India vs South Africa 3rd ODI highlights: Match abandoned due to rain in Centurion, hosts claim series 2-0

Third and final ODI at SuperSport Park in Centurion was abandoned due to rain. Follow all the highlights from the game, as they happened: (Scorecard | Text Commentary | Match Report | Match stats)

 

For 342 runs in the series Quinton de Kock is the man-of-the-series. He said: I just have to keep working hard to get a couple more hundreds. I'm quite relaxed and happy on the inside. I'm more happy that we have won the series. I tried to survive earlier and get through the opening passage of play. I'm not sure how this series will impact my career.

 

MS Dhoni after the match: "We were positive about our chances in the chase, however we had not chased well in the first two ODIs. This was a good wicket. We had a few positives out of the game, we got early wickets and exposed their middle order a bit. We need to adjust to the conditions ahead of the Tests. Playing ODIs first helped us. We got used to the pace and bounce on these pitches. Need to do well in the Tests. Ishant was expensive in the Australian series, but he worked hard with the bowling coach and played well in a domestic game. South Africa are a very good side, they have Kallis playing as an all-rounder and that gives them balance to play 5 bowlers. Some of their batsmen are exceptionally talented as well."

23:45 (IST) It's all over folks, rain has had the last laugh as the third ODI has been abandoned with no play possible in India's run chase of South Africa's 301/8 in Centurion.

23:25 (IST) Drizzle has returned and the covers are back on, the umpires could not inspect the conditions and the wait continues.

23:10 (IST) We finally have a cut-off time - which is 0025 (IST). If play does not begin by then, the match is likely to be abandoned.

22:55 (IST) Another update - the covers are coming off and the umpire have inspected the conditions. Verdict from the umpires expected shortly.

22:46 (IST) For those interested in New Zealand vs West Indies 2nd Test, here is our match report from Day 1.

22:38 (IST) Latest from the venue is that rain has stopped and groundsmen are working hard to dry up the playing areas.

22:30 (IST) Meanwhile, here's reminding the readers how Ishant Sharma earlier, reached 100 ODI wickets, faster than Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Kapil Dev, Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble.

22:20 (IST) Although there is no live play happening at SuperSport Park, but there is a live match on at Dubai where Pakistan are facing Sri Lanka in the first of the two-match Twenty20 series - Live Scorecard here.

22:10 (IST) Bad news again as rain is back although it is not as cloudy as it was before in Centurion.

21:55 (IST) Latest news from Centurion is good news, the rain has stopped. Depending on the brilliant drainage facilities at the SuperSport Park, play could resume in as early as 35 minutes.

21:45 (IST) If play fails to resume, overs will start getting reduced after 22:15 (IST).

21:37 (IST) Meanwhile, if we do have a start and ther is a reduction of overs, India's revised target will be 167 in 20 overs, 197 in 25 overs, 223 in 30 overs, 247 in 35 overs, 267 in 40 overs and 286 in 45 overs.

21:27 (IST) Latest from the SuperSport Park is that it's pouring down and we could be in for a longish delay.

21:10 (IST) Time for the second innings but it's raining in Centurion, means that we're going to have a delayed start to the India's run chase.

20:47 (IST) Ishant Sharma, who picked up his second best ODI figures today, became the fifth fastest Indian to reach 100 wickets. Read more.

20:40 (IST) How baby-faced Quinton de Kock bullied India and joined the big league, read here.

 

Twin tons from Quinton de Kock (101) and AB de Villiers (109) help South Africa post a challenging total after being reduced to 28 for 3 in 8 overs. Ishant Sharma was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 4 for 40 in his 10 overs. Mohd Shami was expensive, while taking 3 for 69, Umesh Yadav struggled as he took 1 for 57 in 9 overs. Indian spinners R Ashwin and R Jadeja failed to make an impact.

20:35 (IST) FACTOID: In the last 12 ODIs India have conceded 302 runs on an average while fielding first and 306 runs while fielding second.

 

20:27 (IST) South Africa finish at 301 for 8. David Miller remains 56 not out from 34 balls.

20:24 (IST) Vernon Philander is gone, bowled by Shami. SA 298/8 (49.3 overs)

20:22 (IST) David Miller reaches a quickfire fifty, in just 32 balls, his 6th in ODIs. SA 297/7 (49.2 overs)

20:13 (IST) FACTOID: Ishant Sharma is the 5th fastest Indian to reach 100 wickets after Irfan Pathan (59), Zaheer Khan (65), Ajit Agarkar (67), Javagal Srinath (68).

