Virat Kohli scored his 35th ODI ton as India cruised to a 8-wicket victory over South Africa in the 6th ODI in Centurion. With this victory, India also wrapped up the series 5-1 in sensational style. The skipper was also named the man-of-the-series for his valiant effort
The Indian skipper was at his brutal best, finding boundaries with relative ease and stitching - first, a 61-run partnership with Shikhar Dhawan (18) and then an unbeaten 121-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane (34*).
India lost Rohit Sharma (15) early and at one moment it did seem as if we might finally have a contest in our hands.
But Kohli had other plans, as he went for the weakened South African bowling, who were without their star pacer Kagiso Rabada. Ngidi was the only shining light for the home team, picking up two wickets.
Kohli also broke records, including highest runs scored by a batsman in a bilateral series, highest runs scored by a captain in ODI series and also highest runs scored against South Africa.
Earlier, Shardul Thakur bowled a great spell of pace bowling as he scalped four wickets to help the visitors dismiss the Proteas for 204 in 46.5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal scalped two wickets each while Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep also picked one a piece.
After put into bat , the South Africa openers got off to a cautious start with Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla putting on a 23-run stand for the first wicket. The hosts suffered the first blow of the day when Amla nicked a Shardul delivery straight into the hands of wicket-keeper MS Dhoni.
Skipper Markram was the next to depart as he became Shardul's second wicket of the innings when he hit the ball into the hands of Shreyas Iyer at point, who took a brilliant jumping catch. AB De Villiers and Khaya Zondo then joined forces in the middle and started the rebuilding job for the hosts.
The duo took the hosts' score past the 100-run mark with a good 50-run partnership. And just when the duo were looking settled in the middle, Chahal did the trick for the visitors as he castled De Villiers for 34.
Zondo and Heinrich Klaasen then tried to steady the ship for a brief period but the 30-run partnership was ended by Bumrah who got rid of the latter for 22. Farhaan Behardien too followed suit soon as he became Shardul's third scalp of the day for 1.
Chris Morris played a careless shot and was caught out in the deep of the bowling off Kuldeep for just 4. Zondo kept fighting a lone battle for the hosts as he completed his well-deserved maiden ODI fifty.
But his vigil soon ended as he became Chahal's second scalp of the day after the right-hander played a rash shot and Pandya took a brilliant running catch on the cover boundary. Andile Phehlukwayo and Morne Morkel slammed few boundaries at the end to add some respectability to the score but Morkel's short innings was ended by Pandya for 20.
Imran Tahir could only survive for eight deliveries as he hit a Bumrah delivery into the hands of skipper Kohli in the covers. With this dismissal, Kohli became only the 7th Indian cricketer to pluck 100 catches in ODIs.
Phehlukwayo hit couple of boundaries to take the South Africa score past the 200-run mark but he became Shardul's fourth wicket of the day when the Indian pacer affected a brilliant caught and bowled in the 47th over of the innings.
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