India vs South Africa, 3rd ODI: Virat Kohli, Deepak Chahar's heroics go in vain as hosts clean sweep series

In-form India opener Shikhar Dhawan also chipped in with a crucial knock of 61 runs but failed to help the visitors cross the line.

Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan forged a key partnership (Courtesy: ICC/Twitter)
By Samrat Chakraborty | Jan 23, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Half-centuries from Virat Kohli (65) and Shikhar Dhawan (61) along with a late surge from Deepak Chahar (54) went in-vain as India were bundled out for 283 runs, losing the closely fought third and final ODI at Newlands, Cape Town on Sunday by 4 runs, to hand the hosts a 3-0 clean sweep in the series. Chasing a challenging target of 288 runs, stand-in captain KL Rahul failed to find his purple patch, once again, as he was sent packing for 9 runs in the fifth over. His fellow opener Dhawan and former India captain Virat Kohli, then, took matters in their own hands to help the side recover from 18/1 to 116/2 before the former was sent packing. 

The 98-run stand for the second-wicket helped the visitors gain some momentum as the southpaw smashed five boundaries and one six in his 73-ball innings while Kohli hit five fours in his 84-ball knock. Following their dismissals, Shreyas Iyer (26) and Suryakumar Yadav (39), chipped in with important cameos while Chahar’s late onslaught helped India remain in the hunt. He smashed five boundaries and two sixes in his brilliant cameo off 34 deliveries. But India lost the plot after their dismissal to hand the hosts another victory. 

Phehlukwayo-Ngidi dismantle Indian ship 

For South Africa, Andile Phehlukwayo and Lungi Ngidi picked up three wickets each, to unsettle the Indian batting line-up while Dwaine Pretorius scalped two wickets. 

Phehlukwayo also got the crucial wicket of Dhawan while Ngidi removed Chahar after his fiery knock. 

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Quinton de Kock-Rassie Van der Dussen fire for the hosts

Earlier, South Africa batsmen Quinton de Kock (124) and top-order batter Rassie Van der Dussen (52) notched up brilliant individual knocks to power the hosts to 287 runs. Asked to bat, the hosts lost their in-form opener Janneman Malan (1) cheaply in the third over. Incoming batter and captain Temba Bavuma (8) and Aiden Markram (15) failed to make a difference with the bat as they were sent packing without troubling the scoresheet much. Senior wicket-keeper batter de Kock, however, continued to hold the fort for the hosts as he went through his innings cautiously and was further helped with a fine knock from van der Dussen.

The duo forged a 144-run partnership for the fourth wicket to pile on pressure on the Indian bowlers as South Africa recovered from 70/3 to 214/4. De Kock hit 12 boundaries and two sixes in his 130-ball knock while van der Dussen smashed four boundaries and one six in his innings of 59 balls before being dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal.

However, following his dismissal, David Millar (39 off 38 balls) maintained the tempo for his side but failed to convert his start. His finely paced innings was laced with three boundaries and one hit over the top while Dwaine Pretorius chipped in with a cameo of 20 runs.

Prasidh Krishna was the pick of the bowlers for India as he returned with figures of 3/59 while Jasprit Bumrah and Deepak Chahar picked up two wickets each.





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