India&rsquo;s first ever one-day international series victory in South Africa has laid a strong platform for the country&rsquo;s hopes of a successful 2019 World Cup campaign, captain Virat Kohli said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-regains-no1-spot-in-icc-odi-rankings-after-defeating-south-africa-in-5th-odi-32828">Also read:&nbsp;India regains No1 spot in ICC ODI rankings after defeating South Africa in 5th ODI</a>

&ldquo;We are a team that always wants to think of ways we can improve and after this tour, we will look be to even stronger with the 2019 World Cup in mind,&rdquo; he said after India took a 4-1 lead in the six-match series on Tuesday.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a wonderful feeling to have created some history. The guys really got stuck in, with the bat and the ball and in the field as well,&rdquo; he added after the Port Elizabeth triumph.

Success in the series has lifted India above South Africa in the International Cricket Council&rsquo;s one-day rankings and they retained their number one status in tests as well despite losing 2-1 to the South Africans last month.

&ldquo;For now, 4-1 feels amazing. Obviously, the players put up some really good cricket to be in this position,&rdquo; Kohli added.

The last match of the ODI series is in Pretoria on Friday.

&ldquo;We want to win 5-1 but there might be a scenario to give a few (other) guys a chance,&rdquo; Kohli said with the series won using only 12 of India&rsquo;s 17-man squad.

The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales, where India won their first global title in 1983 before adding a second on home soil in 2011.

The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales, where India won their first global title in 1983 before adding a second on home soil in 2011

India’s first ever one-day international series victory in South Africa has laid a strong platform for the country’s hopes of a successful 2019 World Cup campaign, captain Virat Kohli said. Also read: India regains No1 spot in ICC ODI rankings after defeating South Africa in 5th ODI “We are a team that always wants to think of ways we can improve and after this tour, we will look be to even stronger with the 2019 World Cup in mind,” he said after India took a 4-1 lead in the six-match series on Tuesday. “It’s a wonderful feeling to have created some history. The guys really got stuck in, with the bat and the ball and in the field as well,” he added after the Port Elizabeth triumph. Success in the series has lifted India above South Africa in the International Cricket Council’s one-day rankings and they retained their number one status in tests as well despite losing 2-1 to the South Africans last month. “For now, 4-1 feels amazing. Obviously, the players put up some really good cricket to be in this position,” Kohli added. The last match of the ODI series is in Pretoria on Friday. “We want to win 5-1 but there might be a scenario to give a few (other) guys a chance,” Kohli said with the series won using only 12 of India’s 17-man squad. The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales, where India won their first global title in 1983 before adding a second on home soil in 2011.

Virat Kohli eyes World Cup glory after conquering South Africa

India skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday was full of praise for the Men in Blue, claiming that the series win in South Africa was a collective team effort.&quot;I am very pleased, it was another complete performance from us.

They had the pressure of losing this series and we knew that. It`s a history and the guys have worked hard for it. Ever since the third Test in Johannesburg, it`s been a good time for us.

It`s been a collective effort to create history,&quot; Kohli said in the post-match conference.

The Indian team wrapped up the fifth One Day International (ODI) against the Proteas by 73 runs, to register their first bilateral series win in South Africa.

They also climbed up to the number one spot in the MFR ICC ODI Team Rankings.&quot;For now, 4-1 feels great. We want to win 5-1 for sure, but there might a scenario for a few more guys to get a chance in the next match.

But the ultimate priority is to win and we`ll do anything we can to win,&quot; Kohli added.Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma who scored his maiden century on the South African soil said that the century was long due.

&quot;It`s been a long time coming. It`s always a good feeling when you score a hundred and your team wins.

You have to keep yourself in a good frame of mind, that`s what I`ve been doing,&quot; Sharma said after being crowned the man of the match.

The Virat Kohli-led side started the series on the front foot, winning the first three matches with comprehensive wins in Durban, Centurion and Cape Town.

However, India failed to maintain their triumphant run in the series as South Africa bounced back strongly to clinch a five-wicket win over the visiting side by the Duckworth-Lewis method in rain-hit and lightning-struck Pink fourth ODI in Johannesburg.

