| 0.6 : 0.6: K Rabada to R Sharma, OUT! Gone? Yes! Didn't seem so on the first look. This is hurled a touch fuller outside off, Rohit looks to play it at first but then tries to withdraw his bat to let it go. Seems to have done well as the ball goes to the keeper. What happens next catches us by surprise. An appeal for caught behind is made and it is upheld as well. Wow! First dismissal for Klaasen behind the wickets. Another look shows why this turns out to be a good decision. Sharma was late in getti |
| 1.1 : 1.1: L Ngidi to S Dhawan, FOUR! Wow! What a shot to open your account! Full and angling away from the left-hander, Dhawan gets his stride out and times his drive through covers to perfection. Seems to have done enough there as the ball goes to the fence, beating the man chasing. First run on the board for India in form of a boundary. |
| 2.6 : 2.6: K Rabada to V Kohli, FOUR! Not the ideal delivery. Sprayed on the pads, Kohli flicks it away through fine leg for a boundary to get going. An eventful over ends. |
| 3.1 : 3.1: L Ngidi to S Dhawan, FOUR! Delectable. Full and outside off, driven through covers nicely. The ball speeds away to the fence in a trice. |
| 3.4 : 3.4: L Ngidi to S Dhawan, FOUR! Well played. Length ball angling away from the southpaw, Dhawan hangs back and opens the face of the bat. Is successful in getting it past the diving second slip. The man at third man runs to his right and puts in the dive, but only manages to parry it away to the fence. |
| 4.4: K Rabada to V Kohli, FOUR! Authoritative! Short in length around off, Kohli stands tall and pulls it powerfully in front of square on the leg side. The ball races away to the fence. |
| 5.3 : 5.3: L Ngidi to V Kohli, FOUR! Aerial but safe! Fuller angling on the pads, Kohli flicks it a touch in the air. It is well away from the square leg fielder there and he gets a boundary. |
| 7.3: L Ngidi to V Kohli, FOUR! Delectable cover drive! Full in length outside off, Kohli lines himself up well for that. Gets his front foot to the pitch of the ball and just times his drive through covers for a boundary. Didn't try to hit it too hard. |
| 7.6 : 7.6: L Ngidi to S Dhawan, FOUR! No timing, just placement. Length ball outside off, Shikhar looks to smash it through the off side. Mistimes it but finds the gap between covers and backward point. Has enough in it to go to the fence. 10 runs off this over. |
| 8.6: K Rabada to S Dhawan, FOUR! How many drives through the off side has Dhawan played since the start? Use Ctrl F to find out. This is hurled full outside off from round the stumps, the southpaw gets a stride out and drives it through covers for another boundary. |
| 9.6: C Morris to V Kohli, FOUR! Streaky! Lucky for Kohli. On a length just outside off, Kohli looks to force it through the off side. Ends up getting an inside edge and the ball goes just past the off pole. There is a short fine leg in place, meaning the ball speeds away to the fence. What's the reason? Low bounce? Or did Kohli misread the length? Perhaps the latter. The initial Powerplay is done, the 50-run stand between the two Delhi lads is up and so is the Indian 50. |
| 12.6: A Phehlukwayo to S Dhawan, FOUR! Finally a pull shot played to the right ball. Short and angling down leg, Shikhar gets inside the line and pulls it through fine leg for a boundary. |
| 14.2 : 14.2: A Phehlukwayo to S Dhawan, FOUR! Dhawan is getting in the mood now. This is when he starts getting dangerous for the opposition. Reads the leg cutter early and charges down the track. Goes through with the aerial flick shot that he had planned and gets it over mid-wicket. Almost goes the distance. |
| 15.5 : 15.5: C Morris to S Dhawan, FOUR! Timing and placement. Short length ball angling in from round the stumps. It sits up and asks to be hit, Dhawan obliges. The timing on the pull shot is impeccable and it beats fine leg to his right. |
| 16.2 : 16.2: I Tahir to S Dhawan, FOUR! 25th ODI fifty for Shikhar Dhawan, his second in the Rainbow Nation and 4th against the Proteas. Back-to-back ones for him, showing that he is continuing from where he left out on the other day. Gets down on a knee and nails this sweep shot through square leg for a boundary. |
| 16.5 : 16.5: I Tahir to S Dhawan, FOUR! BANG! Dhawan picks up the tossed up wrong one. There wasn't much turn on this one. He goes over mid-wicket and gets a one-bounce boundary. |
| 19.1 : 19.1: L Ngidi to S Dhawan, FOUR! How are you, thank you, says Dhawan! Short and wide outside off, he stays back and clobber this past backward point for a boundary. |
