De Kock, Malan lead Proteas’ victory charge

A run-a-ball opening partnership of 132 between Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan helped South Africa to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over a flat-looking Indian team at Boland Park in Paarl on Friday.

The win, which came with 11 balls to spare on another hot day in Paarl, means that the Proteas have taken a winning 2-0 lead in the series with the final dead-rubber match at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday.

Facing what seemed to be a challenging Indian total of 287 for six, largely due to a brilliant 85 in 71 balls by Rishabh Pant, De Kock revealed an exquisite array of strokes all around the wicket as he struck 39 of the opening stand of 50 with Malan and 64 of the century stand.

He did have one moment of fortune, with India’s hero in the first innings, Pant, missing an easy stumping chance when De Kock danced down the track and missed a full-blooded drive off Ravi Ashwin when he was on 32. Pant was unable to gather the ball with De Kock stranded.

De Kock struck seven fours and three sixes in his sparkling innings of 78 in 66 balls as he and Malan broke the back of what appeared to be a challenging task with 250 the biggest victory target successfully achieved at Boland Park. The two men had taken their partnership to 132 when De Kock was undone by a sharply in-swinging full toss from Shardul Thakur – one of India’s successes in the ODI series – that struck him on the pad in front of his stumps. Umpire Marais Erasmus was unmoved by the leg-before shout but the review showed that the ball was hitting De Kock’s middle stump.

South Africa were unmoved by the left-hander’s dismissal, continuing to score at six an over with Malan and new partner Temba Bavuma adding a further 80 off 76 balls with relative ease against a team that seemed to lack the fiery qualities of its former captain, Virat Kohli.

India did enjoy a late sliver of hope when they struck twice in quick succession, with the ever-enthusiastic Bumrah – comfortably their best bowler with 1-37 in 10 overs – bowling Malan for an excellent 91 (108 balls, 8x4s, 1x6) off his elbow while Bavuma (35) went an over later when he got a leading edge to a delivery from legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, offering a simple return catch.

Aiden Markram (35), who enjoyed some time at the crease after his recent struggles with the bat, and the centurion in the first ODI, Rassie van der Dussen (37), then knocked off the remaining 74 in 75 balls with almost disdainful ease.

NERVOUS START

Earlier, India skipper KL Rahul struck what seemed to be the first significant blow for the tourists by winning the toss on the same pitch that had been used on Wednesday. Batting first was an obvious strategy with the pitch expected to show signs of wear later on. As it turned out, the track was even better for batting than it was on Wednesday.

The Indians got off to a brisk start against South Africa’s pace attack of Lungi Ngidi and Sisanda Magala, who replaced the rested Marco Jansen, winning his second ODI cap.

Magala began nervously, conceding 16 runs in his opening over and 29 in his first three as Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan accepted a number of presents as well as a couple of boundary wides down the leg side.

The partnership reached 63 in the 12th over before Dhawan (29), who again struck the ball superbly, swept offspinner Aiden Markram straight to Magala on the midwicket boundary. It was a soft dismissal, as was Kohli’s demise the following over as he drove Maharaj tamely to Bavuma at short extra-cover before he had scored.

India then turned the momentum their way as Rahul, who played the sheet anchor role, was joined by Pant. The flamboyant left-hander played in his usual positive vein, but this time it was controlled and clinical. He and Rahul added 115 in 111 balls with Pant striking 83 of them, including 10 fours and two sixes.

Just when it looked like India might go beyond the 300 mark, South Africa struck back with a second double-blow that came immediately after the mid-innings drinks break. Rahul (55 in 75 balls), who had batted with such composure, unaccountably clipped the first ball from Magala straight to mid-on before Pant, in the next over, provided Tabraiz Shamsi with some compensation for his earlier hammering as his lofted drive found Markram, running in from long-on.

The Indian innings was boosted late on by allrounder Thakur (40* in 38 balls having struck an undefeated 50 in the first ODI) who shared partnerships of 32 with Venkatesh Iyer (22) and 48 in 38 balls with Ravi Ashwin (25*).

South Africa’s main failing was their fielding with four catches being dropped and an easy run-out spurned in almost comic-book fashion. The wickets were shared around with Markram once again doing a good job with his off-spin – albeit not at the top of the innings as in the first game – taking the valuable wicket of Dhawan at a cost of 34 runs in eight overs. Magala came back well from his early troubles but he was the most expensive bowler with 1-64 in eight overs.

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wk), Janneman Malan, Temba Bavuma (capt), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Sisanda Magala, Tabraiz Shamsi

INDIA: KL Rahul (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal