Chasing 270 in Rajkot, India lost the third game of the five-match ODI series by 18 runs to South Africa. After Quinton de Kock (103) and David Miller got South Africa off to a good start with a 72-run opening stand, the Indian bowlers restricted the Proteas to a 270 for seven with a more disciplined bowling performance in the latter half of the innings.
However, the target proved to be a stiff one for the hosts as the SA bowlers kept the Indian batsmen in check. While Rohit Sharma set up the chase with a 74-ball 65 and laid the foundation for the innings with a 72-run partnership with Virat Kohli, the SA bowlers bowled a tight line and strangled the flow of runs with good fielding. Back at No 3, Kohli negotiated the opposition bowlers and anchored the chase and was involved in an 80-run stand with MS Dhoni to keep India in the reckoning. With the required run rate climbing up the top-order perished taking the aerial route off Morne Morkel and the balance tipped in SA’s favour, who then held India to 252 for six to take 2-1 lead in the series.
Earlier, SA promoted Miller up the order to open the innings with de Kock in Rajkot. Opening the proceedings for India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a maiden up front but de Kock who hadn’t been amongst runs in tour chose the occasion to change his fortunes. While they kept the scoreboard moving with ones and twos, de Kock drove Mohit Sharma through the off-side to set the tone of the innings while his partner too slammed the bowler to the fence in his next.
As he looked to gain momentum, de Kock sent Bhuvneshwar sailing over backward square-leg for a six and later hit the bowler for back-to-back boundaries down the wicket. Miller too was gaining momentum and looked in good nick as he cut Amit Mishra for four but was sent back for 33 in the next over. Ajinkya Rahane pulled off a blinder at backward point to send him back to the pavilion.
Spinners operating from both ends kept the flow of runs in check as Hashim Amla joined de Kock in building the SA innings. However, Mishra drew out the No 3 batsman and had he stumped for a mere five. The opener, who was inching towards his half-century at the other end reached the mark with a single to long-on in the leg-spinner’s next with Faf du Plessis at the other end.
With de Kock scoring with ease, SA were moving forward at a steady pace while the middle-order bat looked to settle in. du Plessis, who has been in good nick so far on the tour however had a shaky outing in the middle. While on 16, he was done in by Mohit’s trademark back-of-the-hand delivery. He had hit it to long-on but survived as the bowler had over-stepped. Surviving tough chances in the middle the hard-hitting bat brought up his third successive fifty of the series. At the other end, de Kock sailed towards his century and brought-up the mark with a boundary through the off-side.
SA were comfortably placed 205 when the partnership was ended for 118 by Mohit. After hitting the pacer for two boundaries in the over, du Plessis perished mis-timing the ball; and Bhuvneshwar took the catch.
After ending the flourishing partnership, India continued to strike at regular intervals and reined in the South Africans who looked set for a total in excess of 300 runs.
With a little over 11 years left, SA’s prolific run-scorer AB de Villiers joined de Kock in the middle. However, five runs later, a mix-up in the middle resulted in the opener being run out. First ball of the next over, Axar Patel trapped de Villiers to leave the visitors on 210 for three.
With three quick wickets, India made their way back into the game as Farhaan Behardien joined JP Duminy in the middle.
With the Indian bowlers bowling a tight line, the South Africans had to run hard between the wickets to add to the tally. As the innings entered the last five overs, the visitors needed to accelerate to post a competitive total on the board. However, while looking to break the shackles Duminy departed hitting the ball to long-on where Raina took a good catch diving forward to leave SA on 214 for six. Dale Steyn, who then replaced him in the middle was run out for 12 with a ball still left in the innings. Behardien then ended the innings by lofting Bhuvneshwar over deep mid-wicket for six.
Rohit then got off the mark and opened India’s account with crisp boundary through point off Steyn. While he found the gaps with ease to maintain a steady flow of runs, Shikhar Dhawan got off to a circumspect start. The left-hand batsman then slammed Kagiso Rabada for successive boundaries to set the flow of his innings. However, the duo survived as SA didn’t hold on to tough chances early on as they worked to build a partnership.
However, with India on 41, Dhawan edged Morne Morkel to de Villiers behind the stumps and returned to the pavilion. Virat Kohli then joined Rohit in the middle. Watchfully the duo stitched a stand in an effort to close in on the target. As the partnership flourished, the opener brought up his fifty with a six over long-off of Imran Tahir. But a couple of overs later a low return catch by Duminy sent the elegant stroke-maker back for 65.
With India on 113 for two, Dhoni walked in to bat ahead of Ajinkya Rahane. The pair kept chipping away at the target as they worked their forward and built a stand. As they carried their chase forward, Kohli brought up his fifty with a single through covers Tahir.
Runs were not easy to come by as Kohli and Dhoni negotiated the SA bowlers. The required run rate crept up, but with two of India’s finest batsmen for a chase at the crease the match was precariously poised. With the South African fielders too on their toes, runs came in singles.
As pressure began to build, Dhoni smacked Duminy through covers for a boundary which came after around eight overs. The captain then hit the ball straight back at the bowler but it stung Duminy’s hands who couldn’t hold on to it.
With India needing 86 off 60 balls, and boundaries hard to come by, the batsmen continued to run hard between the wickets. With the match heading for a tight finish, Dhoni swung his bat around. He slammed Morkel over long on and while Behardien dove to pull off a catch the ball rolled over the ropes. However, the Indian captain departed handing a catch to short third-man off the next ball.
With 78 required off 49 balls, Raina joined Kohli in taking the chase forward. In pursuit of a second the top-order bat just made it to his crease then whacked the next Steyn delivery through cover. He claimed four more of Tahir in the next but, Raina looking to loft the spinner over long off was caught by Miller for zero.
With 55 runs required off the last five overs, Kohli took the aerial route against Morkel and was caught by Miller near the fence. The Morkel-Miller combo accounted for Rahane off the next ball. However, the tall pacer bowled the hat-trick ball wide and missed out on the landmark.
Harbhajan and Axar Patel the batted through the remaining overs but couldn’t take on the SA bowlers as India ended on the losing side.
Man of the Match : Morne Morkel for his four-wicket haul to bowl SA to victory.