The sixth ODI will be played on February 16 at SuperSport Park, Centurion.&nbsp;

The sixth ODI will be played on February 16 at SuperSport Park, Centurion

India skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday was full of praise for the Men in Blue, claiming that the series win in South Africa was a collective team effort."I am very pleased, it was another complete performance from us. They had the pressure of losing this series and we knew that. It`s a history and the guys have worked hard for it. Ever since the third Test in Johannesburg, it`s been a good time for us. It`s been a collective effort to create history," Kohli said in the post-match conference. The Indian team wrapped up the fifth One Day International (ODI) against the Proteas by 73 runs, to register their first bilateral series win in South Africa. They also climbed up to the number one spot in the MFR ICC ODI Team Rankings."For now, 4-1 feels great. We want to win 5-1 for sure, but there might a scenario for a few more guys to get a chance in the next match. But the ultimate priority is to win and we`ll do anything we can to win," Kohli added.Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma who scored his maiden century on the South African soil said that the century was long due. "It`s been a long time coming. It`s always a good feeling when you score a hundred and your team wins. You have to keep yourself in a good frame of mind, that`s what I`ve been doing," Sharma said after being crowned the man of the match. The Virat Kohli-led side started the series on the front foot, winning the first three matches with comprehensive wins in Durban, Centurion and Cape Town. However, India failed to maintain their triumphant run in the series as South Africa bounced back strongly to clinch a five-wicket win over the visiting side by the Duckworth-Lewis method in rain-hit and lightning-struck Pink fourth ODI in Johannesburg. The sixth ODI will be played on February 16 at SuperSport Park, Centurion.

'Collective effort to create history': Virat Kohli on series win in South Africa

It&#39;s not easy to maintain a healthy, normal relationship when it is under constant scrutiny and is in the public eye. While a lot of relationships succumb and fail to work in tinsel town, there are some who gives us hope that love can exist in the world of glamour.&nbsp; 
 
So here it is. The five couples who are currently giving us major couple goals.&nbsp; 
 
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli&nbsp;

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Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli (WION)
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We had to begin the list with these two! One of the most celebrated couples of present times, Virat and Anushka have always believed in keeping their relationship a private affair. Their wedding was also a private, intimate affair. But the leaked photos gave us a glimpse of their dream-like Tuscan wedding and the nation just could not get enough of how beautiful they looked together. While Anushka keeps mum about her feelings in public, Virat has often been seen blowing away kisses to his lady love during important matches from the field.&nbsp;

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh&nbsp;

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Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh (WION)
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One of the most glamorous couples, Deepika and Ranveer are the idols for every couple deeply in love with each other. They can&rsquo;t seem to get enough of each other and their PDA is very obvious at every event. Three blockbuster films later, Deepika and Ranveer are still going strong and if reports are to be believed, will tie the knot soon!

Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal&nbsp;

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Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal (WION)
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No one knew that these two were dating for the longest time until, last year at the premiere of Victoria and Abdul, Richa wished Ali with the sweetest message as she accompanied him on the red carpet as his date. This lovely couple is the perfect example of young love blossoming into a beautiful relationship. They are seen sharing sweet moments on red carpets in international shores and they do not shy away from indulging in PDA on social media. Ali recently gifted Richa a cat who she adores a lot and the two are very supportive and encouraging of each other&#39;s career as well.&nbsp;

Mira and Shahid Kapoor&nbsp;

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Shahid and Mira Kapoor (WION)
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When they got married, many raised eyebrows about the huge age difference between them. But Shahid Kapoor and Mira Kapoor have worked to make their marriage work and look like a perfect example of everlasting love. Their dedication to one another is evident and that shows how happy they are together. Shahid&rsquo;s cute little gestures for Mira make his female fans go weak in their knees and leaves Mira blushing.&nbsp;

Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja&nbsp;

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Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja (WION)
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They may not speak about their relationship in public, but Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja&#39;s PDA on social media is for everyone to see. Distance has never kept them from expressing their love for each other and their delightful posts about each other speak a lot about their love for each other. While there hasn&#39;t been any official announcement, but reports suggest that two are tying the knot in mid-April this year!

Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover

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Bipasha Basu and Karan Johar (Bollywoodlife.com)
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A couple that works out together, stays together. Fitness freaks Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover are often seen going for their gym sessions together. The couple who met while filming for a movie have been married for more than a year and still look completely smitten by each other.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

They are new age couples, who do not shy away from indulging in PDA on public forums.