| 20.4 : 20.4: I Tahir to S Dhawan, FOUR! Shikhar Dhawan is bossing Imran Tahir here. Sees the tossed up delivery and gets down the track in a flash. Flicks it in the air and collects a boundary through deep mid-wicket. |
| 22.1 : 22.1: I Tahir to V Kohli, FOUR! Terrific shot. Flighted delivery on the fuller length around off. Kohli gets his front foot forward and drives it wristily down the ground. Such is the power on that, that long on didn't stand a chance to come in the frame to cut that off. Another look showed that it was the googly and Virat picked up nice and early. |
| 23.1: JP Duminy to S Dhawan, OUT! Dhawan throws it away! There was a hundred for the taking, but he has shut shop and let it pass. Tossed up around off, Dhawan gets down the track and looks to go big on the on side. Doesn't get the elevation that he wanted and ends up chipping it towards mid-wicket. Markram has stationed himself there and he takes a wonderful catch tumbling to his left. End of the 140-run association between Dhawan and Kohli, South Africa get a breakthrough against the run of pl |
| 27.4 : 27.4: JP Duminy to A Rahane, OUT! Very unnecessary piece of cricket by Rahane and he has thrown his wicket away. Sunil Gavaskar on air is very angry with the shot selection, says that he just came in and all he needed to do was rotate the strike. Fair point, sir. Duminy has another wicket in the kitty. He serves a loopy full ball on middle, Rahane runs down the track aiming for a big shot across the line but fails to reach the pitch of the delivery early. He ends up miscuing it completely in the |
| 31.3 : 31.3: JP Duminy to H Pandya, SIX! Bang! Duminy tosses it up and lands it full around off, Pandya latches onto it and powers it over the bowler's head for a maximum. He is sent up the order for doing this! |
| 32.5 : 32.5: C Morris to H Pandya, OUT! The move to send Pandya up the order has flopped. Morris provides width and plays with the patience of the batsman. Two dot balls before this and Hardik sees the opportunity to free his arms. He flashes his bat at it but gets a thick outside edge behind to the new South African keeper. Klaasen makes no mistake and India have lost their fourth wicket. Good going from South Africa. Morris roars in delight. He knows the importance of this wicket as Hardik Pandya can |
| 37.1 : 37.1: JP Duminy to V Kohli, FOUR! Sliced away! Flighted full ball outside off, Kohli tries to loft it over covers but it goes over point for a boundary. Not where he intended but a boundary nonetheless. |
| 39.3 : 39.3: JP Duminy to V Kohli, FOUR! Clears the rope this time. Brings his bottom hand into play and whips it through mid-wicket. No chance to the fielder in the deep this time and a boundary results. |
| 41.3: I Tahir to MS Dhoni, OUT! Well, well, well, Tahir and Lungi, the Chennai recruits in the Indian T20 League have combined to remove the Chennai skipper. This was coming with MS struggling to get his innings going. He decides to attack the leggie. Dances down the track, tries to emulate his 2011 World Cup winning shot but there isn't enough venom behind the shot. Easily caught by Ngidi at long on. Big wicket for the Proteas. |
| 42.2 : 42.2: A Phehlukwayo to V Kohli, FOUR! Width on offer outside off, Kohli latches onto it and thwacks it through point for a cracking boundary. |
| 42.4 : 42.4: A Phehlukwayo to K Jadhav, OUT! Catching practice for the wicketkeeper. Not a wicket taking delivery but Jadhav has found a way to make it one. Tries to run a length ball wide outside off to third man but gets a top edge to Klaasen. He makes no mistake, his third catch of the match and he is having a good debut. India in a little bit of bother now. |
| 43.3 : 43.3: I Tahir to V Kohli, FOUR! Shot! No stopping this one. Floated full ball on middle, Virat kneels and nails his shot over mid-wicket for a boundary. Well struck, skipper! |
| 44.3: A Phehlukwayo to V Kohli, FOUR! Wow, glorious! Soothing to the eyes. This man is so attractive to watch when in full flow. It's a slower one, not sure an off cutter or leg cutter, doesn't matter either as Kohli has just lofted it nonchalantly over mid off for a boundary. Effortless. |
| 45.4 : 45.4: K Rabada to B Kumar, FOUR! Lovely hit! A length ball around off, Kumar moves back to create room and whacks it past the diving mid off fielder for a boundary. |
| 48.3 : 48.3: C Morris to V Kohli, SIX! But an excellent piece of fielding by Miller too. The catch won't count but don't take anything away from his effort. Fuller in length and on middle, Kohli launches it over widish mid on and Miller rushes across to his right in the deep. He dives to take the catch but the momentum takes him beyond the rope. He didn't get the opportunity to release the ball. My colleague pings, this would have been one of of those rare instances where a fielding side would have hop |
