South Africa vs India 2017/18, 2nd ODI: Hits and Misses

The absence of batting stars AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis was felt deeply by South Africa in the second game of the six-match ODI series against India as they capitulated to a 9-wicket loss to Virat Kohli's men.

After being put in to bat first, the Proteas could add just 118 runs to the scoreboard before losing all ten wickets. It was all too easy for the Men in Blue after that, as they completed the chase in less than 21 overs.

#5 Hit: Yuzvendra Chahal

The Indian leg-spinners have put in a tremendous performance in two back-to-back. In the first ODI, they picked up five wickets between them. On Sunday, they took a step further and scalped as many as eight dismissals together.

Of those eight times, Yuzvendra Chahal drew blood on five occasions. The 27-year-old was on the top his game from the word go and bagged his first five-wicket haul in international cricket.

The surface had consistent turn for the wrist-spinners and it certainly benefited their cause. However, credit must be given to Chahal, who wasn't afraid to toss the ball up and trouble the batsman with his bowling. His figures read 5-22 in 8.2 overs.

#4 Miss: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma averages 13.44 in ODI cricket in South Africa

The Indian vice-captain has just been unable to assert his dominance in South Africa so far in his career. This tour is turning from bad to worse for the right-handed batsman and he could not settle into the mix even in spite of the very easy total to chase.

Sharma was dismissed in the fourth over of the Indian innings by Kagiso Rabada. He added just 15 to his personal score before going back to the hut.

These are worrying signs for the Indian opener, who is usually so consistent when it comes to limited overs cricket. He came to South Africa on the back of a tremendous double century against Sri Lanka, but that seems like a distant memory now.

#3 Hit: Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav has 6 wickets in the series so far

The Chinaman bowler loves to take three-wicket hauls in Indian cricket. This was the sixth time the man from Uttar Pradesh took three wickets in an ODI innings.

He picked up two wickets in one over, effectively sending Aiden Markram and David Miller back to the pavilion. Then, in the 30th over of the game, he bowled a perfect googly to dismiss Rabada for a score of just 1.

He bowled just six overs and hence couldn't pick up one more wicket, but the 36 deliveries from him were still enough to leave a massive impact on the game. He gave flight to the ball and attacked fearlessly, and still gave away just 20 runs with the economy of 3.3.

#4 Miss: Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram's captaincy assignment is off to a nightmarish start

When the entire batting unit adds up to just 118 in a 50-over game, almost every cricketer in the playing XI can be added to the 'misses' of the match.

However, since Markram had the responsibility of leading the side today, more was expected of him than anyone else in the Proteas line-up. He came into the middle in the tenth over of the innings and was expected to steady the ship after the dismissal of Hashim Amla.

The stand-in skipper lasted for just eleven deliveries, though, and was dismissed by Yadav in the 13th over of the innings. He added just 8 runs in the game and could not fill the Faf du Plessis-sized void in the South African team.

#5 Hit: Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan looks comfortable in the blue jersey

Sharma might be struggling to make an impact on the series so far, but his opening partner has looked stupendous with the bat in the ODI series so far.

He was cruising at 35 in the first match of the series before he was run out after a miscommunication between him and his captain. He made up for that at Centurion, though, and scored a run-a-ball fifty to guide India to the chase with effortlessness.

He drove the ball expertly throughout the innings and looked at ease throughout his innings. The left-handed batsman stitched a dominant partnership with Kohli this time around as the duo put up an unbeaten 93-run stand to win their third consecutive match on the South Africa tour.