'Ro-Ko' carnival continues, Jaiswal gets maiden ODI ton as India win series against South Africa

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 6 (ANI): A sensational maiden ODI ton by opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and stunning half-centuries from senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli crushed South Africa, with Team India chasing 271 runs in just 39.5 overs with nine wickets in hand.

India clinched the ODI series 2-1. A powerful century from Quinton de Kock (106 in 89 balls, with eight fours and six sixes) took the Proteas to 270 runs, with four-wickets coming from Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna each.

The Indian top-order took the onus and matched Quinton de Kock with Rohit (75 in 73 balls (seven fours and three sixes), becoming the fourth Indian batter with 20,000 international runs. Jaiswal (116* in 121 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes) pressed the accelarator to become India's sixth all-format centurion and Virat (65* in 45 balls, with six fours and three sixes) continued his fine in the series.

Virat Kohli, with 302 runs (two centuries and a fifty), was the highest scorer in the series, and Kuldeep with nine wickets (two four-fers) bagged most wickets.

Chasing 271 runs, Indian openers Yashasvi and Rohit started really well. Extra runs once again became Proteas' weakness, as Marco Jansen gave seven extra runs via wides in the first over itself. At the end of the first three overs, India had scored 10 runs, with seven of them being extras.

In the fourth over against Lungi Ngidi, Rohit collected the first boundary of the innings over backward point.

Rohit and Jaiswal continued collecting odd boundaries every over, with Rohit ending the 10th over with an elegant sweep for four over square leg. India was 48/0, with Rohit (20*) and Jaiswal (19*) unbeaten.

India completed their 50-run mark in 10.1 overs.

Rohit continued to collect boundaries effortlessly, having become the fourth Indian batter to have reached the 20,000 run mark in international cricket. Soon after, he reached his fourth half-century in the past six innings in 54 balls, with six fours and a six. India reached the 100-run mark in 19.4 overs. This was the 35th 100-run partnership Rohit was involved in ODIs, a number only surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar (40).

Jaiswal reached his maiden fifty in 75 balls, with three fours and a six and gained some confidence, as seen by two successive boundaries against Ngidi, one a pull and the other a loft, soon after that.

Ottneil Baartman's 25th over was a run-feast for India, as Rohit-Jaiswal hit him for three boundaries, with the left-handed Jaiswal being the aggressor. India was 150-runs up in 25 overs.

SA managed to get their breakthrough courtesy of spinner Keshav Maharaj, who lured Rohit into slog-sweeping, but the batter found an athletic Matthew Breetzke, who came running from deep-midwicket. India was 155/1 in 25.5 overs.

It was cheers all over the ground as Virat Kohli entered the crease. Jaiswal had switched to T20I mode, collecting boundaries against spin and even two of them against Jansen in the 31st over and moved into the 90s.

Courtesy of a double from Virat, India reached the 200-run mark in 33 overs. Virat also continued to give the crowd reasons to cheer, with a trademark cover-drive against Jansen and then a short-arm jab for four and a straight six over long-on in Bosch's 34th over.

Jaiswal completed his innings of two halves, accelerating to reach his century in just 111 balls, with 10 fours and a six, becoming the sixth batter to become an all-format centurion for India.

After Jaiswal, Virat took his turn to give the Indians some more cheers, smashing a couple of authoritative pulls against Bosch and drilling Baartman down the ground for his third fifty-plus score of the series, in just 40 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes, and immediately following it with a whip over deep mid-wicket.

A 100-run partnership came in just 78 balls.

The duo finished off the game easily, with Virat ending the chase with two incredible fours in 39.5 overs. India was at 271/1, with Jaiswal (116* in 121 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes) and Kohli (65* in 45 balls, with six fours and three sixes) unbeaten.

Keshav was the sole wicket-taker for SA.

Earlier, the Proteas scored 270 runs in 47.5 overs, with Quinton de Kock playing a fantastic knock of 106 runs off 89 balls, which included eight fours and six maximums. For India, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna picked four wickets each.

After being asked to bat first, South Africa started their innings on a poor note. The visitors lost their opener, Ryan Rickelton, for a four-ball duck in the very first over. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh removed Rickelton with KL Rahul taking an easy catch behind the stumps. SA was 1/1 in 0.5 overs.

After Rickelton's departure, de Kock and captain Temba Bavuma played attacking cricket, easing the pressure on South Africa. De Kock scored two consecutive boundaries against speedster Harshit Rana during the fourth over.

Captain Bavuma completed 2000 runs in ODI cricket during the 10th over. Bavuma, aged 35 years and 203 days, became the oldest South African batter to reach the 2,000 ODI runs milestone. Rassie van der Dussen did it when he was 34.

With this landmark, Bavuma also became the joint-fourth quickest South African batter to reach 2,000 ODI runs in terms of innings, accomplishing the feat in 53 innings. Ahead of him are Hashim Amla (40 innings), Rassie van der Dussen (45 innings), and Gary Kirsten (50 innings). He was tied with Quinton de Kock (53 innings).

After the end of the first power play, South Africa reached 42/1. In the very next over, Prasidh Krishna conceded 18 runs after de Kock hammered the Indian pacer for two sixes and a four.

De Kock completed his half-century during the 16th over. He reached the milestone in 49 deliveries. It was de Kock's ninth 50-plus score against India in ODIs.

Quinton and Bavuma stitched a 100-run stand for the second wicket as South Africa reached 104/1 in 20 overs.

During the last ball of the 21st over, Ravindra Jadeja provided the much-needed breakthrough. The left-arm spinner removed dangerous Bavuma for 48 runs, and the century stand was also broken. SA was 114/2 in 21 overs.

De Kock, on the other hand, continued his aggressive approach. Matthew Breetzke made his intention clear after he slammed two huge sixes to Tilak Varma during the 26th over.

During the 29th over, Krishna, who was expensive in his first two overs, got the breakthrough after he removed Breetzke for 24 runs. The Proteas batter was adjudged LBW. Krishna did not stop here as he removed Aiden Markram (1) in the same over, picking two wickets. The Proteas slumped to 170/4 in 30 overs.

In the very next over, de Kock reached his seventh ODI hundred. It was his seventh ODI hundred against India, the most by a designated wicketkeeper-batter against an opposition.

De Kock's stay at the crease ended after Krishna cleaned him up during the fifth ball of the 33rd over. The veteran batter made 106 runs off 89 balls.

After de Kock's wicket, Indian bowlers started bowling tight lines as South Africa reached 234/5 in 39 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav, who was bowling the 40th over, dented South Africa with two wickets in an over. The leg spinner removed Dewald Brevis (29 in 29 balls, with two fours and a six) and Marco Jansen (17 in 15 balls, with two fours) as the visitors slumped to 241/7 in 41 overs.

Kuldeep got his fourth after he removed Corbin Bosch, whereas Prasidh Krishna picked up the final wicket of Ottneil Baartman as South Africa were bundled out for 270 runs in 47.5 overs.

Arshdeep Singh (1/36), Prasidh Krishna (4/66), Ravindra Jadeja (1/50) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/41) were the wicket takers.

Brief Score: South Africa 270 (Quinton de Kock 106, Temba Bavuma 48, Prasidh Krishna 4/66, Kuldeep Yadav 4/41) lost to India: 271/1 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 116*, Rohit Sharma 75, Keshav Maharaj 1/44). (ANI)

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