Arshdeep ties Proteas in a knot as India claim ODI series in Paarl

A maiden one-day international century by Sanju Samson was the catalyst for India to claim a 78-run victory and secure a 2-1 series victory over the Proteas in the third match in Paarl on Thursday evening. 

Samson’s 108 runs at Boland Park, which came off 114 balls, steered India to 296/8 from their 50 overs.

A half-century by Tilak Varma, with whom Samson shared a century partnership, and a brisk 38 from 27 by Rinku Singh also helped propel India to a defendable total. 

Then four wickets by Arshdeep Singh saw the tourists restrict South Africa to 218 all out with 25 balls to spare.

In pursuit of 297 for victory, Tony de Zorzi continued where he left off in Gqeberha to cross the 50-run mark for the second time in as many matches, falling 19 runs short of a second consecutive century. 

De Zorzi hit six boundaries and three sixes on his way to his 81 and shared in two half-century stands with Reeza Hendricks (59) and Aiden Markram (65), but that was still not enough to see the Proteas over the line. 

Hendricks (19) edged an Arshdeep Singh delivery that was caught behind, while Rassie van der Dussen faced 17 balls for his 2 before being bowled by Axar Patel as South Africa slipped to 76/2. 

Left-hander De Zorzi and captain Markram took the Proteas past 100 in the 21st over before Markram hit Patel for a six to take their partnership past 50. Markram lost his wicket to Washington Sundar for 36 off 41 deliveries when the ball clipped his glove on the way through to wicketkeeper KL Rahul. 

The hosts slipped from 141/3 to 177/6, first losing De Zorzi to Arshdeep, then Heinrich Klaasen (21), who was brilliantly caught by Sai Sudharsan off Avesh Khan. Wiaan Mulder was out for 1 off after a feint edge for Sundar’s second wicket. 

Mukesh Kumar claimed his first wicket to get rid of David Miller for a laboured 10 off 20 balls as the hosts reached the 40-over mark needing 98 runs to win. 

They lost their last three wickets for 26 runs as Arshdeep claimed 4/30 from nine overs while Sundar and Avesh Khan finished on 2/38 and 2/45 from a combined 17.5 overs.

Winning the toss and choosing to field, the hosts struck in the fifth over when debutant Rajat Patidar was bowled by Nandre Burger for 22. Sudharsan fell leg before wicket for 10 in Beuran Hendricks’ first over as the visitors slipped to 49/2 in the eighth over. 

Samson and skipper Rahul steadied the ship for the Indians, taking their side to 59 at the end of the first 10-over power play. 

They shared 52 runs, taking India past 100 before Rahul fell bizarrely to Mulder, with the ball hitting the thigh pad, then the back of his bat before looping its way towards Klaasen. 

The right-handed Samson was joined by left-hander Tilak Varma, who struggled to find the boundary early on but continued to rotate the strike.

Samson batted calmly to move past 50 runs as India reached the drinks break in the 33rd over on 149/3. 

Their partnership crossed 100 runs, while the Indian total moved past 200 with the pair looking to accelerate in the final 10 overs.

Samson and Varma’s fourth-wicket stand yielded 116 runs with the left-hander recording a maiden ODI half-century off 75 balls, but he fell two runs later in his attempt to deposit Keshav Maharaj over the square leg boundary.

Samson reached his maiden century and, alongside Rinku Singh, took India to 246 before he was caught by Reeza Hendricks off Lizaad Williams. 

India lost the wickets of Axar Patel (1), Washington Sundar (14) and Singh, with a brisk 38 from 27, for the addition of 51 runs in the final five overs as Hendricks finished with 3/63 from nine overs, while Burger claimed 2/64 from 10 overs.

TimesLIVE