It's not easy to maintain a healthy, normal relationship when it is under constant scrutiny and is in the public eye. While a lot of relationships succumb and fail to work in tinsel town, there are some who gives us hope that love can exist in the world of glamour. So here it is. The five couples who are currently giving us major couple goals. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli (WION) × We had to begin the list with these two! One of the most celebrated couples of present times, Virat and Anushka have always believed in keeping their relationship a private affair. Their wedding was also a private, intimate affair. But the leaked photos gave us a glimpse of their dream-like Tuscan wedding and the nation just could not get enough of how beautiful they looked together. While Anushka keeps mum about her feelings in public, Virat has often been seen blowing away kisses to his lady love during important matches from the field. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh (WION) × One of the most glamorous couples, Deepika and Ranveer are the idols for every couple deeply in love with each other. They can’t seem to get enough of each other and their PDA is very obvious at every event. Three blockbuster films later, Deepika and Ranveer are still going strong and if reports are to be believed, will tie the knot soon! Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal (WION) × No one knew that these two were dating for the longest time until, last year at the premiere of Victoria and Abdul, Richa wished Ali with the sweetest message as she accompanied him on the red carpet as his date. This lovely couple is the perfect example of young love blossoming into a beautiful relationship. They are seen sharing sweet moments on red carpets in international shores and they do not shy away from indulging in PDA on social media. Ali recently gifted Richa a cat who she adores a lot and the two are very supportive and encouraging of each other's career as well. Mira and Shahid Kapoor Shahid and Mira Kapoor (WION) × When they got married, many raised eyebrows about the huge age difference between them. But Shahid Kapoor and Mira Kapoor have worked to make their marriage work and look like a perfect example of everlasting love. Their dedication to one another is evident and that shows how happy they are together. Shahid’s cute little gestures for Mira make his female fans go weak in their knees and leaves Mira blushing. Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja (WION) × They may not speak about their relationship in public, but Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja's PDA on social media is for everyone to see. Distance has never kept them from expressing their love for each other and their delightful posts about each other speak a lot about their love for each other. While there hasn't been any official announcement, but reports suggest that two are tying the knot in mid-April this year! Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover Bipasha Basu and Karan Johar (Bollywoodlife.com) × A couple that works out together, stays together. Fitness freaks Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover are often seen going for their gym sessions together. The couple who met while filming for a movie have been married for more than a year and still look completely smitten by each other.

Valentine's Day special: The Bollywood celebrities who give us couple goals

Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s hard-fought knock of 115 took India to 274-7 from their 50 overs during the fifth ODI against South Africa here on Tuesday.

The South African bowlers, especially Lungi Ngidi (4/51), have brought the Proteas back into the game.&nbsp;

After winning the toss, South Africa put India to bat. Shikhar Dhawan (34 runs) was the first to depart, but Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli put up a 105-run partnership for the fourth wicket.&nbsp;

The Indian captain&rsquo;s life at the field with the bat was short-lived as he departed for 36.

Ajinkya Rahane (8) was the next to follow Kohli after another confusion between the wickets. Despite losing wickets in quick succession, Rohit carried on showing his batting prowess and went on to score his 17th ODI ton, hitting 10 boundaries and 4 sixes in the run-up to his century.&nbsp;

South Africa will hope to chase down the total and stay alive in the series when they come out to bat.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
South Africa have won the toss and elected to bowl first in the 5th <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvIND</a> ODI in Port Elizabeth. Will they be able to restrict India and keep the series alive? 
 
Follow LIVE ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/BYzPaf9WOg">https://t.co/BYzPaf9WOg</a> <a href="https://t.co/H7aT8euy2v">pic.twitter.com/H7aT8euy2v</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/963365886026424320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Squad:

South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Hashim Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy, AB de Villiers, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Lungisani Ngidi, Morne Morkel, Tabraiz Shamsi

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

&nbsp;

The Men in Blue lead the six-match series by 3-1 and looking forward to winning the series

Rohit Sharma’s hard-fought knock of 115 took India to 274-7 from their 50 overs during the fifth ODI against South Africa here on Tuesday. The South African bowlers, especially Lungi Ngidi (4/51), have brought the Proteas back into the game. After winning the toss, South Africa put India to bat. Shikhar Dhawan (34 runs) was the first to depart, but Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli put up a 105-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The Indian captain’s life at the field with the bat was short-lived as he departed for 36. Ajinkya Rahane (8) was the next to follow Kohli after another confusion between the wickets. Despite losing wickets in quick succession, Rohit carried on showing his batting prowess and went on to score his 17th ODI ton, hitting 10 boundaries and 4 sixes in the run-up to his century. South Africa will hope to chase down the total and stay alive in the series when they come out to bat. South Africa have won the toss and elected to bowl first in the 5th #SAvIND ODI in Port Elizabeth. Will they be able to restrict India and keep the series alive? Follow LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/BYzPaf9WOg pic.twitter.com/H7aT8euy2v — ICC (@ICC) February 13, 2018 × Squad: South Africa: Aiden Markram (c), Hashim Amla, Jean-Paul Duminy, AB de Villiers, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Lungisani Ngidi, Morne Morkel, Tabraiz Shamsi India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

5th ODI: India beat South Africa by 73 runs, win series 4-1

A constructive 32 runs partnership between Skipper Virat Kohli and batsman Cheteshwar Pujara helped India sail through the loss of early two wickets.

