 |
| India goes down by 18 runs from position of strength as visitor grabs 2-1 lead with brilliant bowling display |
It was meant to be a batting paradise. But when all was
said and done, it was the bowlers that had the last laugh in the third
One-Day International between India and South Africa at the Saurashtra
Cricket Association Stadium.
South Africa had
scratched and clawed to 270 for 7 after Quinton de Kock's magnificent
century and his 118-run third-wicket stand with Faf du Plessis (60) had
set up a platform from it they had looked good for so much more. The
bowlers, led by Morne Morkel (4 for 39), then upset all calculations on a
fascinating Sunday (October 18) filled with twists and turns.
Rohit
Sharma gave India a wonderful start with a stroke-filled 65. Virat
Kohli (77) and MS Dhoni (47) then seemed to have the chase under control
for so long while adding 80 for the third wicket in 112 deliveries that
few would have expected the host to crumble. But crumble India did as
Morkel made deep inroads, finishing on 252 for 6, conceding the match by
18 runs and going 1-2 down in the five-match series.
While the reprieve to Dhawan didn't prove costly as Morkel
found his outside edge with one that moved away, Rohit wouldn't look a
gift horse in the mouth. There was the nonchalant sweep, the lofted hit
down the ground, and the heave over the on-side as Rohit began unfurling
his incredible range of strokes. The fifty came in trademark fashion as
he picked the length of an Imran Tahir delivery early and smashed it
over long-off.
Then, Rohit departed in tame
fashion, giving Duminy the simplest of return catches. Duminy created
the opportunity, though, dragging the length back on seeing the batsman
giving him the charge.
Like South Africa earlier
in the day, India chose to throw in an element of surprise, with Kohli
walking in ahead of Ajinkya Rahane at No. 3. Kohli played a critical
role, rotating the strike to take the pressure off Rohit. Kohli cut out
the big strokes, running hard between the wickets. And with Dhoni for
company, the duo unfailingly rotated the strike, punishing only the bad
balls.
With neither batsman attempting anything extravagant, de
Villiers spreading his field and choked the flow of boundaries. Sure
enough, the required rate mounted and the first signs of aggression did
not come until after the 35th over. But the duo's repeated attempts to
clear the ground were foiled masterfully by intelligent bowling as South
Africa kept banging the ball in, bowling at the body and packing the
on-side field. Even as the apprehension in the Indian camp grew, South
Africa walked with a spring in its step and the belief was almost
tangible.
Anxious moments followed, with de Kock
missing a stumping off Duminy after the bat flew out of a charging
Dhoni's hands. Dhoni then bludgeoned one back to Duminy, whose only hope
would have been for the ball to stick, which it didn't.
Dhoni
found the fence a couple of times but with the rate mounting alarming,
Morkel got the Indian skipper to hole out to short third-man off a short
ball. By then, the required rate had climbed to 10, a difficult task on
a surface where the ball wasn’t coming on at all. South Africa's
excellent bowling and strategic field placements forced the Indian
batsmen to press the panic button. Kohli and Rahane fell to Morkel,
attempting pull strokes, while Suresh Raina was caught in the deep off
Tahir. When Rahane fell with 28 deliveries left, India was 55 away. But
with just Axar Patel and the tail to follow, the writing was on the
wall.
When the day began, South Africa took a fair few by surprise by sending out de Kock and David Miller, their two least effective batsmen in the series, to open. Du Plessis had reassuringly spoken of the faith South Africa had in Miller and he did his best to justify that, playing strokes that had zing.
De Kock's return to form could not have come at a better
time. He was circumspect to begin with, the ball finding his edge often
despite the easy-paced nature of the surface. It wasn't until a flicked
six over backward square-leg off Bhuvneshwar Kumar that de Kock grew in
confidence.
De Kock pierced the gaps consistently,
driving and punching with precision, while opening up at the slightest
hint of width or shortening of length.
India
missed as many as four opportunities to end his partnership with du
Plessis. First, Mohit Sharma overstepped when an impatient du Plessis
holed out to long-on on 15 off a slower ball. Raina then failed to hold
on to a leading edge off Patel before Dhawan spilled a tough chance at
short-cover with du Plessis on 53.
De Kock, had in the meantime, raised his century with a
slap through covers. But as is the case with most big partnerships, he
followed suit soon, run out after a late response to a call from AB de
Villiers.
Amit Mishra was the most wily and
accurate of India's bowlers, deceptive in flight and keeping the batsmen
guessing by bowling slower through the air. Mishra had Hashim Amla
stumped when the batsman dragged his foot outside after missing the
drive, leaving de Kock to play sheet anchor.
Once
he and du Plessis fell, the onus was on de Villiers, who walked out to a
rousing welcome that reiterated how popular he was in this part of the
world. Patel ensured a short stay for de Villiers, trapping him leg
before with an arm-ball, but Farhaan Behardien played smartly at the end
to put up those extra few runs that made the difference in the end.Source: ICC