South Africa vs India 2018, 4th ODI: Hits and Misses

Change of jersey colours proved to change the shade of South Africa's fortunes in the 4th game of their six-match ODI series against India. When they donned the pink flannels, the blues that they experienced after defeats in first three ODIs transformed into a rosy victory at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday (February 10).

Something seemed to click for the hosts on the day:

AB de Villiers' return to the playing XI bolstered the team's spirit more than its batting line-up. The initiative that they played for (raising funds for breast cancer charity) must've infused them with a whole new degree of self-motivation. The rain-curtailed aspect of the match also played wonderfully into their hands, helping them paint a perfect chase in the second innings of the game.

However, these factors still do not take anything away from the fight and spirit South Africa showed to clinch the victory. With this win, they have stopped Virat Kohli and Co. from clinching the series, as of yet at least. India lead 3-1 for now, with games at Port Elizabeth and Centurion still in the docket.

Here are the hits and misses from India's first limited-overs loss on the tour:

#5 Hit: Heinrich Klaasen

It was a special performance from the wicket-keeper batsman

The Proteas wicket-keeper, like the rest of his team, had a pretty ordinary series up until the Johannesburg ODI. However, Klaasen stepped up in a crunch game under testing circumstances and ensured that he took his team over the line in the rain-curtailed encounter.

The right-handed batsman stitched an immensely important partnership with David Miller after the fall of de Villiers' wicket. He ensured that the blow did not deter South Africa's chances of getting the better of India on the day.

He played a tremendous knock of 43 off just 27 deliveries and stayed unbeaten through the innings. He took the attack to the Indian wrist-spinner duo, neutralizing the threat posed by them. The 26-year-old was conferred with the Man of the Match award for his splendid batting display.

#4 Miss: The Mumbai duo

Sharma averages 10 with the bat in this series

Rohit Sharma has scored 40 runs in the four games that he has played in the series so far. Things just keep falling apart with ever next match for the opening batsmen, who is just unable to overturn his luck in the Rainbow Nation so far.

Sharma was dismissed for a cheap score five off 13 deliveries by a brilliant caught-and-bowled display by Kagiso Rabada. The right-handed batsman has played eight innings on the tour so far and hasn't been able to cross the fifty-run barrier even once.

Another opportunity goes begging for Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane started this tour on the bench before playing in the final match of the Test series, where he performed exceptionally well in the second innings. The ODI series started off well for him as well, as he notched up his fifth consecutive fifty-plus score in the format.

However, it has been a downward spiral for the Mumbaikar since then. He did not bat in the second ODI and was dismissed for 11 in the next game. At the Wanderers stadium, Rahane came in at a difficult position and was expected to carry forward from the impetus provided by a brilliant stand between Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan.

He started off well, but could not preserve his wicket while adapting the aggressive approach, and fell for a score of 8 in 15 deliveries.

#3 Hit: Lungi Ngidi

His vital scalps strengthened South Africa's hand in the first innings

The star debutant from the Test series had a forgettable game in his first ODI of the tour, which was the third game in the fifty-over series. He did not pick up a single scalp and was taken to the cleaners by the Indian batsmen.

However, the youngster made it count in the very next game. The Proteas had pulled themselves back into the game after breaking the stunning partnership between Kohli and Dhawan. Once they were both back in the hut, it was crucial for the hosts to press the advantage and push India on the backfoot, literally and figuratively!

That's when this 21-year-old raised his hand and drew blood not once, but twice. He first forced Rahane into an error in the 37th over of the game and then sent Shreyas Iyer back to the pavilion at a crucial juncture of the innings. The explosive batsman was building a partnership with MS Dhoni and the seam bowler sent him packing before it turned precarious for the hosts.

He ended with exceptional figures of 2 for 52 after the completion of his ten-over spell.

#4 Miss: Yuzvendra Chahal

The learning curve begins, in the true sense!

The Indian leg-spinners truly were on cloud 9 before this game but were pummeled to the ground quite harshly in this particular match. While they still picked up 3 wickets between them, they gave away as many as 119 runs in less than 12 overs.

Chahal, in particular, had a very rough day at the office on Saturday. He did send a dangerous-looking Miller back to the pavilion in his sole strike of the day but was absolutely smoked to all parts of the ground by the Proteas batsmen.The no-ball that he bowled to Klassen swung the match right in South Africa's favour.

He ended with bowling figures of one wicket for 68 runs in just 5.3 overs. It will be hard for the youngster to digest those stats.

However, the Indian cricket fan would hope that the experience will help him work on his game and come out swinging (and spinning) in the remainder of the series.

#1 Hit: Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan is an underrated gem in this format of the game

Barring the unfortunate run-out that he was victim to in the first ODI of the series, this left-handed batsman from Delhi has crossed the fifty-run mark every single time. In fact, his scores have bettered with every ODI he has played in 2018 so far.

This time around, he did not settle for a half-century. The 32-year-old chose a brilliant occasion to convert his fifty into a hundred: this was his 100th ODI. And boy, did he make it count.

Playing ravishing strokes all across the park, Dhawan ascended his supremacy on the game from the word go. Sharma's concerning form hasn't troubled India as much in the series because both Dhawan and Kohli have been in imperious touch through its length.

They partnered beautifully yet again this time and built a 158-run stand between them after Sharma's early dismissal in the game.