Axar Patel Spins India to Win vs SA After MS Dhoni's Blazing 92
Axar Patel picked up 3-39 as India beat South Africa by 22 runs in the second ODI to level the five-match series 1-1.
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led from the front as the hosts fought back to stun South Africa by 22 runs in the second one-day international in Indore on Wednesday. (SCORECARD | NEWS |VIDEOS)
India, restricted to 247-9 after electing to take first strike in good batting conditions, hit back to bowl South Africa out for 225 and level the five-match series 1-1. (Axar Patel Lets The Ball do The Talking)
A relentless display of pace and spin bowling by the tourists had reduced India to 124-6 before Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 92 off 86 balls to help the hosts recover to a more respectable total.
Dhoni added 41 for the seventh wicket with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (14) and 56 for the eighth with Harbhajan Singh (22). (Mahendra Singh Dhoni Saves India Blushes After Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina Fail Again)
The skipper finished with four sixes, including one off the final delivery from young paceman Kagiso Rabada, and seven boundaries.
© AFP
Dhoni then marshalled his limited resources astutely as left-arm spinner Axar Patel and seamer Kumar grabbed three wickets each and Virat Kohli took three good catches to fashion the unexpected win.
Having lost the opening encounter in Kanpur by five runs, India go into Sunday's third international in Rajkot on level terms and looking increasingly confident.
Faf du Plessis was the lone batsman to shine for the tourists with 51 as the rest of the batting succumbed under the pressure applied by Dhoni's men under lights.
The Proteas were sailing along at a comfortable 134-2, following a 82-run stand between du Plessis and JP Duminy, when India bounced back with three wickets in the space of 15 deliveries.
Patel trapped Duminy leg-before for 36 and had du Plessis offering a catch to Kohli in the covers, before Kumar forced David Miller to edge his first delivery to Dhoni behind the stumps.
Kohli then dived to his left in the covers to pick up a superb catch that removed danger man, the South African captain AB de Villiers, for 19 and made South Africa 167-6 in the 33rd over.
Farhaan Behardien (18) and Rabada (19 not out) attempted to pull South Africa out of trouble, but India held their nerves in front of a sell-out crowd of 27,000 home fans.
Earier, fiery pace spearhead Dale Steyn claimed 3-49 and fellow fast bowler Morne Morkel and leg-spinner Imran Tahir chipped in with two wickets each to restrict the Indian batsmen.
Ajinkya Rahane was the only other batsman besides Dhoni to shine with 51.
India's batting woes at the top of the order were highlighted by the run out of star batsman Kohli for 12 while attempting a second run when Rahane was dropped at mid-off by Behardien.
Both batsmen were stranded at the non-striker's end as bowler Steyn relayed Behardien's throw to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock, who broke the stumps.
South Africa had won the preceding Twenty20 series 2-0. The one-dayers will be followed by four Test matches.
Electing to bat, Dhoni bailed India out of trouble with his 86-ball knock to take the team to 247 for nine. The bowlers then did their job as they bundled out the visitors for 225. (Mahendra Singh Dhoni Saves India Blushes After Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina Fail Again)
Going through the toughest phase of his international career, Dhoni played a captain's knock and then made smart bowling changes to bundle out South Africa in 43.4 overs.
Axar Patel (3/39) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/41) shared six wickets between them, while Harbhajan Singh (2/51) scalped two in his comeback match.
The nudges, quick singles, shot-arm jabs, pulls, cuts, lofted shots over the bowlers' heads - all were on full display as Dhoni answered his critics with a knock that was decorated with seven boundaries and four sixes.
He batted with the tail-enders with a calm head as India scored 82 runs off the last 10 overs to put on board a decent total.
India were looking down the barrel at 165 for seven in the 40th over, but Dhoni found great support from Harbhajan Singh (22), with whom he added 56 runs.
Ajinkya Rahane yet again batted well, scoring a 63-ball 51 for his second consecutive half century.
For South Africa, Dale Steyn (3/49) picked up three wickets, while Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir scalped two apiece.
South Africa started their chase on a quick note, stitching a run-a-ball 40-run partnership for the opening wicket between Hashim Amla (17) and Quinton de Kock (34).
De Kock was the aggressor of the two but was lucky as a diving Rohit Sharma spilled a tough chance off Umesh Yadav in the fourth over.
With both his frontline pacer proving ineffective, Dhoni introduced spin from both ends in the sixth over. The move yielded instant result when Axar had Amla stumped after the batsman danced down the wicket.
De Kock was going great guns with five boundaries when he fell for one too many, caught by Mohit Sharma at long-off off Harbhajan, leaving the Proteas at 52 for two inside the 10th over.
The fall of two quick wickets hardly bothered Faf du Plessis (51) and JP Duminy (36) as the duo batted with ease to keep the asking rate in control.