| 49.5 : 49.5: K Rabada to V Kohli, SIX! Going...going...gone! Kohli has nailed this one. Rabada is on the shorter side around off, Virat swivels on the back foot and muscles his pull shot over mid-wicket for a biggie. |
| 49.6 : 49.6: K Rabada to V Kohli, FOUR! Finishes it off in style! Rabada overpitches around off, Kohli attacks it with all his might and drills it down the ground for a boundary at long off. INDIA END ON 303/6! |
| 1.1 : 1.1: J Bumrah to H Amla, OUT! Bumrah strikes off his first delivery! Dream start for India with the ball. He runs in from over the wicket and lands it on a length around off. Amla hops to flick it away but misses and is caught right in front of the stumps. The Indians go up in appeal and get the nod from the umpire. Amla has a chat with his skipper at the other end, who says it isn't a good idea to review that. He is right there as the Hawk Eye returns three reds. The home side is jolted early i |
| 1.3 : 1.3: J Bumrah to JP Duminy, FOUR! Misdirected delivery, taken full toll of. Length ball on the pads, Duminy gets inside the line and nudges it fine down the leg side for his and his side's first boundary. Nice way to get going. |
| 3.6 : 3.6: J Bumrah to JP Duminy, FOUR! Beautiful shot! Bumrah overpitches it outside off, Duminy presses forward and caresses it past mid off's right. A dive was needed but it never came. Once it crossed the ring, it was always a boundary. |
| 4.2 : 4.2: B Kumar to A Markram, SIX! Skipper has cleared the rope here! This is an outstanding pitch for stroke making. Markram rocks back, fetches a short ball from outside off and clubs it over long on for a biggie. |
| 4.3 : 4.3: B Kumar to A Markram, FOUR! Gorgeous! A length ball this time, outside off, Markram strides forward and drives it crisply through covers for a glorious boundary. If the last shot was more of a tennis forehand, this was a proper cricketing shot. |
| 6.4 : 6.4: B Kumar to JP Duminy, FOUR! Poor line with fine leg up inside the circle. Kumar errs and serves on the pads, Duminy deflects it past the fielder at 45 for a boundary. |
| 8.3 : 8.3: B Kumar to JP Duminy, FOUR! Cleverly done. Kumar once again bowls a length ball which is leaving the left-hander outside off. Duminy waits for it quietly inside the crease and at the last moment just runs it down to third man. The fielder is a bit square in the deep and he has no chance of cutting it off. |
| 13.6 : 13.6: H Pandya to A Markram, FOUR! Nice shot! Markram stands back to a shortish ball and powers it over mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 16.2 : 16.2: K Yadav to A Markram, OUT! 400th dismissal for MS Dhoni in ODIs! Kuldeep slows this up in the air and lands it full around middle. Markram fails to read the googly there as he walks forward to flick it on the leg side. But the ball spins away to beat the outside edge and Dhoni takes the bails off in a flash. The chinaman strikes almost immediately and South Africa will hope this has not opened the floodgates. End of a handy partnership too. 225 needed off 202 balls! |
| 18.2: K Yadav to H Klaasen, FOUR! Unforced error in the field. Who is the culprit? It's Bhuvneshwar. Loopy and full outside off, Klaasen presses forward and drills it through the line. Kumar runs across to his right at the edge of mid off but dives over the ball and lets it through for a boundary. |
| 19.2: Y Chahal to H Klaasen, OUT! Trapped in front! Chahal also tastes blood. Ominous signs for the Proteas. Is this once again going the same way like the last ODI? A nicely tossed up leg spinner, landing on leg and spinning away to beat the bat of Klaasen. He is rapped on the back leg, they appeal and the finger goes up almost immediately. The debutant has a chat with his senior partner but Duminy advises against the use of DRS. Heinrich walks back and South Africa lose their third wicket. |
| 21.5 : 21.5: Y Chahal to JP Duminy, OUT! That's hitting leg and Duminy, the set batsman, has to depart. Body blow to South Africa's chances. Chahal has his second. Another traditional leg spinner has earned him a wicket. He lands it around off and gets it to spin back into the left-hander. Duminy stays back to flick it on the leg side but misses. It thuds him on the pads, they appeal and this time the umpire thinks a bit before lifting his finger. JP Duminy has a chat with his partner before taking the |
