A phenomenal bowling fightback led by the spin of Kuldeep Yadav (4/41) and the pace of Prasidh Krishna (4/66) saw India bowl out South Africa for 270 in the third and final One-Day International at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Despite a brilliant century from opener Quinton de Kock (106), the Proteas collapsed dramatically, failing to capitalise on a strong platform that suggested a much higher total.
The day began with a moment of minor history as Indian captain KL Rahul finally ended a streak of 20 consecutive ODI toss losses, electing to field first on a surface that offered noticeable spongy bounce early on.
Early Strikes and De Kock’s Brilliance
India’s new-ball bowlers, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, made good use of the conditions, with the pressure immediately paying off. South Africa made a tweak to their top order, but opener Ryan Rickelton fell for his second duck of the series in the very first over.
Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma then weathered the early uncertainty. While Bavuma was less fluent, de Kock found his rhythm, breaking free particularly in a costly two-over spell from Prasidh Krishna that went for 27 runs. De Kock went on to bring up his 23rd ODI century, a stunning individual effort that powered the Proteas’ charge.
The Decisive Twist: Krishna and Kuldeep Dominate
The momentum, however, shifted decisively following the skipper’s strategic moves.
Prasidh Krishna’s Redemption: After his expensive initial burst, Krishna returned to the attack and redeemed himself immediately by striking twice in an over, a brutal double blow that shifted the tide. Crucially, he later returned to clean up the centurion, Quinton de Kock, who departed soon after reaching his milestone. South Africa were 199/5 with about 17 overs remaining, and the lack of batting to come meant the pressure was squarely on the incoming pair of Dewald Brevis and Marco Jansen.
Kuldeep Yadav’s Masterclass: Captain Rahul’s decision to introduce the left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, proved to be a masterstroke. Kuldeep dangled the carrot, and both Dewald Brevis and Marco Jansen could not resist, departing in the same over to a bruising double blow. From that point, Kuldeep proved far too good for the rest of the lower order, tearing through the tail to finish with figures of 4/41.
Prasidh Krishna stepped in to complete the clean-up job, ensuring South Africa were bowled out well within the 50 overs for a total of 270. While competitive, the total is considered underwhelming after the Proteas looked on course for much more at the halfway mark.
India’s bowlers executed their plans brilliantly on a dry surface that assisted the spinners in particular. The home side now needs 271 runs to win the match and the series.
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