Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], December 3 : Aiden Markram's 98-ball 110 and brilliant fifties from Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis powered South Africa to a four-wicket victory over India in the second ODI at Raipur on Wednesday.
With this win, the series is level at 1-1.
After centuries from Ruturaj Gaikwad (105 in 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes) and Virat Kohli (102 in 93 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) and a half-century from skipper KL Rahul (66* in 43 balls, with six fours and two sixes) took India to 358/5, Markram responded with a classy 98-ball 110, with 10 fours and four sixes and got brilliant support from Breetzke (68 in 64 balls, with five fours) and Brevis (54 in 34 balls, with a four and five sixes).
Some sloppy fielding, catch drops and a poor spell of 8.2 overs by pacer Prasidh Krishna in which he conceded 82 runs, became the point of difference.
During the run-chase of 359 runs, Proteas looted a flurry of boundaries in the first three overs, including three by Aiden Markram in Harshit Rana's second over.
However, the promising stand was cut short at 26 runs, with Washington Sundar taking the catch and Arshdeep Singh getting QDK's wicket for just eight runs in the fifth over.
Skipper Temba Bavuma came at number three, and the duo took SA to the 50-run mark in 9.4 overs.
Markram and Bavuma continued gathering an odd boundary every over against spin, getting their 50-run stand in just 54 balls.
Markram reached his fifty in 52 balls, with six fours and a six.
Markram was dropped by Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 18th over, bowled by Kuldeep Yadav, taking SA to the 100-run mark with a massive six.
At the end of 20 overs, SA was cruising at 118/1, with Markram (64*) and Bavuma (40*) unbeaten.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna broke the 101-run stand courtesy an easy catch by Harshit at deep square leg. Bavuma fell short of his fifty, at 46 in 48 balls, with three fours and a six. SA was 127/2 in 20.5 overs.
Markram seemed to be on a mission to remind India of how missing his catch could cost them. He and Matthew Breetzke continued getting boundaries against pace, taking SA beyond the 150-run mark in 24.4 overs.
Hitting Jadeja for a four and six in the 27th over, Markram reached his 4th ODI ton and first as an opener. It came in just 88 balls, with nine fours and four sixes.
Just before SA could touch the 200-run mark, Harshit struck for India, removing Markram for a 98-ball 110, with 10 fours and four sixes. SA was 197/3 in 30 overs after a fine catch from Ruturaj Gaikwad at long-on.
SA reached the 200-run mark in 31.1 overs.
Dewald Brevis and Breetzke feasted on India's pacers. Prasidh's 37th over was a poor one, costing India 16 runs. After starting off the over by being hit for a six by Brevis, he delivered a wide and then two runs on what turned out to be a no ball, making it ten runs within a legal delivery. A Breetzke four took SA to 250-run mark in 36.3 overs.
There was no stopping Breetzke as he brought up his sixth ODI fifty in 49 balls, with four boundaries. This was his seventh fifty-plus score in 11 innings.
The 39th over by Harshit Rana cost India big as two massive back-to-back sixes by Brevis and a wide led to Proteas looting 16 runs. Brevis started the next over with s a six too, completing his maiden ODI fifty in 33 balls, with one four and five sixes.
Kuldeep Yadav, however, had the last laugh, getting him caught near the boundary by Jaiswal on the next ball. SA was 289/4 in 41.4 overs.
SA reached the 300-run mark in 42.1 overs, and Tony de Zorzi finished Kuldeep's over with a six. The Proteas were left with 48 runs to chase down.
Prasidh removed Breetzke for a 64-ball 68 (with five fours), trapping him leg-before-wicket. Proteas' half side was back in the hut, with 42 left to chase in 37 balls and plenty of firepower left.
Soon, Arshdeep also took the key wicket of Marco Jansen, caught by Gaikwad while going for a straight hit at two runs. SA was 322/6 in 44.3 overs.
Tony de Zorzi walked off the field after his 11-ball 17, leaving India with two wickets to get, with Zorzi and Nandre Burger unavailable to bat, at the score of 332.
Proteas continued to fight nonetheless, bringing down the deficit to eight runs in the final two overs. The equation came down to three runs in the final over. The final over was bowled by Prasidh, and he gave away two runs on the first ball. SA completed the chase, finishing at 362/6 in 50 overs, with Keshav Maharaj (10*) and Bosch (25*) unbeaten.
Arshdeep Singh (2/54) was the top bowler for India, but some poor overs from Harshit Rana (1/70 in 10 overs) and Prasidh (1/82 in 8.2 overs) costed India the game.
Earlier, Ruturaj (105 in 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes) and Virat (102 in 93 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) had a 195-run stand for the third wicket, while KL Rahul (66* in 43 balls, with six fours and two sixes) also had a fine partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (24*) towards the end, taking India past the 350-run mark as India posted 358/5 in 50 overs.