| 28.3 : 28.3: J Bumrah to D Miller, FOUR! Streaky, Miller won't mind it. Banged short around leg, the southpaw swivels and pulls it. Gets it through fine leg for a boundary. |
| 32.3: J Bumrah to D Miller, OUT! This was always on the cards, wasn't it? Miller was fishing outside the off stump in the past couple of overs and now, although this isn't the same action, the edge is induced nevertheless. Bumrah runs in from round the wicket and delivers a length ball angling in to the batsman. David looks to pull it off the front foot. Wrongly positioned and a wrong choice of shot as well as the ball wasn't really short. What's more, he advanced down the track as well. All he |
| 33.2 : 33.2: B Kumar to C Morris, FOUR! Shot. Talk about the followthrough of the blades and the extension of the arms and the presence of the high elbows... this shot had it all. Fuller ball outside off, Morris gets his front foot forward and drives it through covers. The mid off fielder ran to his right but couldn't do much once the ball passed him. |
| 35.2: K Yadav to C Morris, OUT! As plumb as it gets. Morris is done with playing his shot during breakfast while the ball is served for lunch. He gets across the stumps and wears it on the box as he missed his pull. An appeal is just a formality as the finger is raised immediately. 154 off 88 needed as Chris walks back vigorously shaking his head. Not sure if it is because of him missing the ball completely or if someone from the opposite camp had something to say to him. |
| 36.1 : 36.1: Y Chahal to K Zondo, OUT! My partner here, Praky, wonders if Kohli had held his spinners back just to get some night allowance. He had the chance to go for the kill earlier but he didn't. Now he has brought both of them back and each has struck. Chahal tosses this one up around off, Zondo gets down to slog it away. Gets a top edge, the ball goes up, touches eternity and comes down to Pandey, the sub, at covers. As easy as it gets. The end is nigh for the hosts now. Third wicket for Yuzvend |
| 36.6 : 36.6: Y Chahal to K Rabada, FOUR! How did that miss the stumps? Floated up around middle and leg, the ball spins in sharply. Rabada looks to drive that but gets an inside edge past the stumps for a boundary. |
| 37.3 : 37.3: K Yadav to A Phehlukwayo, OUT! Ever heard a strict mother warning her ward to not accept lollipops from strangers? Such an instruction should be given to the South African batsmen as well. Yadav tosses this up nicely outside off, Phehlukwayo fails to resist the temptation to go after that. Looks to hoick it over the on side but gets a top edge. Kohli runs forward from covers and accepts it gleefully. India need another 2 wickets to be 3-0 at the end of this game. |
| 37.4 : 37.4: K Yadav to I Tahir, FOUR! Nice way to get off the mark. A low full toss outside off, Tahir reached out to that and drives it square on the off side. The ball has enough in it to go to the fence. |
| 38.2 : 38.2: Y Chahal to I Tahir, FOUR! The best shot from a South African in this innings has come from the no.10, quips my partner. Tahir dances down to this tossed up ball and hits it straight over the bowler's head for a boundary. |
| 38.4 : 38.4: Y Chahal to I Tahir, OUT! The party has ended. Chahal is not afraid to toss it up yet again. Tahir gets down on a knee to slog it out of Cape Town but fails to even clear the 30-yard circle. Finds Kohli at mid on with the skier. This is Chahal's fourth wicket. |
| 38.5 : 38.5: Y Chahal to K Rabada, SIX! Ho, ho, ho... it's a beauty! Flighted ball around middle, Rabada gets down on a knee and goes with the spin. Makes nice contact as the ball clears the deep mid-wicket fence with ease. Just the second six off this innings. |
| 39.5: K Yadav to L Ngidi, FOUR! Yadav comes round the wicket and tosses this up. Lungi goes with the spin and hits it over mid-wicket. The ball lands just in front of the ropes, the fielder after it signals that to the umpire but it's still given as a biggie. Then he goes upstairs to find that the ball indeed bounced before the rope. Umpire Adrian Holdstock corrects his mistake. |
| 39.6 : 39.6: K Yadav to L Ngidi, OUT! How silent was this wicket! Dhoni told Kuldeep to bowl the other one and he does. Lands it on middle and gets it to turn away. Ngidi swipes across the line but misses the ball completely. The players don't even bother appealing. The umpire raises the finger. Hold on, Hawk Eye shows the ball to be PASSING OVER THE STUMPS. The hosts didn't have any review left, though. INDIA WIN BY 124 RUNS AND TAKE AN UNASSAILABLE 3-0 LEAD IN THE SERIES! |
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