20:10 (IST) Ryan McLaren (6) is gone and Ishant Sharma picks up his 100th ODI wicket, in 70th game. SA 269/6 (46.2 overs)

20:02 (IST) David Miller has got his eye in and is on the attack. The big hitting left-hander swivels across and pulls Mohd Shami past short fine-leg for four. SA 267/5 (45.4 overs)

19:55 (IST) WICKET! AB de Villiers is out, LBW to Umesh Yadav for 109 off 101 balls. He hit 6 fours and 5 sixes to punish India. SA 252/5 (43.4 overs)

19:48 (IST) AB de Villiers reaches his 16th ODI ton, third against India, in just 96 balls. SA 233/4 (42 overs)

19:40 (IST) Another catch eludes Yuvraj. De Villiers tried to clear mid-off, from where Yuvraj ran ban but he failed to get a hand on it. SA 213/4 (40 overs)

19:33 (IST) WICKET! Quinton de Kock is out, clean bowled by Ishant Sharma, who now has 99 wickets. De Kock made 101 off 120 balls. SA 199/4 after 38 overs.

19:25 (IST) FACTOID: De Kock now becomes the third South African and fifth batsmen overall to score three successive hundreds in ODIs, after Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers. Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar are the only other batsmen to do.

19:23 (IST) AB de Villiers attacks Shami, hammers him for two successive sixes. SA 193/3 after 37 overs.

 

19:21 (IST) Quinton de Kock you beauty, gets to his 4th ODI ton, 3rd consecutive.

19:15 (IST) De Kock seems to be in a hurry to reach another hundred, his third consecutive. SA 168/3 (35 overs)

19:06 (IST) First 6 of the match! What a flick!! De Kock (84 off 101 balls) nonchalantly uses his wrists to muscle this over mid-wicket for the maximum. SA 142/3 (31 overs).

19:00 (IST) FACTOID: Quinton de Kock now becomes only the third batsmen in ODI history to record 300 runs or more in a 3-match series. Martin Guptill (NZ), Brendan Taylor (ZIM) have earlier achieved the feat.

18:55 (IST) Another four for Quinton, this time he rocks back and pulls R Ashwin for 4. SA 125/3 after 28 overs.

 

18:47 (IST) Both De Kock and De Villiers are batting with ease now, milking the Indian spinners around. SA 107 for 3 after 35 overs.

18:42 (IST) Quinton de Kock goes past yet another fifty, brings up his 4th score of 50 or more in ODIs, took 71 balls to reach it today. SA 99/3 (24 overs)

18:35 (IST) Another drop, this time it's Yuvraj, who ran back from mid-on but fails to latch on. Second life for Quinton de Kock, will he go on to get another century. Meanwhile, the 50-plus partnership is up between De Villiers and De Kock. SA 84/3 (21 overs)

18:27 (IST) Dropped: Substitute Ajinkya Rahane drops Quinton de Kock, close in at backward square leg. SA 71/3 after 17 overs.

18:21 (IST) Ishant Sharma (6-1-19-2) and Mohd Shami (5-0-17-1) have been most economical bowlers for India today.

18:11 (IST) India's fielding has been sharp today, barring one run out chance. SA 55/3 after 14 overs.

18:04 (IST) Umesh Yadav bowls one at 146kmph, or 90 miles an hour, but De Villiers hits to towards mid-wicket for no run.

17:57 (IST) Brilliant batting by AB this time, finds the gap between cover and mid-off to get his second boundary. SA 46/3 (12 overs)

17:49 (IST) Two brilliant straight drives, copy-book style - first by Quinton de Kock off Mohd Shami, then two balls later, AB de Villiers hits Ishant Sharma. SA 38/3 (9.4 overs)

17:41 (IST) WICKET! JP Duminy is out for zero, and Suresh Raina takes another sharp catch, diving low down. Second wicket in the over for Ishant. SA 28/3 (8 overs)

17:38 (IST) WICKET! Henry Davids is out for 1, caught by Suresh Raina at second slip off Ishant Sharma. SA 28/2 (7.1 overs)

17:33 (IST) FACTOID: Before the start of this match, Ishant Sharma and R Ashwin have identical wickets tally - 96 wickets in 69 matches.