Within half an hour of day one, India lost both its openers Murli Vijay and KL Rahul at 8 and 0 respectively, in the third and final Test match against South Africa.&nbsp;

It was after that Pujara and Kohli played defensive and continued to take the attack of South African seamers.

Pujara, who spent over 30 minutes on crease did not open his account. He had faced 51 balls but his contribution was zero. &nbsp;

Whereas Kohli, played along with the ball to help India keep the scorecard ticking.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/3rd-test-pujara-on-zero-despite-facing-51-balls-so-far-30627" target="_blank">3rd Test: Pujara on zero despite facing 51 balls so far</a>

Rabada and Philander each struck for Proteas to give them an early advantage as India lost early two wickets during the third and final test match against South Africa.

India on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bat first at the Wanderers Stadium.

After losing two consecutive Test matches, India is playing very cautiously to avoid a series whitewash.

Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane, who did not play the first two Tests was recalled on the strength of a strong record in overseas Tests.

Dinesh Karthik was flown in as a replacement for injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and could play at the expense of Parthiv Patel, who had a poor game with the gloves in the second Test at Centurion. 
&nbsp;

India lost both its openers Murli Vijay and KL Rahul at 8 and 0 respectively

A constructive 32 runs partnership between Skipper Virat Kohli and batsman Cheteshwar Pujara helped India sail through the loss of early two wickets. Within half an hour of day one, India lost both its openers Murli Vijay and KL Rahul at 8 and 0 respectively, in the third and final Test match against South Africa. It was after that Pujara and Kohli played defensive and continued to take the attack of South African seamers. Pujara, who spent over 30 minutes on crease did not open his account. He had faced 51 balls but his contribution was zero. Whereas Kohli, played along with the ball to help India keep the scorecard ticking. Also read: 3rd Test: Pujara on zero despite facing 51 balls so far Rabada and Philander each struck for Proteas to give them an early advantage as India lost early two wickets during the third and final test match against South Africa. India on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bat first at the Wanderers Stadium. After losing two consecutive Test matches, India is playing very cautiously to avoid a series whitewash. Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane, who did not play the first two Tests was recalled on the strength of a strong record in overseas Tests. Dinesh Karthik was flown in as a replacement for injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and could play at the expense of Parthiv Patel, who had a poor game with the gloves in the second Test at Centurion.

3rd Test: Kohli-Pujara construct 32 runs partnership to take India 45/2 at lunch

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli on Friday outweighed former captain MS Dhoni&#39;s record with most runs in Test cricket.

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With 3456 runs as captain, he tops the list of Indian captains scoring&nbsp;runs in Test Cricket.&nbsp;

Virat ranked to the first position after he scored 41 runs in the second innings of the third test between India and South Africa at Wanderers in Johannesburg.&nbsp;

The second position is occupied by MS Dhoni with 3454 runs as captain.&nbsp;

While Dhoni scored the runs in 60 test matches, Kohli just took 35 tests to surpass his score.&nbsp;

Dhoni had earlier beaten former India opener Sunil Gavaskar to reach the first position.&nbsp;Gavaskar has scored 3449 runs.

The fourth and fifth place are occupied by Mohd Azharuddin with 2856 runs and Sourav Ganguly with 2541 runs respectively.&nbsp;

With 3456 runs as captain, he tops the list of Indian captains scoring runs in Test Cricket

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli on Friday outweighed former captain MS Dhoni's record with most runs in Test cricket. × With 3456 runs as captain, he tops the list of Indian captains scoring runs in Test Cricket. Virat ranked to the first position after he scored 41 runs in the second innings of the third test between India and South Africa at Wanderers in Johannesburg. The second position is occupied by MS Dhoni with 3454 runs as captain. While Dhoni scored the runs in 60 test matches, Kohli just took 35 tests to surpass his score. Dhoni had earlier beaten former India opener Sunil Gavaskar to reach the first position. Gavaskar has scored 3449 runs. The fourth and fifth place are occupied by Mohd Azharuddin with 2856 runs and Sourav Ganguly with 2541 runs respectively.

Kohli beats Dhoni's record, emerges as India's highest-scoring Test captain

Virat Kohli once again stood for his team and kept India afloat against South Africa on Day 1, after the openers failed to contribute anything.

The Indian skipper smashed a gritty 54 runs off 106 balls to reach his 16th Test half-century.

However, the right-handed batsman was caught out by AB de Villiers of Lungi Ngidi, soon after his century.

Along with Pujara, whose individual contribution is very low if compared to the balls he has played, stood shoulder to shoulder with his captain.

