India wrapped up the ODI series against South Africa with a commanding nine-wicket win in the final match in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (Dec 6), sealing the ODI series 2-1. The decider turned one-sided quickly as India finally got the conditions they wanted and used them well.&nbsp;Right after the game, KL Rahul spoke at the post-match conference, “I don’t think the team has looked at me more proudly after the toss. We got tough conditions in the first two games, so I was glad the bowlers finally got a break on a dry outfield. The surface was good, and we picked wickets in bunches.”&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-becomes-fourth-indian-to-reach-20-000-international-runs-1765029385381">Rohit Sharma becomes fourth Indian to reach 20,000 international runs</a>&nbsp;Rahul had lost the toss in both earlier ODIs, forcing India to bowl second under heavy dew. The wet ball made it difficult for the bowlers to grip and control their lengths, which is why both matches produced totals close to 350. India won the opening game in Ranchi but slipped in Raipur. This time, with a dry ball and a steady pitch, the bowlers finally had control.&nbsp;South Africa posted 270, and most of that came from one man: Quinton de Kock. His 100 off 80 balls kept the visitors going while the rest of the batting struggled to adjust. A big reason for that pressure was India’s spin and pace in the middle overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 4 for 41, and Prasidh Krishna picked 4 for 66, a strong comeback after being hit around in the earlier games.&nbsp;Rahul praised Prasidh’s impact. He said teams that attack early can push you into chasing huge scores or force mistakes. But once Prasidh took a couple of wickets, and Kuldeep followed, India took full control. He also stressed how crucial de Kock’s wicket was, calling it the moment that opened the game.&nbsp;Rahul added that the most satisfying part was how India handled pressure across the series. Even when South Africa pushed hard, the group stayed calm and stuck to their plans.&nbsp;India now shifts to the T20I series, where Suryakumar Yadav will lead. Their next ODI challenge comes in January 2026 when New Zealand tours India.

Rahul had lost the toss in both earlier ODIs, forcing India to bowl second under heavy dew. The wet ball made it difficult for the bowlers to grip and control their lengths, which is why both matches produced totals close to 350.

India wrapped up the ODI series against South Africa with a commanding nine-wicket win in the final match in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (Dec 6), sealing the ODI series 2-1. The decider turned one-sided quickly as India finally got the conditions they wanted and used them well. Right after the game, KL Rahul spoke at the post-match conference, “I don’t think the team has looked at me more proudly after the toss. We got tough conditions in the first two games, so I was glad the bowlers finally got a break on a dry outfield. The surface was good, and we picked wickets in bunches.” Also read | Rohit Sharma becomes fourth Indian to reach 20,000 international runs Rahul had lost the toss in both earlier ODIs, forcing India to bowl second under heavy dew. The wet ball made it difficult for the bowlers to grip and control their lengths, which is why both matches produced totals close to 350. India won the opening game in Ranchi but slipped in Raipur. This time, with a dry ball and a steady pitch, the bowlers finally had control. South Africa posted 270, and most of that came from one man: Quinton de Kock. His 100 off 80 balls kept the visitors going while the rest of the batting struggled to adjust. A big reason for that pressure was India’s spin and pace in the middle overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 4 for 41, and Prasidh Krishna picked 4 for 66, a strong comeback after being hit around in the earlier games. Rahul praised Prasidh’s impact. He said teams that attack early can push you into chasing huge scores or force mistakes. But once Prasidh took a couple of wickets, and Kuldeep followed, India took full control. He also stressed how crucial de Kock’s wicket was, calling it the moment that opened the game. Rahul added that the most satisfying part was how India handled pressure across the series. Even when South Africa pushed hard, the group stayed calm and stuck to their plans. India now shifts to the T20I series, where Suryakumar Yadav will lead. Their next ODI challenge comes in January 2026 when New Zealand tours India.

Rahul had lost the toss in both earlier ODIs, forcing India to bowl second under heavy dew. The wet ball made it difficult for the bowlers to grip and control their lengths, which is why both matches produced totals close to 350.

