SA vs Ind, 3rd ODI: Quinton's ton help hosts set visitors 288-run target as bowlers make a late comeback

Cape Town [South Africa], January 23 : South African wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock scored his sixth ODI ton against India as hosts were bowled out for 287 in 49.5 overs with Indian bowlers making a comeback here at Newlands Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss the Indian team got off to a great start with comeback man Deepak Chahar picking up the wicket of inform opener Janneman Malan in the third over of the match caught behind by wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant for only 1.
Quinton de Kock carried on where he left in the previous match scoring runs at a brisk pace for the Proteas. But in the sixth over South Africa lost the wicket of their captain Temba Bavuma for just 8 as Indian captain KL Rahul sent him back to the pavilion with a direct hit from mid-off reducing the hosts to 34 for 2.
With the fall of two early wickets, the Proteas needed a partnership and Aiden Markram alongwith de Kock took the team's total 53 for 2 in first powerplay of 10 overs. Deepak Chahar was given an extended spell as he continued to bowl his seventh over and Rahul's decision paid off as Chahar got the wicket of Markram for 15 caught in the deep by substitute fielder Ruturaj Gaikwad leaving Proteas tottering at 70 for 3.
'Player of the match' award winner in the first ODI Rassie van der Dussen joined de Kock in the middle and got a life at his individual score of 12 as wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant dropped his catch in the 16th over of the match of Jayant Yadav's bowling. Despite losing partners at the other end de Kock did not look too perturbed as he notched up his half-century of 59 deliveries.
South Africa reached the triple-figure mark in the 20th over. Dussen and de Kock struck fifty partnership to bring some stability in the South African innings. Opener de Kock started to take on Indian bowlers hitting Yuzvendra Chahal and Prasidh Krishna for boundaries and reaching close to his triple-figure mark. The Dussen and de Kock pair struck a century partnership for the fourth wicket as Proteas scored 170 runs in 30 overs.
Quinton de Kock went on to score his 17th ODI ton his sixth against India in 17 innings equaling the record of AB de Villiers and Ricky Ponting of most ODI centuries against India behind Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya who has seven tons to his name. Enroute to his century de Kock also equaled the record of quickest to 1000 runs in ODIs against India in just 16 innings equaling the record of Australian batter Steve Smith.
Rassie van der Dussen's run of form continued as he went on to score his 10th ODI fifty. The hosts went past the 200-run mark in the 35th over as de Kock and Dussen toyed away with the Indian bowling attack.
KL Rahul introduced Jasprit Bumrah into the attack and the pacer broke the 144-run partnership dismissing centurion de Kock for 124 of 130 balls caught near the boundary line by Shikhar Dhawan to give India the much-needed breakthrough.
In the next over Yuzvendra Chahal got the prized scalp of Rassie van der Dussen for 52 of 59 deliveries caught in the deep to a brilliant running catch by Shreyas Iyer.
With two wickets in quick succession, the Indian bowlers bowled some economical overs as the Proteas scored 228 runs in 40 overs. Due to economical overs, the pressure crept and the South Africans lost the wicket of Andile Phehlukwayo to a run out by Shreyas Iyer.
David Miller and Dwaine Pretorius then started to hit boundaries as the hosts went past 250-run mark in the 44th over. The 44-run partnership for the seventh wicket came to an end as Prasidh Krishna dismissed Pretorius for 20 caught in the deep by Suryakumar Yadav. Jasprit Bumrah got his second wicket of the match dismissing Keshav Maharaj for 6 caught by Virat Kohli who took a good running catch.
In the last over of the South African innings, Prasidh Krishna dismissed David Miller and Sisanda Magala as the hosts were bowled out for 287 in 49.5 overs.
Brief scores: SA (Quinton de Kock 124, Rassie van der Dussen 52; Prasidh Krishna 3/59, Jasprit Bumrah 2/52, Deepak Chahar 2/53) vs India