IND vs SA: Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad tons in vain; South Africa beat India by four wickets to level series 1-1

South Africa secured a four-wicket victory against India in the second ODI. Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad scored centuries for India, setting a target of 359. Aiden Markram led the South African chase with a brilliant 110. The series is now tied at 1-1. The final match will decide the series winner.
India vs South Africa (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
NEW DELHI: South Africa secured a four-wicket victory in the second ODI against India, despite outstanding centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The visitors successfully chased down a target of 359 runs. The South African chase was led by Aiden Markram's brilliant 110, supported by Dewald Brevis's explosive 54 off 34 balls and Matthew Breetzke's solid 68. The series now stands level at 1-1.
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The final ODI will take place in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, which will determine the series winner. India's bowling struggled as heavy dew made conditions difficult for spinners. Prasidh Krishna's expensive figures of 2/85 further complicated their defence of the total. The match remained competitive until the end. Prasidh Krishna dismissed Breetzke leg-before, and Arshdeep Singh removed Marco Jansen, but Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj guided South Africa to victory with four balls remaining. Markram dominated the innings with his first century against India. He established a strong foundation despite losing Quinton de Kock early to Arshdeep Singh. A 101-run partnership developed between Markram and Bavuma for the second wicket. Markram maintained an aggressive approach while Bavuma rotated the strike effectively. Markram's innings featured powerful hitting and skilful shot placement. He particularly excelled against the Indian spinners, taking advantage of the dewy conditions. Fortune favoured Markram when Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped a catch at long-on off Kuldeep Yadav 's bowling when he was on 53. After Markram's dismissal by Harshit Rana, Brevis and Breetzke formed a crucial partnership. They scored 92 runs in 63 balls, putting South Africa in a commanding position. Brevis fell after his quick half-century, while Breetzke continued his good form with a second consecutive fifty. This match marked only the second time India lost an ODI after scoring over 350 runs. The previous instance was against Australia in March 2019 at Mohali. In India's innings, Kohli scored 102 off 93 balls, while Gaikwad made 105 off 83 balls. Their 195-run partnership for the third wicket set a new record against South Africa. KL Rahul's unbeaten 66 off 43 balls helped India reach 358/5. India experimented with their batting order, sending Rahul at number five ahead of Washington Sundar. Gaikwad complemented Kohli perfectly during their partnership. Their batting partnership surpassed the previous record of 189 runs set by Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in Durban in 2018. The partnership featured excellent running between wickets and consistent rotation of strike. Gaikwad matched Kohli's stroke play and grew more confident after reaching his fifty. Kohli continued his remarkable form, beginning with a perfect pull shot for six and maintaining his excellence throughout his innings to achieve his 53rd ODI century.
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