India lose Series to South Africa by 3-2

Centurion: The Indian chase of 268 runs to win the deciding ODI against South Africa got off to the worse possible start as the visitors lost Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and captain MS Dhoni inside the first ten overs at the Centurion on Sunday.


Earlier, Hashim Amla batted through the innings for his 116 not out as South Africa set India a revised target of 268 to win the rain-affected fifth ODI.



Opener Amla hit nine fours in his seventh one-day century and led South Africa to 250-9 after a rain delay reduced the final match of India's tour to 46 overs per side.


Morne van Wyk made 56 while JP Duminy had 35 and shared a 102-run partnership with Amla as the Proteas set a challenging total after being asked to bat first by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Munaf Patel took 3-50 as South Africa lost six wickets for 24 runs in a frantic final four overs following the rain delay. Yuvraj Singh had 2-45 and Zaheer Khan 2-47 as the home team went from 226-3 to 250-9 following the weather break.


Van Wyk's third ODI half-century had boosted South Africa early in their innings after they had lost captain Graeme Smith in the third over. Smith again fell to left-armer Khan — the bowler who has troubled him most in his career — when he was caught at slip for just 7 in his final innings at home as the Proteas one-day captain. The left-hander, who is leading South Africa for a record 142nd time in one-dayers, will give up the ODI role after the upcoming World Cup.


No. 3 Van Wyk reached a rapid 50 off 53 balls with seven fours and shared a 97-run partnership with the composed Amla to take the score past 100 before Yuvraj broke through with two quick wickets to slow the Proteas' progress.
Van Wyk went, caught and bowled to left-arm spinner Yuvraj for 56 from 63, and AB de Villiers failed again when he was stumped by Dhoni for 11 — the second time in successive innings he's been dismissed by Yuvraj.


Amla continued to anchor South Africa's effort, playing carefully in the middle part of his innings after he had started with four flowing boundaries early on.
The right-handed opener scored 33 consecutive singles as he went past 50 — his 13th ODI half-century and third of the five-match series — then launched his fifth boundary through midwicket off Yuvraj as South Africa reached 150.


Amla was dropped by substitute fielder Ravichandran Ashwin on 70, but

shrugged off his slip to add 102 with Duminy for the fourth wicket and guide South Africa toward a strong score, despite the rain interruption, in the deciding match of a closely fought series. Amla reached three figures with a late cut for four off Suresh Raina, guiding the ball down to the third man boundary for his ninth four and seventh one-day century.


Duminy was happy to pick up singles and hand the majority of the strike to the in-form Amla as they added 97 to take South Africa to 226-3 after 42 overs when the rain came down. The left-handed Duminy then flashed the second ball after the interruption through the covers for his first boundary and the 100-run partnership, but top-edged a pull straight after and Patel turned and ran back to take the catch off his own bowling.


It started a dramatic run of six wickets in 21 balls as the Proteas chased quick runs at the end. Faf du Plessis came and went, edging a four off Patel off the first delivery of the 45th over, before missing a fuller delivery next ball and being bowled by the paceman for 8. Patel had Johan Botha caught two balls later and Robin Peterson ended an action-packed penultimate over by smashing his first ball through extra cover for four. He was bowled two balls later by Zaheer and Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel ran themselves out in the space of two balls as South Africa slumped at the end.

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Centurion: Yusuf Pathan's belligerent 105 off just 70 balls proved insufficient as India lost the deciding ODI of the five-match series to South Africa by 33 runs at the Centurion on Sunday.
Earlier, Hashim Amla batted through the innings for his 116 not out as South Africa set India a revised target of 268 to win the rain-affected fifth ODI.

