India v South Africa 5th ODI, Review: South Africa dust off India to a stellar win

India v South Africa 5th ODI, Review: South Africa dust off India to a stellar win: It was a big day, the day of the final, on a Sunday, at a ground that had witnessed history, in front of the crowd that equates its cricketers to gods. India dangled, disintegrated and lumped. If you have to have the worst day and a day you would want to forget as soon as you are done with, today was that day for the Indian cricket team. Everything from the toss went against India and once AB de Villiers had called to bat first, one could sense nervousness in the Indian fans; the trend of the series continued and the game went South Africa’s way.

The South African batsmen batted exceptionally well; on a pitch where the ball came on to the bat well, they played their shots. Right from de Kock to Farhaan Behardien everyone relished the chance of batting at the Wankhede and deposited the ball into the stands that were filled with enthusiastic Indian fans. India were outbatted in the match and with a target as big as 439 you need someone to play a magical innings or more than a couple of them to cross the triple figures but nothing like that happened and India were beaten comprehensively, without being given the slightest chance in the game by a demoralizing margin of 214 runs.

To start the day Quinton de Kock gave South Africa one of the best starts they have had in the series, Hashim Amla looked good too and soon crossed into the 6000 runs club. He is now the fastest player in ODI cricket history to score 6000 runs in the format. Quinton continued his love affair with India and the Indian bowlers; and with his 109 runs innings today, he now has 5 centuries against this very opposition. Though Amla once again perished to Mohit Sharma it hardly changed the equation.

Faf du Plessis who had an average series took the responsibility and though he initially took his time to get the runs, more importantly he got them. Faf got to his fifty and hundred slower than run a ball, but by the time he retired hurt, after struggling with his hamstring he had 133 runs on the board from 115 balls. AB de Villiers was once again in his own zone, his own world, playing in his own league and the Indian bowlers hardly had a clue where to ball.

Even if you plan out a strategy, a bowling line, this man has it in him to shatter them up and dictate his terms. AB quite reasonably played the innings of the match, if it had not to be for his 61 balls 119 South Africa would have got to a score in range of 300s and which was pretty much chasable on this track. Some boundaries by David Miller and Behardien got South Africa to the record second highest total in ODI cricket history 438.

The match was already decided at the half way stage, even the most ardent Indian fans would have agreed they had just a remote chance, and whoever considered the chance would have expected a big knock from one among Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. But once both of them got out cheaply, despite a rather character defining knock from Ajinky Rahane (87 from 58) and a place saving fifty by Shikhar Dhawan (60 off 59 balls) India were never in the chase.

Once Suresh Raina was bowled off a Yorker by Kagiso Rabada it negated the slimmest chance they had of pulling off the hypothetical win. Imran Tahir bowled MS Dhoni out for 27 and it was just a matter of deliveries thereafter.

Rabada who has been the star bowler of the series crashed one into Amit Mishra’s toes and the finger went up for one final time to hand India a humiliating 214 runs defeat, which is their second biggest margin of defeats in ODIs.

But this match and the series will be remembered for the way the South Africa beat the odds, beat the heat, and overcame the cramps, the injuries and were still able to put up a performance to better MS Dhoni and his team at home. This also happens to be their first ever bilateral series win over India, and what better way to bring that up.

It will be wrong to point fingers at individuals in the Indian camp, they need their own space and time to get together a unit that can click for them, bowlers who can get wickets and batsmen who are confident enough to face world-class bowlers.

Brief Scores:

South Africa – 438/4 in 50 overs (Faf du Plessis 133, AB de Villiers 119, Q de Kock 109)

India – 224/10 in 36.0 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 87; Kagiso Rabada 4/41, Dale Steyn 3/38)

South Africa wins by 214 runs

Man of the Match – Quinton de Kock

Man of the Series – AB de Villiers

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