17:28 (IST) Ishant unable to trouble De Kock with pace, the baby-faced left hander came down the track to him three times in the 6th over. SA 25/1 (6 overs)

17:22 (IST) WICKET! Hashim Amla gets surprised by the full toss and can only lob it to Yuvraj Singh at square leg, lucky break for India. Amla made 13 from 16. Henry Davids is the next man in. SA 22/1 after 4.3 overs.

17:17 (IST) Quinton de Kock brings out his favourite shot - the pull - and fetches four runs for that, past mid-wicket.

17:14 (IST) Hashim Amla survives a run out chance as Quinton de Kock calls him for a quick single. However, Rohit Sharma fails to hit the stumps from point. Had he hit, Amla was a gone.

17:09 (IST) Umesh Yadav bowls around hip high and Amla tucks it between mid-wicket and mid-on for four, second four for him. SA 9/0 (2 overs)

17:05 (IST) Hashim Amla cuts Ishant Sharma past backward point for four in the 1st over. SA 5/0 (1 over)

17:00 (IST) Interesting! Ishant Sharma is going to open the bowling for India, Hashim Amla to take first strike. 

16:45 (IST) R Ashwin before the game: It's going to be challenging. The bounce and pace is very different here. As spinners we try to extract bounce from the surface. I'd love to take wickets all the time. Would be looking to bowl according to situation.

16:40 (IST) Playing XIs:

South Africa: Quinton de Kock(w), Henry Davids, Hashim Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy, AB de Villiers(c), David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Imran Tahir, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.

16:38 (IST) MS Dhoni: We were looking to bat first as well, looks a good wicket. Batsmen played a lot of shots, when young you want to play fire with fire. The more they play, the more they'll learn. I'm not really worried. We need to have wickets in hand and then accelerate in the middle overs. That's how it has been working for us till now.

16:37 (IST) AB De Villiers at toss: It looks a really good wicket here. We do not get a lot of huge totals here but we are aiming to improve on that. In ODIs we have to be aggressive, need to pick up wickets and we've been doing it.

16:33 (IST) South Africa skipper AB de Villiers wins toss and elects to bat. Yuvraj Singh is back in Indian XI, in place of Ajinkya Rahane. Henry Davids comes in place for rested Jacques Kallis. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel also sit out.

16:23 (IST) Pitch Report: Shaun Pollock says there is no grass on pitch at SuperSport Park. The breezy conditions will assist swing bowling. The captain who wins the toss should bat first.

16:10 (IST) Hello and welcome to our coverage of the third ODI between South Africa and India in Centurion. Being a dead rubber, Team India will look for a consolation win.

 

PREVIEW

India will aim to salvage some pride by winning the third one-dayer against South Africa in Centurion today, in order to gain confidence ahead of the two-Test series. It will be redemption time for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men after two embarrassing losses in the first two matches which also exposed the famed batting line-up's inability to cope with pace and bounce of the South African tracks. South Africa won the first ODI by 141 runs at Wanderers and the second by 134 runs at Kingsmead.

The wretched form of Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh has also been a cause of concern for the skipper. They didn't come to the tour with a particularly good recent record. Both their individual averages, in the nine ODIs against Australia and West Indies at home, hovered around the 20-mark.

Talking of bowlers, if there has been one particular positive of this tour, it has been the learning curve of Mohammad Shami. Shami's pace allowed him to use the Wanderers pitch to good effect and he just carried that on to Kingsmead, picking up six wickets against an in-form batting line-up.

Dhoni says an under-performing middle-order was one of the main reasons for his team's pathetic show against South Africa, where the home fast bowlers have ruled the roost. "In the last few series our middle order, to some extent, was a bit of a bother. In this series we lost the top three quite early and our middle order was exposed. So if you assess, then that's maybe why we haven't been able to perform to our potential," he said. (Click here to read more)

India opener Rohit Sharma has dismissed talks of lack of technique and blamed the debacle to the lack of application and big partnerships. "Last game in Durban, the conditions were pretty much similar to what we get in India. There was a bit of bounce, but as a batsman you need to understand that you are playing in South Africa. It is really up to each individual how they tackle it, understand their game and adjust accordingly and know what shots to be played on these kind of pitches," Rohit said. (Read more)

SQUADS

INDIA: MS Dhoni (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane.

SOUTH AFRICA: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.