Virtuoso Kohli hundred leads India to victory in South Africa

India took a 3-0 lead in the six-game series against South Africa, who struggled against spin after Virat Kohli's 34th ODI century.

Published : Feb 08, 2018 14:22 IST

Virat Kohli produced a virtuoso hundred as India comfortably triumphed by 124 runs in the third one-day international against South Africa at Newlands.

India skipper Kohli scored an unbeaten 160 off 159 balls for his 34th ODI ton – leaving him just 15 shy of matching Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record – as the visitors took a 3-0 lead in the six-game series.

The 29-year-old displayed magnificent placement as he racked up 14 boundaries, including two maximums, in fine fashion as India posted a commanding total of 303-6.

South Africa have struggled against spin in this series and that theme continued as Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal claimed four wickets apiece.

The Proteas never looked in contention after the removal of JP Duminy (51) and lost their last five wickets for 29 runs as they were skittled for 179, meaning they must win in Johannesburg in to keep hopes of sharing the series alive.

Rohit Sharma was quickly unsettled by Kagiso Rabada's pace and fell to his sixth delivery for a duck by sending an inside edge back to debutant Heinrich Klaasen, while Kohli was given out lbw on zero before being saved upon review.

The India skipper got off the mark by finding the ropes three balls later and was fortunate an inside edge did not crash into his stumps on 21, while Duminy narrowly missed an opportunity to run him out in the 12th over.

But Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan (76) soon settled into a formidable union, the latter bringing up his fifty with a shot through deep square before the former slammed Imran Tahir (1-52) down the ground having followed suit.

While Dhawan fell to Duminy (2-60) at midwicket, Kohli remained composed and picked his shots sublimely and clinched yet another ODI ton with a pair of runs after flicking Duminy to short fine leg.

MS Dhoni (10) and Kedar Jadhav (1) went cheaply but the India skipper launched a late surge and a diving David Miller was unable to deny him a first maximum as his momentum took him over the ropes, with another two boundaries to finish taking the tourists beyond 300 and capping a phenomenal innings.

South Africa suffered an early blow when Jasprit Bumrah (2-32) claimed the scalp of Hashim Amla (1) with his first ball, and although Duminy and Aiden Markram made starts, only the former was able to convert it into a half-century.

Proteas skipper Markram was stumped by Dhoni on 32 after misjudging the turn generated by Kuldeep (4-23), while Chahal (4-64) trapped Klaasen (6) leg before to leave the hosts at 88-3.

Chahal repeated the trick to dismiss Duminy, who used his team's final review unsuccessfully, and South Africa crumbled in the aftermath to fall to a chastening loss.

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