The spin trio of Washington Sundar (2/15), Shahbaz Ahmed (2/32) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/18) picked the right length on the slow Kotla pitch to bundle out South Africa for 99, the lowest ODI against Proteas. The match was India.
The home team’s batsmen, led by Shubman Gill (49), chased down the target of 100 runs in 19.1 overs.
The series defeat further jeopardized South Africa’s chances of qualifying directly for next year’s ODI World Cup.
Fast bowler Mohammad Siraj (2/17) also continued his good run and made a strong claim to be included in the T20 World Cup squad.
While Washington and Shahbaz took wickets in front, left-arm spinner Kuldeep, who missed a hat-trick, cleaned the tail.
The quality of the Indian white-ball team was on full display in the series as the second string team came from behind to win the three-match series 2–1.
Chasing a small score, opener Gill attacked the South African bowlers with the very first ball while skipper Shikha Dhawan played the second fiddle.
The Indians, looking in a hurry to finish the match, lost some momentum after the wickets of Dhawan, who continued his dismal performance in the series and was run out for eight, and Ishan Kishan (10).
However, Shreyas Iyer (28 not out) continued his stellar run as he hit three fours and two sixes, including a match-winning maximum, to guide India to victory after Gill was trapped leg with three runs needed Went.
Earlier, the South African batsmen, who came to bat, failed to impress by falling like ninepins.
Quinton de Kock (6) was the first to perish as he half-heartedly cut the ball past Avesh Khan at backward point, giving Washington his first wicket.
India got their second wicket when Reeza Hendrix (3) was trapped before leg, but the South African took a review in the seventh over to overturn the umpire’s decision.
Janaman Malan (15) hit Siraj for three boundaries in his successive overs before the pacer could get rid of the opener as he tried to play a pull shot.
South Africa’s batsmen continued to struggle and looked out of color as Siraj claimed his second when he got Hendricks (3).
Aiden Makram (9), with 19 balls in between, became Shahbaz Ahmed’s first victim as he dismissed it to keeper Sanju Samson.
The visitors scored 50 runs in 17.1 overs, but India were on top of the visitors.
The captain was joined by David Miller (7) and Heinrich Klaasen in the middle, but he too could not make a mark as he was bowled, the ball slipped round the wicket to clip outside off-stump.
Brought into the attack in the 20th over, Kuldeep also joins the party as Andile Phehlukwayo fails to read his googly.
Klaasen and freshman Marco Jensen put on a 22-run partnership that included a four and a six to take South Africa close to 100 runs.
First, Jensen charges the pitch for six overs long on, a few balls later Klaasen hits a boundary but is dismissed by Shahbaz.
Kuldeep then cleared the lower order with three wickets as South Africa were bowled out in 27.1 overs.
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