India clinch first ODI series win in S. Africa
port elizabeth — India beat South Africa by 73 runs in the fifth ODI to clinch their first-ever Series win in the 50-over format at St George’s Park on Tuesday.
With Tuesday’s win India took an unassailable 4-1 lead in the six- match ODI series.
Chasing a target of 275 for victory to level the series, South Africa were all out for 201 runs in 42.2 overs. Kuldeep Yadhav was the leading wicket-taker with 4 for 57 runs.
Earlier, opener Rohit Sharma scored his maiden century on South African soil as India posted 274/ for 7.
Rohit (115) who notched up his 17th ODI century hit 11 boundaries and four sixes in his 126-ball innings. It was also his second ton against South Africa, the first one came in 2015 at Kanpur when he scored 150.
The century also helped Rohit become the fourth highest century scorer in ODIs for India, following Sachin Tendulkar (49), Virat Kohli (34) and Sourav Ganguly (22).
For South Africa, Lungisani Ngidi was the pick of the bowlers returning figures of 4/51 while Kagiso Rabada picked up a wicket.
Asked to bat, openers Shikhar Dhawan (34) and Rohit got India off to a decent start before the former was removed by South African pacer Kagiso Rabada while trying to pull a good bouncer which ended straight into the arms of Andile Phehlukwayo at deep square leg.
Rohit, who struggled to score in the previous ODIs started his innings in similar fashion. However, a boundary and a hit over the fence in back-to-back overs set the momentum for the Mumbai batsman, who kept going from there.
Later, one-down batsman Virat Kohli (36) played a slow 54ball innings. He was involved in a 105-run second wicket stand with Rohit before he was ran out by Jean-Paul Duminy. Following the dismissal, Ajinkya Rahane (8) again fell victim to Rohit’s mis-timed call and was ran out by Morne Morkel. — Agencies