The two played attentively to take India&#39;s total from 13 to 97 without losing any further wicket and building an 84-run partnership.&nbsp;

After losing three wickets, India&#39;s score stands at 104 for the loss of three wickets after 49 overs.&nbsp;

Opener M Vijay once again got off to a wrong start with Vernon Philander striking early.&nbsp;

Whereas, KL Rahul once again touched a ball that was pitched slightly outside off and gave an easy catch behind the wickets to Quinton de Kock.&nbsp;

India on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bat first at the Wanderers Stadium.

After losing two consecutive Test matches, India is playing very cautiously to avoid a series whitewash.

Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane, who did not play the first two Tests was recalled on the strength of a strong record in overseas Tests.

Dinesh Karthik was flown in as a replacement for injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and could play at the expense of Parthiv Patel, who had a poor game with the gloves in the second Test at Centurion. 
&nbsp;

The skipper smashed a gritty 54 runs to reach his 16th Test half-century

Virat Kohli once again stood for his team and kept India afloat against South Africa on Day 1, after the openers failed to contribute anything. The Indian skipper smashed a gritty 54 runs off 106 balls to reach his 16th Test half-century. However, the right-handed batsman was caught out by AB de Villiers of Lungi Ngidi, soon after his century. Along with Pujara, whose individual contribution is very low if compared to the balls he has played, stood shoulder to shoulder with his captain. The two played attentively to take India's total from 13 to 97 without losing any further wicket and building an 84-run partnership. After losing three wickets, India's score stands at 104 for the loss of three wickets after 49 overs. Opener M Vijay once again got off to a wrong start with Vernon Philander striking early. Whereas, KL Rahul once again touched a ball that was pitched slightly outside off and gave an easy catch behind the wickets to Quinton de Kock. India on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bat first at the Wanderers Stadium. After losing two consecutive Test matches, India is playing very cautiously to avoid a series whitewash. Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane, who did not play the first two Tests was recalled on the strength of a strong record in overseas Tests. Dinesh Karthik was flown in as a replacement for injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and could play at the expense of Parthiv Patel, who had a poor game with the gloves in the second Test at Centurion.

3rd Test: Ngidi gets Virat Kohli's wicket at 54, India 104/3 after 49 overs

Indian batting line once again fell prey to South African pacers, with men in blue losing four wickets in quick succession on the Day 1 of the third and final Test match.

After Virat Kohli&#39;s wicket, Pujara continued to hold the team stood firm in front of the pace attack.&nbsp;

However, after reaching his half-century, Pujara was sent back to the pavilion by Phehlukwayo at 50.

Since then the wickets started to fall.

After 70 overs, India&#39;s score stands at 164 for the loss of eight wickets. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Ajinkya Rahane, who was roped in seeing his overseas performance, did not stand up to the expectations and was out on 9.

Parthiv Patel also went back for 2. All-rounder Ajinkya Rahane did not even open his account and was caught out by Phehlukwayo. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Virat Kohli, who once again kept India afloat against South Africa on Day 1 after the openers failed to contribute anything, smashed a gritty 54 runs off 106 balls to reach his 16th Test half-century.

However, the right-handed batsman was caught out by AB de Villiers of Lungi Ngidi, soon after his century.

Opener M Vijay once again got off to a wrong start with Vernon Philander striking early.&nbsp;

Whereas, KL Rahul once again touched a ball that was pitched slightly outside off and gave an easy catch behind the wickets to Quinton de Kock.&nbsp;

India on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bat first at the Wanderers Stadium.

After losing two consecutive Test matches, India is playing very cautiously to avoid a series whitewash.

After Virat Kohli's wicket, Pujara continued to hold the team stood firm in front of the pace attack.

Indian batting line once again fell prey to South African pacers, with men in blue losing four wickets in quick succession on the Day 1 of the third and final Test match. After Virat Kohli's wicket, Pujara continued to hold the team stood firm in front of the pace attack. However, after reaching his half-century, Pujara was sent back to the pavilion by Phehlukwayo at 50. Since then the wickets started to fall. After 70 overs, India's score stands at 164 for the loss of eight wickets. Ajinkya Rahane, who was roped in seeing his overseas performance, did not stand up to the expectations and was out on 9. Parthiv Patel also went back for 2. All-rounder Ajinkya Rahane did not even open his account and was caught out by Phehlukwayo. Virat Kohli, who once again kept India afloat against South Africa on Day 1 after the openers failed to contribute anything, smashed a gritty 54 runs off 106 balls to reach his 16th Test half-century. However, the right-handed batsman was caught out by AB de Villiers of Lungi Ngidi, soon after his century. Opener M Vijay once again got off to a wrong start with Vernon Philander striking early. Whereas, KL Rahul once again touched a ball that was pitched slightly outside off and gave an easy catch behind the wickets to Quinton de Kock. India on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bat first at the Wanderers Stadium. After losing two consecutive Test matches, India is playing very cautiously to avoid a series whitewash.

India loses 4 wickets in quick succession, are 164/8 after 70 overs

After losing the Test series against South Africa, Indian skipper has come under the radar of many cricket spectators and critics. So many questions have been raised about Virat&#39;s decisions, team selection process and game strategies.

The Indian batting line in both the previous matches suffered some serious damage. Although, Indian skipper Virat Kohli scored a massive 153 runs in the first innings of the second Test.

In a recent interview, he hailed his bowlers, who have claimed 20 wickets in both Tests so far and said to rectify the errors in the final Test.

On one hand, Kohli looks confident and prepares for the final Test, on the other veteran cricketers have unconventional comments on his captaincy and decision making.

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag said in a sports-related show that other team members must point out Virat&#39;s mistakes on the field.

In every dressing&nbsp;room, players share their views and help the captain to avoid it but there is no one in the Indian squad who can challenge Kohli&#39;s selection decision.

Unsurprisingly, Kohli would want from his team to score runs and produce results but there is need to sit together and talk about the issues. Teamwork is important and every player has to contribute to tackling situations like these.

Sehwag thinks Virat must be getting advice from the coach but he is not implementing it on the field, he is expecting a lot from his team and this high expectation is affecting his captaincy, further his own game.

Recently, Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith raised serious questions on Indian skipper Virat Kohli&#39;s leadership capabilities, saying he lacks the patience required for a leader to raise the overall level of his team.

Smith, who was speaking at a sports-related event organised by South African media house wondered if Kohli was the right choice for the captaincy in the longer run for Indian cricket.

Before that former Indian team captain, Sunil Gavaskar also expressed his views on the performance of Indian cricket team. He said that MS Dhoni&#39;s advice in the dressing room would have been invaluable.&quot;I would have actually liked him to maybe give up captaincy and still stay in the team as wicketkeeper-batsman,&quot; Gavaskar said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-south-africa-3rd-test-30473">Also read:&nbsp;India vs South Africa 3rd Test: India look to salvage pride</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-contradicts-shastri-on-preparation-for-sa-series-30565">Also read:&nbsp;Ravi Shastri says India </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-contradicts-shastri-on-preparation-for-sa-series-30565">were</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-contradicts-shastri-on-preparation-for-sa-series-30565">&nbsp;unprepared for South Africa, Kohli says no</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-has-to-be-free-from-yes-men-in-order-to-grow-as-captain-graeme-smith-30478">Also&nbsp;read:&nbsp;Virat Kohli has to be free from &#39;yes-men&#39; in order to grow as Captain: Graeme Smith</a>

Sehwag added that teamwork is important and every player has to contribute to tackling crisis situations

After losing the Test series against South Africa, Indian skipper has come under the radar of many cricket spectators and critics. So many questions have been raised about Virat's decisions, team selection process and game strategies. The Indian batting line in both the previous matches suffered some serious damage. Although, Indian skipper Virat Kohli scored a massive 153 runs in the first innings of the second Test. In a recent interview, he hailed his bowlers, who have claimed 20 wickets in both Tests so far and said to rectify the errors in the final Test. On one hand, Kohli looks confident and prepares for the final Test, on the other veteran cricketers have unconventional comments on his captaincy and decision making. Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag said in a sports-related show that other team members must point out Virat's mistakes on the field. In every dressing room, players share their views and help the captain to avoid it but there is no one in the Indian squad who can challenge Kohli's selection decision. Unsurprisingly, Kohli would want from his team to score runs and produce results but there is need to sit together and talk about the issues. Teamwork is important and every player has to contribute to tackling situations like these. Sehwag thinks Virat must be getting advice from the coach but he is not implementing it on the field, he is expecting a lot from his team and this high expectation is affecting his captaincy, further his own game. Recently, Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith raised serious questions on Indian skipper Virat Kohli's leadership capabilities, saying he lacks the patience required for a leader to raise the overall level of his team. Smith, who was speaking at a sports-related event organised by South African media house wondered if Kohli was the right choice for the captaincy in the longer run for Indian cricket. Before that former Indian team captain, Sunil Gavaskar also expressed his views on the performance of Indian cricket team. He said that MS Dhoni's advice in the dressing room would have been invaluable."I would have actually liked him to maybe give up captaincy and still stay in the team as wicketkeeper-batsman," Gavaskar said. Also read: India vs South Africa 3rd Test: India look to salvage pride Also read: Ravi Shastri says India were unprepared for South Africa, Kohli says no Also read: Virat Kohli has to be free from 'yes-men' in order to grow as Captain: Graeme Smith

Kohli's teammates should point out his mistakes: Virender Sehwag

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith raised serious questions on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/29817" target="_blank">Indian skipper Virat Kohli&#39;s leadership capabilities</a>, saying he lacks the patience required for a leader to raise the overall level of his team.