Opener Amla hit nine fours in his seventh one-day century and led South Africa to 250-9 after a rain delay reduced the final match of India's tour to 46 overs per side.
Morne van Wyk made 56 while JP Duminy had 35 and shared a 102-run partnership with Amla as the Proteas set a challenging total after being asked to bat first by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Munaf Patel took 3-50 as South Africa lost six wickets for 24 runs in a frantic final four overs following the rain delay.
Yuvraj Singh had 2-45 and Zaheer Khan 2-47 as the home team went from 226-3 to 250-9 following the weather break.
Van Wyk's third ODI half-century had boosted South Africa early in their innings after they had lost captain Graeme Smith in the third over.
Smith again fell to left-armer Khan — the bowler who has troubled him most in his career — when he was caught at slip for just 7 in his final innings at home as the Proteas one-day captain.
The left-hander, who is leading South Africa for a record 142nd time in one-dayers, will give up the ODI role after the upcoming World Cup.
No. 3 Van Wyk reached a rapid 50 off 53 balls with seven fours and shared a 97-run partnership with the composed Amla to take the score past 100 before Yuvraj broke through with two quick wickets to slow the Proteas' progress.
Van Wyk went, caught and bowled to left-arm spinner Yuvraj for 56 from 63, and AB de Villiers failed again when he was stumped by Dhoni for 11 — the second time in successive innings he's been dismissed by Yuvraj.
Amla continued to anchor South Africa's effort, playing carefully in the middle part of his innings after he had started with four flowing boundaries early on.
The right-handed opener scored 33 consecutive singles as he went past 50 — his 13th ODI half-century and third of the five-match series — then launched his fifth boundary through midwicket off Yuvraj as South Africa reached 150.
Amla was dropped by substitute fielder Ravichandran Ashwin on 70, but shrugged off his slip to add 102 with Duminy for the fourth wicket and guide South Africa toward a strong score, despite the rain interruption, in the deciding match of a closely fought series.
Amla reached three figures with a late cut for four off Suresh Raina, guiding the ball down to the third man boundary for his ninth four and seventh one-day century.
Duminy was happy to pick up singles and hand the majority of the strike to the in-form Amla as they added 97 to take South Africa to 226-3 after 42 overs when the rain came down.
The left-handed Duminy then flashed the second ball after the interruption through the covers for his first boundary and the 100-run partnership, but top-edged a pull straight after and Patel turned and ran back to take the catch off his own bowling.
It started a dramatic run of six wickets in 21 balls as the Proteas chased quick runs at the end.
Faf du Plessis came and went, edging a four off Patel off the first delivery of the 45th over, before missing a fuller delivery next ball and being bowled by the paceman for 8.
Patel had Johan Botha caught two balls later and Robin Peterson ended an action-packed penultimate over by smashing his first ball through extra cover for four.
He was bowled two balls later by Zaheer and Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel ran themselves out in the space of two balls as South Africa slumped at the end.

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Centurion: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was disappointed that the batsmen failed to fire as a unit in the five-match ODI series against South Africa but was quick to point out the positives of the series preceding the World Cup in the subcontinent next month.
"The learning before the World Cup is to keep wickets in hand for the last ten overs, the powerplay."
"Two warm-up games before the World Cup will be ideal," he said. "It was a good learning, a good preparation, though conditions will be different (in the subcontinent)," the India skipper said.
India were reeling at 119 for eight in the fifth ODI against South Africa when Robin Petersen dismissed Piyush Chawla but staged a dramatic recovery through Yusuf Pathan''s belligerent century and his 100-run partnership with Zaheer Khan.
"Any target is small if he gets going," Dhoni said of the marauder. He also thanked the crowd in South Africa for turning up in large numbers.
"It's been spectacular. They come out to support good cricket," Dhoni said.
Dhoni''s counterpart, Graeme Smith felt his bowlers bowled aggressively but admitted that Yusuf's innings gave him a scare.
"We played a good game. We bowled really aggressively in the first part but Yusuf then middled a few and almost took it away but we held on. We learnt some important lessons," Smith said.
"We weren''t as aggressive as we wanted to be when Yusuf and Zaheer were going, but otherwise we were pretty good."
Asked about the World Cup, he said, "We have got a good attacking mindset and have a really good chance to win the World Cup. We want to go in a with a mindset that we have the capabilities to win the tournament."
About the interruption, Smith said, "The rain came at a funny time for us."
Smith was happy to have played his last match as the ODI skipper on South African soil at the SuperSport Park here.
"It's a beautiful ground, terrific to sign off with the series," he said.
The victorious skipper also praised the Indian team, especially Dhoni, and thanked the crowd. "Congratulations to MS and the Indian team," Smith said.
'Man of the Match' Hashim Amla felt the pitch was a bit difficult to bat on initially.
"The wicket was a bit challenging upfront but then Morne and I got together.
"Glad that I contributed handsomely in winning the game, in an extremely tight series," Amla said.
Morne Morkel, who picked up 12 wickets, was declared the 'Man of the Series.'
"I was always aggressive, Today I missed my areas here and there but I am happy.
"Things came together for me in Durban and since then, the rhythm has been great," Morkel said. "Special thanks to the Centurion crowd."
Asked about Yusuf's assault, Morkel was reminded of another Yusuf special a while ago in Mumbai. "I remember the innings he played in Mumbai," he said.