South Africa has won the third and the final ODI at Newlands in Cape Town by a narrow margin of 4 runs and completed a series whitewash against India. Earlier in the game, the stand-in Indian skipper, KL Rahul won the toss again and decided to bowl first citing the recent ODI results at the venue.
India made as many as four changes in the playing XI as compared to the second ODI as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, and Venkatesh Iyer were replaced by Prasidh Krishna, Jayant Yadav, Deepak Chahar, and Suryakumar Yadav. After being asked to bat first the hosts had lost a couple of wickets in the 10 overs itself, however, Quinton de Kock made a solid partnership with Rassie van der Dussen for the 4th wicket, as the southpaw scored his 17th century as well.
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After the crucial wicket of Aiden Markram in the 13th over. However, after the wickets of De Kock and Van der Dussen in back-to-back overs to Japrit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal, South Africa lost the plot and eventually got bundled out for 287. David Miller played a decent knock of 39 to take the team to a defendable score, but he eventually perished in the final over.
During the chase of 288 runs, India suffered an early loss of KL Rahil in the first 4 overs itself, but Virat Kohli and Shikhar made a solid partnership of 98 runs for the second wicket, before Dhawan getting dismissed by Andile Phehlukwayo, even Rishabh Pant got out in the same over going for an audacious shot.
Virat Kohli then tried a partnership with Shreyas Iyer but he got out in the 32 over. Iyer and Surya Kumar Yadav built a partnership of 39 runs but Shreyas failed against and gifted in the 38th over followed by Yadav getting dismissed and left India reeling at 210/6. Then, from the 43rd over, Deepak Chahar took control of the proceedings as he calculated his shots well and got some apt support from Jasprit Bumrah during their 55-run partnership which turned the game on its head.
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But when India needed 10 runs from the last three overs, Chahar hoicked one in the air only to lose his wicket. Nothing went in India’s way after that as Yuzvendra Chahal got out off the second ball of the final over and eventually India fell only four runs short in the end to concede a whitewash in the ODI series.
Here is how the cricketing fraternity reacted to the thrilling game:
If the batting all-rounder isn’t available in the country, please try to groom the bowling all-rounders. Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur have put their hands up in style. #SAvInd
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 23, 2022
Pant is the lottery India will win big some day. We must show patience.
(Can't hide the fact that I love watching him on the field).
— KSR (@KShriniwasRao) January 23, 2022
Chahal ya can’t play that shot 🤣🙃#SAvsIND
— Tino95 (@tinobest) January 23, 2022
waiting for king @imVkohli hundred 🥰 pic.twitter.com/6KjBegDvrQ
— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) January 23, 2022
#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/RyHYoaCfap
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) January 23, 2022
With the tour done & dusted,
And some key players set to return in Feb, I hope there'll be a turnaround
Not because it's WI or SL but it's the need of the hour for the morale of this side ..
I hope we don't ridicule our home series wins from now on#SAvIND— Rahul Kumar (@rahulk_10_19) January 23, 2022
https://twitter.com/cricket_buddy1/status/1485296639782785024?s=20
Rishabh pant's attitude cost this match for India. Even a 50 strike rate partnership must have helped India home #SAvIND
— Ezhil Thalapathi (@EzhilThalapathi) January 23, 2022
We have slipped into our habit of the nineties and pre Dada as captain era. We lose games from winning positions and crumble. It will take some effort building from here on. #SAvIND #starsportsindia @StarSportsIndia
— Rajit Desai (@rajitd) January 23, 2022
A tour that promised so much but finished in disappointment. Loads to reflect on going into the world cups and the test championship. #SAvIND #TeamIndia
— Daivik Joshi (@djdaivik) January 23, 2022
Haardik Pandya us over rated ! Team India must invest in shardul Thakur and Deepak chahar!!#SAvIND
— ®ahul Sinha🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@i_rahsinha) January 23, 2022