After being put to bat first again by the Proteas, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal started off with a first-ball four against Nandre Burger. But the pace duo of Lungi Ngidi and Burger were generous with the extra runs, producing six wides within the second and third overs, with Ngidi throwing four of them in the second over.
In the fifth over, Rohit collected a hat-trick of fours against Burger, with two of them being thick outside edges. However, after three successive fifty-plus scores, the law of averages caught up with him as the pacer trapped him leg-before-wicket for 14 in eight balls. India was 40/1 in 4.5 overs.
Virat Kohli was up next and continued from where he had left at Ranchi, getting off the mark with a brilliant swivel pull for a six to end the sixth over. In the next over, Jaiswal unleashed a pull against Burger, bringing up the 50-run mark in 6.5 overs.
Once again, Jaiswal threw away a start, not getting the right amount of elevation while going for a pull shot, succumbing to a left-arm pacer, Burger, yet again, with Corbin Bosch taking the catch at square leg to remove him for 22 in 38 balls, with two fours and a six. India was 62/2 in 9.4 overs.
India ended the 10 overs at 66/2, with Ruturaj Gaikwad (4*) and Virat (13*) unbeaten.
With Ruturaj gaining some confidence with a four and six, India steadily moved to the 100-run mark in 15.3 overs. The duo completed their 50-run stand in 55 balls, putting on a fine masterclass of strike rotation, with Virat finding an odd boundary in between.
India reached the 150-run mark in 23.4 overs, courtesy of a fine boundary from Ruturaj.
Ruturaj completed his second ODI fifty in 52 balls, with four boundaries and a six. In the next over, Virat completed his half-century too, in 47 balls, with three fours and a six.
Halfway through their innings, India were standing at 158/2, with both Ruturaj and Virat unbeaten at 51* each.
In the 26th over, Keshav Maharaj was greeted with two boundaries by the duo, one a sublime glance by Virat and the other a remarkable inside-out loft over extra cover by Ruturaj. India had these two stars completing their century stand in just 93 balls.
The duo picked up on their aggression, with Virat steering a Ngidi delivery towards third man to end the 27th over with a four. In the next over, Ruturaj made an absolute meal out of Maharaj, getting two fours and a six off him and fetching India 16 runs in the over. In the over, with a pull, loft and a sweep, Ruturaj showcased his versatility.
Ruturaj also saved some punishment for Bosch, ending the 30th over with two fours, moving into the 80s.
Ruturaj-Virat kept collecting boundaries at will, inching towards their respective centuries and completing a 150-run stand in 127 balls. Virat was at his most attacking against the pace of Marco Jansen and Bosch. Ruturaj pulled a Bosch delivery wide of mid-on, reaching his maiden ODI ton in just 77 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes.
India brought up the 250-run mark in 34.1 overs.
The 195-run stand came to an end, with Jansen producing the breakthrough for the Proteas. Ruturaj holed the ball out towards deep backward square leg, where Tony de Zorzi took a catch, removing him for 105 in 83 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes. India was 257/3 in 35.4 overs.
KL Rahul was up next. He seemed to have switched on his attacking mode right from the start, getting a four against Maharaj and a six towards mid-off against Jansen in the first nine balls he faced.
Virat continued his rampaging run in ODIs, bringing up his 53rd ODI ton, his second successive ton and 84th international ton in 90 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. But unlike the last time, he could not give himself enough time to accelerate, finding Aiden Markram at long-on while going big against Ngidi. Virat was gone for 102 in 93 balls, with seven fours and two sixes. India was 284/4 in 39.1 overs. This was the first time he was dismissed by Ngidi in ODIs.
Washington Sundar's poor ODI run continued as he was run out by Bosch and Quinton de Kock for an eight-ball one. India was 289/5 in 41 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja and KL once again built a crucial partnership, with Bosch leaking 12 runs in the 44th over, bringing up India's 300-run mark in 43.4 overs. Jadeja and KL managed to get a four each against the pacer.
A four over deep backward point brought up KL's second successive fifty in just 33 balls, with five fours and a six. The duo completed yet another fifty stand in just 46 balls. The duo finished off in style, with Jadeja collecting a boundary in the final over and KL getting a four and six against Bosch. The last over generated 18 runs, taking India to 358/5, with KL (66* in 43 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and Jadeja (24* in 27 balls, with two fours) unbeaten.
Jansen (2/63) in 10 overs was the pick of the bowlers for the Proteas, while Ngidi and Burger also got a wicket each. Bosch had a sub-par outing, conceding 79 runs in eight overs.
Brief Scores: India: 358/5 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 105, Virat Kohli 102, Marco Jansen 2/63) lost to South Africa: 362/6 (Aiden Markram 110, Matthew Breetzke 64, Arshdeep Singh 2/54).
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