KL Rahul jokes about toss luck as India seal ODI series 2-1 in Visakhapatnam

India wrapped up a strong nine-wicket win over South Africa in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (Dec 6), sealing the series 2-1. Yashasvi Jaiswal led the chase with his maiden ODI hundred, while Virat Kohli backed him with a steady half-century. Rohit Sharma set things up at the top, scoring a solid 75 and putting together a 155-run stand that gave India complete control. The chase was smooth throughout, and India crossed the target with 61 balls left. Earlier, South Africa posted 270, thanks to Quinton de Kock’s 23rd ODI century. But the rest of the line-up struggled, with no other batter reaching fifty. Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav were the standout performers, grabbing four wickets each to restrict South Africa to 270 and set up India’s series-clinching win.&nbsp;Earlier, KL Rahul won the toss for the first time in 20 ODIs, and that small moment helped shape the game. With evening dew expected later, India chose to bowl first and wanted to control the early part of the match with a dry ball. Prasidh Krishna struck early and kept South Africa under pressure with his bounce and good lines. Kuldeep Yadav joined in through the middle overs, beating batters with drift and turn. Both bowlers kept breaking partnerships and never allowed South Africa to settle.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-becomes-fourth-indian-to-reach-20-000-international-runs-1765029385381">Rohit Sharma becomes fourth Indian to reach 20,000 international runs</a>&nbsp;De Kock was the only one who looked in rhythm. His century held the innings together, but he kept losing partners at the other end. Once Kuldeep and Prasidh returned for their second spells, the lower order folded quickly. South Africa were bowled out in the 48th over, and the feeling at the break was that they were at least 30–40 runs short on this pitch.&nbsp;India’s reply began with control and calmness. Rohit Sharma looked fluent from the first over, timing the ball cleanly and rotating strike with ease. Jaiswal took a few overs to settle, but once he found his rhythm, he played with confidence. Rohit’s dismissal at 75 didn’t slow India down. Kohli walked in, kept the scoreboard moving and made the chase look easy with his usual timing and placement.&nbsp;Jaiswal reached his first ODI hundred with a punch through the off side, celebrating a big moment in his young career. Kohli stayed unbeaten on 65, guiding Jaiswal as India finished the chase with more than ten overs to spare.It was a complete performance from India in all departments, and the win helped them clinch the ODI series.

Yashasvi Jaiswal led the chase with his maiden ODI hundred, while Virat Kohli backed him with a steady half-century. Rohit Sharma set things up at the top, scoring a solid 75.

India wrapped up a strong nine-wicket win over South Africa in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (Dec 6), sealing the series 2-1. Yashasvi Jaiswal led the chase with his maiden ODI hundred, while Virat Kohli backed him with a steady half-century. Rohit Sharma set things up at the top, scoring a solid 75 and putting together a 155-run stand that gave India complete control. The chase was smooth throughout, and India crossed the target with 61 balls left. Earlier, South Africa posted 270, thanks to Quinton de Kock’s 23rd ODI century. But the rest of the line-up struggled, with no other batter reaching fifty. Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav were the standout performers, grabbing four wickets each to restrict South Africa to 270 and set up India’s series-clinching win. Earlier, KL Rahul won the toss for the first time in 20 ODIs, and that small moment helped shape the game. With evening dew expected later, India chose to bowl first and wanted to control the early part of the match with a dry ball. Prasidh Krishna struck early and kept South Africa under pressure with his bounce and good lines. Kuldeep Yadav joined in through the middle overs, beating batters with drift and turn. Both bowlers kept breaking partnerships and never allowed South Africa to settle. Also read | Rohit Sharma becomes fourth Indian to reach 20,000 international runs De Kock was the only one who looked in rhythm. His century held the innings together, but he kept losing partners at the other end. Once Kuldeep and Prasidh returned for their second spells, the lower order folded quickly. South Africa were bowled out in the 48th over, and the feeling at the break was that they were at least 30–40 runs short on this pitch. India’s reply began with control and calmness. Rohit Sharma looked fluent from the first over, timing the ball cleanly and rotating strike with ease. Jaiswal took a few overs to settle, but once he found his rhythm, he played with confidence. Rohit’s dismissal at 75 didn’t slow India down. Kohli walked in, kept the scoreboard moving and made the chase look easy with his usual timing and placement. Jaiswal reached his first ODI hundred with a punch through the off side, celebrating a big moment in his young career. Kohli stayed unbeaten on 65, guiding Jaiswal as India finished the chase with more than ten overs to spare. It was a complete performance from India in all departments, and the win helped them clinch the ODI series.

