Jaiswal's maiden ton powers India to massive series victory.
The Indian cricket team delivered a masterclass performance at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Saturday, decimating South Africa by nine wickets to seal the ODI series 2-1. In a match that was touted as a do-or-die encounter, the Men in Blue dominated every department, turning theIND vs SA 3rd ODIinto a one-sided celebration for the home crowd.
The chase was headlined by the brilliance of young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Displaying maturity beyond his years, Jaiswal notched up his maiden ODI century, anchoring the innings with elegant stroke play. He found an able partner in Rohit Sharma, who set the tone early on. Sharma was in an aggressive mood, dismantling the Proteas' bowling attack with a quickfire 75 that took the pressure off the chase immediately.
Once Sharma departed, Virat Kohli walked in and turned back the clock. Kohli looked in sublime touch, smashing a blistering half-century to ensure there were no hiccups in the pursuit. The Indian batting lineup made the target of 271 look completely effortless, cruising to victory with plenty of overs to spare.
However, the foundation for thisIndia vs South Africa series winwas laid by the bowlers earlier in the day. After Indian skipper KL Rahul won the toss and elected to field, the decision initially seemed risky as Quinton de Kock took charge. The South African opener played a lone hand, scoring a magnificent 106 runs and threatening to post a massive total.
The turning point came when Prasidh Krishna dismissed the dangerous De Kock. What followed was a dramatic collapse. The South African middle order crumbled under pressure, failing to capitalize on the start.
Both Prasidh Krishna and spin wizard Kuldeep Yadav were the architects of this destruction, claiming four wickets each. Their disciplined bowling restricted the visitors to just 270 runs—a total that looked far below par on a good batting surface. This emphatic win in theVizag cricket matchensures India lifts the trophy, ending the series on a high note.
