India bowl South Africa out for 99; equals record for most victories in a calendar year
South Africa bowled out for 99 in the third ODI at Delhi.
What was predicted to be a closely contested match turned out to be a no contest as India bowled the proteas out for a mere 99 in 27 overs.
Captain Dhawan called it right at the toss and chose to field first and The Indians were on song from the get-go.
Perfect strategies.
The Indians did their homework for every batsman on the opposing team, as nearly every wicket that fell had been carefully worked on the practice field.
De Kock’s flaws with a closed bat face were revealed throughout the series, when he was caught edging one to the fielder. Washi returned him with his first spell, and Siraj dealt with the other two at the crease.
The first three wickets fell quickly, and the introduction of spin in the 12th over did the rest. Shahbaz was landing it accurately, leading top-order batter Aiden Markram to step down the track and edge the ball to the keeper.
Klassen stood tall as the skipper David Miller stood alongside him in the center. Washi was reintroduced into the attack after outpacing the captain with a faster one that looped back in. With only 66 runs on the board, half of the team was back in the pavilion.
Klassen was waging a lone battle but due to his absent footwork, he was cramped for room by Shahbaz and was sent back after a well same 42-ball 34.
Kuldeep was introduced in the 20th over as the tailenders were being wrapped up. Jansen hit some good shots, but Kuldeep was too good for the tailenders, taking four wickets in four overs. South Africa were knocked out for 99 runs, and India must chase those down to win the series.
The trio of Shahbaz, Kuldeep, and Washi managed EIGHT wickets as they were perfectly used in tandem.
India register joint-most international victory in a year
The Indian batters didn’t have the best of starts. Their skipper Shikhar Dhawan was departed for a sorry score of 8. He was soon followed by the hero of earlier game Ishan Kishan for 10 off 18 balls.
However, the other opener Shubhman Gill formulated a crucial partnership with Shreyas Iyer. Gill scored 49 off 57 and Iyer scored 28 off 23 to take the Indian team over the line.
This led to a an iconic victory over the Protean. With this victory India has now registered the joint most number of International victories in a calendar year.
India has now equaled the record of Australia from the year 2003. They now have 38 victories to their name. And are likely to set a new record as well.