Yashasvi Jaiswal led the chase with his maiden ODI hundred, while Virat Kohli backed him with a steady half-century. Rohit Sharma set things up at the top, scoring a solid 75.

India clinch ODI series 2-1 as Jaiswal, Rohit and Kohli shine in Vizag

India had gone so long without winning a toss that it had almost become a running joke. So when KL Rahul called it right in Visakhapatnam ahead of the third ODI vs South Africa, his reaction said everything. A quick fist pump, a wide smile, and a sense of relief. The moment instantly went viral. India chose to bowl first, and this toss mattered because the team had lost 20 tosses in a row across formats.&nbsp;&nbsp;That streak started when Rohit Sharma lost the toss to Pat Cummins in the 2023 World Cup final. Since then, nothing had gone India’s way at the coin flip, until today. Rahul didn’t hide how much the moment meant. He explained that the team had trained under lights on Friday and expected a bit of dew, but not as early as Ranchi or Raipur.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wbbl-match-abandoned-after-ball-gets-stuck-in-pitch-at-karen-rolton-oval-1764955254116">WBBL match abandoned after ball gets stuck in pitch at Karen Rolton Oval</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 Toss 🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> have won the toss and elected to field first. Updates ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/HM6zm9o7bm">https://t.co/HM6zm9o7bm</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> <a href="https://t.co/vYNPSa1iKF">pic.twitter.com/vYNPSa1iKF</a>&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1997208374543573035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“We were obviously planning to bowl second, keeping our track record in mind,” he said with a smile. “Still, we wanted to change things up and see how we bowl first. It looks like a good wicket.” With the series level at 1-1, Rahul also backed the group’s overall effort in the first two games. He pointed out that even though India conceded 360 in Raipur, the conditions and match-ups made the chase tougher than it looked from the outside. “For me and the leadership group, we’re really happy with how we played,” Rahul said. “There are a lot of positives. The chat has been to stay consistent with what we’re doing. We know the results will follow.” India made one change for the decider, bringing in Tilak Varma for Washington Sundar. As the match moved ahead, Rahul’s toss win gave India a small but much-needed psychological boost. After 20 straight losses at the coin, the captain’s simple fist pump captured exactly how every Indian fan felt, finally.

With the series level at 1-1, Rahul also backed the group’s overall effort in the first two games. He pointed out that even though India conceded 360 in Raipur, the conditions and match-ups made the chase tougher than it looked from the outside.

India had gone so long without winning a toss that it had almost become a running joke. So when KL Rahul called it right in Visakhapatnam ahead of the third ODI vs South Africa, his reaction said everything. A quick fist pump, a wide smile, and a sense of relief. The moment instantly went viral. India chose to bowl first, and this toss mattered because the team had lost 20 tosses in a row across formats. That streak started when Rohit Sharma lost the toss to Pat Cummins in the 2023 World Cup final. Since then, nothing had gone India’s way at the coin flip, until today. Rahul didn’t hide how much the moment meant. He explained that the team had trained under lights on Friday and expected a bit of dew, but not as early as Ranchi or Raipur. Also read | WBBL match abandoned after ball gets stuck in pitch at Karen Rolton Oval

With the series level at 1-1, Rahul also backed the group’s overall effort in the first two games. He pointed out that even though India conceded 360 in Raipur, the conditions and match-ups made the chase tougher than it looked from the outside.

WATCH: KL Rahul finally wins a toss, celebrates as India break 20-match losing streak

It was a walk in the park for the Indian team as the hosts demolished South Africa by seven wickets in the third and final ODI to bag the three-match series 2-1. Indian bowlers ran riot to bundle out the Proteas for a paltry 99 inside just 28 overs before the hosts chased down the target without breaking a sweat.

Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and invited South Africa to bat in the seres-decider, a decision that worked wonders for the Men in Blue. Sundar drew the first blood for India by removing Quinton de Kock cheaply on just 6 off 10 balls before Siraj got the wickets of South Africa opener Janneman Malan (15) and Reeza Hendricks (3).

After Siraj's twin blow, young all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed piled more misery on South Africa as he continued his fine form with the ball after shining on debut, Ahmed picked up the prized wickets of Aiden Markram (9) and Heinrich Klaasen (34).

Sundar returned to pick up the wicket of South Africa's stand-in skipper David Miller to finish with excellent figures of 2/15 in his four overs before Kuldeep Yadav ran through the tail to pick up a four-wicket haul and bundle out the Proteas for just 99 runs.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/99-all-out-south-africa-register-lowest-odi-score-versus-india-after-kuldeep-yadavs-4-fer-524452">99 all-out! South Africa register lowest ODI score versus India after Kuldeep Yadav's 4-fer</a>

The run chase turned out to be a cakewalk for India after the brilliant effort from the bowlers as Shubman Gill missed out on a well-deserved half-century by just one run. Opening the batting with skipper Dhawan, Gill scored 49 off 57 balls to set up a thumping win for the hosts.

He was well supported by Shreyas Iyer, who scored an unbeaten 28 off 23 balls and continued his purple patch. It was an off day for left-hander Ishan Kishan, who could only manage 10 off 18 balls before edging one to De Kock off Bjorn Fortuin's bowling.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sanju-samson-to-be-indias-new-finisher-star-batter-hints-at-new-role-from-indian-team-management-524450">Sanju Samson to be India's new finisher? Star batter hints at new role from Indian team management</a>

Nonetheless, it was a comfortable run chase for India as the hosts registered a convincing victory to bag the three-match series 2-1. India had gotten off to a losing start in the ODIs but bounced back to win their next two games in a row to take the series.

It was a walk in the park for the Indian team as the hosts demolished South Africa by seven wickets in the third and final ODI to bag the three-match series 2-1.

It was a walk in the park for the Indian team as the hosts demolished South Africa by seven wickets in the third and final ODI to bag the three-match series 2-1. Indian bowlers ran riot to bundle out the Proteas for a paltry 99 inside just 28 overs before the hosts chased down the target without breaking a sweat. Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and invited South Africa to bat in the seres-decider, a decision that worked wonders for the Men in Blue. Sundar drew the first blood for India by removing Quinton de Kock cheaply on just 6 off 10 balls before Siraj got the wickets of South Africa opener Janneman Malan (15) and Reeza Hendricks (3). After Siraj's twin blow, young all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed piled more misery on South Africa as he continued his fine form with the ball after shining on debut, Ahmed picked up the prized wickets of Aiden Markram (9) and Heinrich Klaasen (34). Sundar returned to pick up the wicket of South Africa's stand-in skipper David Miller to finish with excellent figures of 2/15 in his four overs before Kuldeep Yadav ran through the tail to pick up a four-wicket haul and bundle out the Proteas for just 99 runs. Also Read: 99 all-out! South Africa register lowest ODI score versus India after Kuldeep Yadav's 4-fer The run chase turned out to be a cakewalk for India after the brilliant effort from the bowlers as Shubman Gill missed out on a well-deserved half-century by just one run. Opening the batting with skipper Dhawan, Gill scored 49 off 57 balls to set up a thumping win for the hosts. He was well supported by Shreyas Iyer, who scored an unbeaten 28 off 23 balls and continued his purple patch. It was an off day for left-hander Ishan Kishan, who could only manage 10 off 18 balls before edging one to De Kock off Bjorn Fortuin's bowling. Also Read: Sanju Samson to be India's new finisher? Star batter hints at new role from Indian team management Nonetheless, it was a comfortable run chase for India as the hosts registered a convincing victory to bag the three-match series 2-1. India had gotten off to a losing start in the ODIs but bounced back to win their next two games in a row to take the series.

Md. Siraj, Washington Sundar run riot as India crush South Africa by 7 wickets in 3rd ODI to clinch series 2-1