Virat Kohli, after series win, promises South Africa no favors in final ODI
05:52AM Wed 14 Feb, 2018
India captain Virat Kohli described his team's 73-run win in the 5th ODI against South Africa as a "complete performance". The win enabled India to take a winning 4-1 lead in the six-match series, their first success in seven bilateral or multi-team series in South Africa. Kohli, however, vowed no let ups in the final ODI of the series. "We want to win 5-1 but there might be a scenario to give a few (other) guys a chance." Kohli said with the series won using only 12 of India's 17-man squad. "It's a wonderful feeling to have created some history. The guys really got stuck in, with the bat and the ball and in the field as well." Kohli said praising the effort of his team.
Rohit Sharma ended a personal South African hoodoo and set up a series win for India. The Mumbai batsman's 115 was his first major innings in three tours of South Africa.
South Africa's chances of overhauling India's 274 for seven plummeted when they lost their first three wickets inside the first 13 overs. Hardik Pandya struck crucial blows by dismissing JP Duminy and AB de Villiers.
Hashim Amla played a measured innings of 71 and shared partnerships of 62 with David Miller and 39 with Heinrich Klaasen. He was run out by a direct hit from Pandya, effectively ending the home team's hopes.
Indian wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were effective on a slow pitch, taking four and two wickets respectively.
Rohit's 17th one-day international century ended a run of low scores in South Africa. In 19 previous innings across both Tests and one-day internationals, his previous highest score was 47 and he had scored only 249 runs at an average of 13.11.
He said he had ensured that he stayed in a good frame of mind despite not making big scores.
"I have been enjoying South Africa. It's a good place to play cricket. I knew I didn't have to change a lot and the runs would come," he said.
With the series won, using only 12 of India's 17-man squad, Kohli said: "We want to win 5-1 but there might be a scenario to give a few (other) guys a chance."
Although he was the mainstay of the innings, Sharma was at least partially complicit in two run-outs, both of which happened after he sent his batting partner back.
The first run-out accounted for captain Kohli, who made 36 -- his lowest score of the series -- in a second wicket stand of 105 with Rohit. Kohli called Sharma through for a risky single, then could not beat JP Duminy's direct hit at the bowler's end.
Ajinkya Rahane was the second run-out victim, playing a ball to mid-on and almost reaching the other end of the pitch before realizing Sharma was refusing a run.
Rohit hit 11 fours and four sixes in his 126-ball innings but should have been caught on 96 when Tabraiz Shamsi dropped a straightforward offering at third man off Kagiso Rabada.
(With inputs from AFP)
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