Visakhapatnam, India – Yashasvi Jaiswal's maiden ODI century propelled India to a dominant nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the third and final ODI, clinching the series 2-1. The young opener's brilliant performance, coupled with strong contributions from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, ensured a comfortable chase of 271 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
South Africa, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first, were bowled out for 270 in 47.5 overs. Quinton de Kock's century (106 off 89 balls) provided a solid foundation, but the innings faltered in the face of disciplined bowling from the Indian side. Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav spearheaded the attack, each claiming four wickets to trigger a collapse in the Proteas' middle and lower order.
India's chase was anchored by a commanding 155-run opening stand between Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma. Sharma contributed a fluent 75 off 73 balls before being dismissed by Keshav Maharaj. Jaiswal, however, remained unflappable, reaching his century in 111 balls. He finished with an unbeaten 116 off 121 deliveries, decorated with 12 fours and 2 sixes, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Virat Kohli continued his impressive form, scoring a classy 65 not out off 45 balls. Kohli's innings included two powerful shots to the off-side that sealed the victory for India. He was also named Player of the Series.
Earlier in the South African innings, Arshdeep Singh provided an early breakthrough by dismissing Ryan Rickleton for a duck. De Kock and Temba Bavuma then stabilized the innings with a century stand before Bavuma fell for 48 to Ravindra Jadeja. However, South Africa failed to capitalize on this platform as the Indian bowlers tightened their grip on the game. Prasidh Krishna's crucial spell saw him remove Breetzke and Markram in quick succession, while Kuldeep Yadav further dismantled the middle order.
This victory marked India's first ODI series win after a recent Test series victory. India also broke a long streak of losing the toss, having won it for the first time since the 2023 Cricket World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
Reflecting on his performance, Yashasvi Jaiswal expressed his gratitude and discussed his conversations with Rohit Sharma about pacing his innings. He emphasized the importance of balancing attacking shots with consolidation and controlling his thoughts on shot selection.