Smith, who was speaking at an event organised by South African channel SuperSport, wondered if Kohli was the right choice for the captaincy in the longer run for Indian cricket.

&quot;I don&#39;t know, when I look at him, if he is a long-term captaincy option for India,&quot; Smith said.&nbsp;

&quot;At the end of this year, he&#39;d have been away from home for a while, the pressure he&#39;ll face, the scrutiny from the press - I know he only gets that in India - but if you&#39;re away from home and you&#39;re struggling for form as a team, I don&#39;t know if I&#39;d want to burden Virat Kohli with that... Or if India have a better leader in that environment.&quot;

Smith, who was accompanied to the talking show with former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, criticised the lack of a constructive person in the Indian dressing room who could challenge Virat Kohli with different ideas, than just being a &#39;yes-man&#39;&nbsp;

&quot;When I look at Virat, I think he needs someone in the support staff who can constructively challenge him and help him grow.&quot;

&quot;I think if he had a really constructive person in his environment, who could talk to him, make him think, maybe even challenge him with some different ideas, in a constructive way, not an angry or aggressive way, but make him think, open his eyes to other possibilities, that would make him a really good leader,&quot; Smith added.

However, the cricket legend was all praise of Kohli&#39;s playing capabilities after he was criticised not just because India lost both the matches against South Africa but for the ways he chose to react to the situations and even confronting anyone who questions his choices.

&quot;He has all the capabilities tactically, he knows his own game, he sets the standard in the field for everyone else. Sometimes as a leader you&#39;ve got to consider how you impact the others in the environment, that&#39;s an area of his leadership that he needs to grow. You can see, he&#39;s often at his players. He&#39;s very aware, he&#39;s focus on the game is on, sweeping or mid-on.&quot;

The right-handed batsman has already been fined 25% of his match fee for bad conduct and showing dissent against the umpire during the third day&rsquo;s play of second Test against South Africa in Centurion.

Although, Gavaskar was not as critical as Smith but felt that Kohli needed to connect better with his team-mates and that could help him raise the level of the Indian team.

After the loss in first two Tests, Gavaskar remembered MS Dhoni&#39;s approach to lead the Indian Cricket team in a foreign soil.&nbsp;

Kohli was fined 25% of his match fee for showing dissent against the umpire during the second Test

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith raised serious questions on Indian skipper Virat Kohli's leadership capabilities, saying he lacks the patience required for a leader to raise the overall level of his team. Smith, who was speaking at an event organised by South African channel SuperSport, wondered if Kohli was the right choice for the captaincy in the longer run for Indian cricket. "I don't know, when I look at him, if he is a long-term captaincy option for India," Smith said. "At the end of this year, he'd have been away from home for a while, the pressure he'll face, the scrutiny from the press - I know he only gets that in India - but if you're away from home and you're struggling for form as a team, I don't know if I'd want to burden Virat Kohli with that... Or if India have a better leader in that environment." Smith, who was accompanied to the talking show with former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, criticised the lack of a constructive person in the Indian dressing room who could challenge Virat Kohli with different ideas, than just being a 'yes-man' "When I look at Virat, I think he needs someone in the support staff who can constructively challenge him and help him grow." "I think if he had a really constructive person in his environment, who could talk to him, make him think, maybe even challenge him with some different ideas, in a constructive way, not an angry or aggressive way, but make him think, open his eyes to other possibilities, that would make him a really good leader," Smith added. However, the cricket legend was all praise of Kohli's playing capabilities after he was criticised not just because India lost both the matches against South Africa but for the ways he chose to react to the situations and even confronting anyone who questions his choices. "He has all the capabilities tactically, he knows his own game, he sets the standard in the field for everyone else. Sometimes as a leader you've got to consider how you impact the others in the environment, that's an area of his leadership that he needs to grow. You can see, he's often at his players. He's very aware, he's focus on the game is on, sweeping or mid-on." The right-handed batsman has already been fined 25% of his match fee for bad conduct and showing dissent against the umpire during the third day’s play of second Test against South Africa in Centurion. Although, Gavaskar was not as critical as Smith but felt that Kohli needed to connect better with his team-mates and that could help him raise the level of the Indian team. After the loss in first two Tests, Gavaskar remembered MS Dhoni's approach to lead the Indian Cricket team in a foreign soil.

