced an edge from Rahane through to the wicketkeeper to send him back for 45.
Kohli then continued to plunder runs off the SA attack with Raina. The singles, some risky continued to add to India’s tally as they carried the innings forward. The top-order bat whacked Imran Tahir straight down the ground to get into the 90s as he looked to set up the game for the hosts.
India’s fourth wicket stand took shape as Kohli and Raina gleaned runs off the SA attack to take India past the 200-run mark. In the next over, the top-order bat reached the three-figure mark with a six over long-on off Phangiso.
With wickets in hand, Kohli and Raina launched into the SA attack as the innings inched towards the last ten overs even as they ran hard between the wickets. The No 3 lofted Tahir over mid-wicket for six, while Raina slammed Steyn to the fence in his next to take India past 250.
With the momentum on their side, the Indian batsmen took their chances as they worked to post a stiff target for the visitors. Raina, who took the aerial route off Tahir on 46 survived as AB de Villiers running in towards mid-off couldn’t take the catch. The left-hand batsman then reached his fifty with a single to long-on later in the over. Continuing to take their chances the pair carried on in to the death overs. However, while looking to accelerate, Raina perished hitting Steyn to mid-wicket.
With India on 266 for four, Dhoni joined Kohli in the middle and got off the mark with a boundary on the leg side. But 25 runs later, Rabada had the centurion nick the ball to the ‘keeper and was on a hat-trick with the wicket of Harbhajan off the next. However, Patel denied the pacer a third wicket and got off the mark with two runs. Steyn then accounted for Dhoni with the short ball in the last over while Bhuvneshwar Kumar was run out off the last ball.
Complementing Steyn, Rabada helped keep the hosts in check in the death overs ensuring they didn’t cross the 300-run mark.
Man of the Match: Virat Kohli for his 138 to put India in a advantageous position
