South Africa vs India 2018: 6th ODI, Hits and Misses

3rd Momentum ODI: South Africa v India

The Indian team under the strong leadership of Virat Kohli might have lost the Test series against South Africa, but have more than made up for that in the six-match ODI series that followed. They steamrolled the hosts almost throughout and snatched the series 5-1.

In the sixth and final match of the series, the Men in Blue outperformed Aiden Markram's men in all three aspects of the game and put forth a clinical performance, to clinch victory with 8 wickets remaining.

After winning the toss and choosing to field first, the visitors dismissed the hosts for just 204 in 46.5 overs. After that, it was one-way traffic for the former, as Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane took them to the target in just 32.1 overs.

Here are the hits and misses from the game.


#5 Hit: Shardul Thakur

The youngste
The 26-year-old picked up four wickets on the day

The right-arm medium pacer was picked into the playing XI in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the game. He made full use of the single opportunity that he received and scalped four Proteas wickets in his spell of 8.5 overs.

He started with fire and dismissed both the opening batsmen in the batting powerplay. He was the only Indian bowler to draw blood until then.

Thakur was brought back into the attack in the middle overs, where he stepped up once again. He bowled a delivery wide outside off-stump, which was cut to third-man by Farhaan Behardien, and was converted into a wicket courtesy a riveting catch from Jasprit Bumrah.

The last wicket of the innings, that of Andile Phelukwayo, was also scalped by the 26-year-old in the 47th over. Thakur ended the match with exceptional figures of four for 52 in 8.5 overs.

#4 Miss: Hashim Amla

Amla couldn't carry his form from the last game into this match
Amla couldn't carry his form from the last game into this match

After failing to make an impact with the bat in the first four ODIs, Hashim Amla scored a valiant 71 in the last game. He was the lone batsman in the South African line-up to cross the 50-run mark on that day.

However, he could not replicate that effort in Centurion as he fell to Thakur's seam-bowling in the 7th over of the innings. He faced 19 deliveries during his short stay at the crease while managing to score just 10 runs off them.

The delivery that got him wasn't at all threatening and was going down the leg side, before it caught Amla's glove and nestled itself in MS Dhoni's safe hands behind the wicket.

#3 Hit: Khaya Zondo

6th Momentum ODI: South Africa v India
He brought up his maiden international half-century in 67 deliveries

Khaya Zondo was included in the 15-man ODI squad for South Africa before their series against India but was dropped from the team in the third game.

However, he made a comeback in the sixth ODI and made a statement for himself. While wickets fell all around him, the 27-year-old gritted it out to take his team to a fighting total almost single-handedly.

The right-handed batsman notched up his first half-century in international cricket, and stitched important partnerships with AB de Villiers and Heinrich Klassen on the way.

The 27-year-old played an impressive knock of 54 off 74 deliveries before he was trapped by the wrist-spin of Yuzvendra Chahal. His contribution for the day wasn't done, as he also took an important catch at backward point to send Shikhar Dhawan back to the hut.

#2 Miss: Indian opening batsmen

Both the openers were dismissed cheaply on the day
Both the openers were dismissed cheaply on the day

One of the biggest positives for India in this series so far has been the fact that two of their top three batsmen performed in every game of the same. However, they forgot to walk along those lines in Centurion, as both Rohit Sharma and Dhawan walked back to the pavilion without crunching big numbers.

Rohit, who scored a long-due hundred in South Africa in the fifth ODI, was the first Indian wicket to fall in the sixth game. The right-handed batsman was dismissed by Lungi Ngidi in the 4th over of the chase. He scored 15 runs off 13 deliveries.

Dhawan, on the other hand, tried to battle it out longer than his partner. He survived for 34 deliveries, but ultimately fell to the trap the hosts set for him. Even he could add just 18 runs to the Indian scoreboard.

#1 Hit: Virat Kohli

The leader keeps adding to his legacy, with every innings he plays.
The leader keeps adding to his legacy, with every innings he plays
We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day
- Richard G Scott

Every time he sets his foot on the field, he wants to win. He has the drive, he has the intent, he has the passion. More often than not, he comes out on top of the opposition and keeps setting the bar higher for himself with almost every innings.

With his third century in the series and fourth of the tour, Virat Kohli has stamped his authority on world cricket once again. He came out in Centurion as if he wanted to boss the proceedings.

The Indian skipper did exactly that.

He attacked from the word go, and his onslaught did not decelerate till he was in his 90s. Even then, he reached his hundred in just 82 deliveries. That, in itself, is a testament to the 29-year-old's greatness.

He now has 35 centuries in ODI cricket and looks head and shoulders ahead of any other batsman in the world right now. The best thing about his sheer dominance in the game is that he doesn't look like stopping, anytime soon.

Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table

Quick Links

Edited by Sarah Waris