South Africa vs India 2018: 4th ODI, 5 things we learnt from the match

Adorning their magic pink jersey, the Proteas, aided by a curtailed encounter and some spectacular striking lower down the order, overhauled the Indians to keep the series alive at Johannesburg in the fourth ODI. Chasing 202 in 28 overs after rain shortened the match, AB de Villiers showed the way against the spinners with some sprightly hitting but he did not last long enough.

Heinrich Klaasen and a lucky David Miller then went on the rampage, countering anything thrown at them with some smart cricket. Andile Phehlukwayo's blitzkrieg in the end gave the pink crowd something to cheer about.

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan's hundred and Virat Kohli's half-century helped India to an ominous start but a rain-break proved crucial for the Proteas as they returned with confidence and ripped through with a few quick wickets before tying down the lower middle-order to just 59 in the last 10 overs.

Here are the 5 things we learnt from the match.

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#5 Rohit Sharma fails yet again

Rohit Sharma just cannot find runs in South Africa as yet again he fell before getting a start. The Hitman's mantra is to watch the ball carefully in the first few overs, leave a few and then slowly dig in. This has been a roaring success in most countries but not in South Africa, where all he has managed is a below par average.

In the pink ODI, he began with a pristine drive down the ground against Kagiso Rabada and seemingly appeared in better touch but then a rip-roaring return catch from the same bowler sent him on his way soon enough. His woeful form in the country continues to be a worry for India.

#4 Kohli does not get a hundred

Virat Kohli could not get to his third hundred in the series

How often is a batsman not getting a hundred a major talking point? Such has been the impact that Kohli has created that anything less than a hundred surprises you. He was once again in audacious touch, stringing together another century stand with Shikhar Dhawan.

The skipper had scored runs on all kinds of surfaces in the country but the Wanderers was as flat as a pancake. If Kohli wanted to add a double hundred to his resume, this was the ground. Unfortunately though, he gifted a catch to cover off Chris Morris to be dismissed 25 short of a hundred.

#3 Dhawan rides his crest to slam hundred in hundredth ODI

Dhawan slammed his 13th ODI hundred

Shikhar Dhawan's impressive form against South Africa continued on Pink Day at the Wanderers as he raced to a 13th ODI hundred. The Delhiite was in one of his marauding moods and dug in on a flat surface, making South Africa pay for their lack of intensity. A feature of his innings was the sheer amount of runs he scored behind square on the leg.

South Africa's shortish lines against the southpaw worked in his favour as he scored 44.2% of his runs through square and behind square on leg-side.* However, a lightning-enforced break meant that Dhawan's flow was cut off and he was dismissed soon after the break.

*(stats courtesy: CricProf)

#3 de Villiers magic vanishes against 'blue' Pandya

AB de Villiers' much anticipated return promised much

The return of AB de Villiers was watched with much anticipated as he was supposed to be South Africa's saviour against the wrist-spin twins. As though to prove his point, de Villiers brought out his fancy movements at the crease and forced the spinners to think, something the rest of his teammates hadn't done all series.

Yuzvendra Chahal was brought on for his first over and was thumped for 17, with the slog sweep followed by the back-foot pull bringing two sixes. While Kuldeep Yadav was expected to continue, Kohli brought on Hardik Pandya much to everyone's surprise. The pink crowd watched in horror as de Villiers batted a leg side short ball straight to deep square leg. The 'blue' streak of hair on Pandya trumped the zillion shades of pink at the Bullring for a moment.

#1 The Klaasen - Miller stand and the Phehlukwayo finish

The spinners weren't allowed to settle by the Proteas

Just when it looked like the de Villiers dismissal was curtains for South Africa, Heinrich Klaasen walked in with all the confidence in the world and showed the Proteas what they missed with his exceptional handling of the spinners, something he hadn't quite been able to do in the previous match.

He had an uncertain David Miller for company and he was cleaned by Chahal, only for the replays to show that he had overstepped. It turned the 'killer' switch on in Miller and he slogged his way alongside a rampant Klaasen and took it till run a ball before falling to Chahal.

Andile Phehlukwayo, surprisingly promoted above Chris Morris, then smoked the wrist spinners en-route a blistering 5 ball 23.