Seven hours before Virat Kohli struck the winning runs in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, India celebrated as if victory was already assured. Stand-in captain KL Rahul punched the air after winning the toss, ending an improbable 20-match losing streak at the coin flip. Rahul even switched to his left hand for the toss in a superstitious bid to change fortunes.
The toss proved pivotal in the series decider. Evening dew had undermined India’s bowling effort in the second ODI at Raipur, where they posted 358 yet lost the match. This time, Rahul opted to bowl first without hesitation, determined to exploit the dry ball during South Africa’s innings.
India dominated across all facets of the game. Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav claimed four wickets apiece to limit South Africa to 270, despite a century from Quinton de Kock — at least 80 runs below a competitive total on what was anticipated to be a high-scoring surface in the coastal venue. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden ODI century, supported by commanding fifties from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, guided India to a comfortable victory.
India clinched the series 2-1, offering some consolation after last month’s Test series whitewash against Temba Bavuma’s South Africa.
Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 116, while Kohli cruised to 65 not out as India chased down the target with 10.1 overs and nine wickets remaining, making the pursuit appear routine.
Winning the toss seemed to unlock India’s confidence. The team relaxed, responded to the DJ’s music and delivered entertainment for the capacity crowd. With the bat, Rohit applied early pressure while protecting Jaiswal, who started tentatively. Though Rohit fell short of a well-deserved century, Jaiswal found his rhythm and accelerated brilliantly to register his breakthrough ODI hundred. The innings silenced critics and cemented his credentials among India’s emerging white-ball stars competing for opportunities.
While Rohit and Jaiswal built the foundation with their partnership, Kohli provided the finishing touch. He displayed trademark strokeplay, signaling to the cricket world that he may yet reach another pinnacle in ODI cricket. Kohli concluded the series with two centuries and a fifty — evidence that his hunger remains intact and his commitment to India’s 2027 World Cup campaign is unwavering.
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Kohli raced to his half-century in merely 40 deliveries, timing the ball perfectly and striking it cleanly from the bat’s sweet spot. The former captain narrowly missed accumulating 300 runs in the series, falling short of becoming only the second Indian batsman to achieve that milestone in a three-match bilateral ODI series.
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