SA sink India with 438, clinch first ODI series on Indian soil
Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and skipper AB de Villiers smashed spectacular centuries as South Africa hammered India by 214 runs in the fifth and final One-Day International at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. The 3-2 series victory was South Africa’s first bilateral ODI trophy success in five attempts on Indian soil.
Brief scores: South Africa 438-4 in 50 overs (Q de Kock 109, F du Plessis 133 retd hurt, AB de Villiers 119) bt India 224 in 36 overs (S Dhawan 60, A Rahane 87, D Steyn 3-38, K Rabada 4-41).
Left-handed opener de Kock hit 109 (87b, 17x4, 1x6), du Plessis smashed a career-best 133 (retd hurt, 115b, 9x4, 6x6) and AB de Villiers thumped a 61-ball 119 with three fours and 11 towering sixes as the visitors ran up 438-4 after opting to bat first. It was the joint third highest-ever score in One-Day Internationals, and ensured the hosts were batted out of the contest.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan (60) and Ajinkya Rahane (87) struck fifties for the hosts, who finished at 224 all out in 35.5 overs. But the target, the highest faced by India ever, was clearly out of their reach after they lost opener Rohit Sharma (16), playing his first ODI at his hometown, and Virat Kohli (7) early in the chase.The margin of defeat was India’s biggest.
On a day when records tumbled, opener Hashim Amla (23) became the fastest (123 innings, 126 matches) to reach 6,000 ODI runs before edging behind off seamer Mohit Sharma.
Man of the Match de Kock hit his second century of the series, the fifth against India and the eighth of his career as he put on 154 for the second wicket with du Plessis, who smashed a career-best 133 for his fifth ODI ton before retiring hurt due to severe bouts of cramps.
De Kock was caught at long off by Virat Kohli giving off-spinner Suresh Raina the charge, but the partnership set the base for a de Villiers special, and the South African skipper plundered his third fastest century (57b) for the 23rd ton of his career.
Man of the Series de Villiers, who struck his second straight century, brought up the team’s 200 and 300 with sixes as he put on 164 with du Plessis, who smashed left-arm spinner Axar Patel for three sixes in one over before retiring hurt. Du Plessis had reprieves at 45 and 85.
De Villiers fell at the score of 398, caught behind off pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as the visitors raced from 300 to 400 in just 43 balls. South Africa is the only team to have three centurions in a single ODI innings twice. De Villiers was part of both.
Five of the seven bowlers used by India went for over 60 runs, with seamer Kumar the highest at 106. The innings saw 20 sixes and 38 boundaries, totaling 272 runs.
Dhawan regained touch with a fifty and shared in an 112-run stand for the third wicket with in-form Rahane who scored a gritty half century. Fast bowler Dale Steyn dismissed Rahane caught at deep mid-wicket on reintroduction, after fast bower, Kagiso Rabada returned to send back Dhawan and Suresh Raina, as the pace pair shared seven wickets.
The two teams will meet for a four-Test series starting November 5.