Virat Kohli has to be free from 'yes-men' in order to grow as Captain: Graeme Smith

India skipper Virat Kohli today insisted his team didn&#39;t come underprepared for the Test series against South Africa, contradicting coach Ravi Shastri&#39;s views that the side should have spent more time preparing.

Shastri had said that Team India should arrive ten days early on overseas tours in order to prepare better after the visitors lost the opening two Tests by 72 runs and 135 runs respectively at Cape Town and Centurion.

&quot;I personally don&#39;t feel that we didn&#39;t feel prepared starting this series. I won&#39;t sit here and point that out after losing a Test series.

We had a week to prepare ourselves, five days because one day we were travelling,&quot; Kohli said ahead of the third Test starting tomorrow.&quot;

&quot;So we had that and we went ahead with that. As I said, we are not going to sit and think of outside factors that made us lose. It was our errors, our mistakes of not capitalising on situations that led us to the result being 2-0 so far,&quot;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-south-africa-3rd-test-30473">India vs South Africa 3rd Test: India look to salvage pride</a>

&quot;Responsibility isn&#39;t just one-sided. I think it&#39;s a collective responsibility of everyone and those aspects (of preparing early) are and have been a point of consideration for a while,&quot; said the skipper. Kohli said he is learning every day as a captain and would like to handle the match situations better in future.

&quot;As a captain as well, you want to proudly do better in situations when the game has gone away from you at times. So, I have thought about those things as well? how you can still keep the pressure on and not let the game slip away in very quick time,&quot; he said.

&quot;I always keep thinking about my game, how I can learn as a captain and get better in every aspect of what I do. Even focusing on the positives, you need to be able to still work on your positives to be able to be a consistent international player over a period of time. I have never stopped learning and I will never stop learning.&quot;

&quot;A lot of Indian batsmen including Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul have had double sessions in the nets during the three days leading up to the match.

Talking about the Indian batsmen, who have come up short in this series, Kohli said: &quot;We are looking to correcting our mistakes in these two games and intent is going to be a big part of it.

Intent can be leaving the ball or defending the ball as well. With your body language, you can get to know how a person is feeling&quot;

That&#39;s precisely what I meant. &quot;That&#39;s always going to be a big factor. When you are playing in conditions that are not your own, your belief and your body language in each minute of a Test match matters.

As a collective unit that is something we have discussed and that is something the guys are looking forward to embracing.&quot;

'We are looking to correcting our mistakes in these two games and intent is going to be a big part of it,' Kohli said

India skipper Virat Kohli today insisted his team didn't come underprepared for the Test series against South Africa, contradicting coach Ravi Shastri's views that the side should have spent more time preparing. Shastri had said that Team India should arrive ten days early on overseas tours in order to prepare better after the visitors lost the opening two Tests by 72 runs and 135 runs respectively at Cape Town and Centurion. "I personally don't feel that we didn't feel prepared starting this series. I won't sit here and point that out after losing a Test series. We had a week to prepare ourselves, five days because one day we were travelling," Kohli said ahead of the third Test starting tomorrow." "So we had that and we went ahead with that. As I said, we are not going to sit and think of outside factors that made us lose. It was our errors, our mistakes of not capitalising on situations that led us to the result being 2-0 so far," Also read: India vs South Africa 3rd Test: India look to salvage pride "Responsibility isn't just one-sided. I think it's a collective responsibility of everyone and those aspects (of preparing early) are and have been a point of consideration for a while," said the skipper. Kohli said he is learning every day as a captain and would like to handle the match situations better in future. "As a captain as well, you want to proudly do better in situations when the game has gone away from you at times. So, I have thought about those things as well? how you can still keep the pressure on and not let the game slip away in very quick time," he said. "I always keep thinking about my game, how I can learn as a captain and get better in every aspect of what I do. Even focusing on the positives, you need to be able to still work on your positives to be able to be a consistent international player over a period of time. I have never stopped learning and I will never stop learning." "A lot of Indian batsmen including Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul have had double sessions in the nets during the three days leading up to the match. Talking about the Indian batsmen, who have come up short in this series, Kohli said: "We are looking to correcting our mistakes in these two games and intent is going to be a big part of it. Intent can be leaving the ball or defending the ball as well. With your body language, you can get to know how a person is feeling" That's precisely what I meant. "That's always going to be a big factor. When you are playing in conditions that are not your own, your belief and your body language in each minute of a Test match matters. As a collective unit that is something we have discussed and that is something the guys are looking forward to embracing."

Ravi Shastri says India were unprepared for South Africa, Kohli says no

India is looking to avoid a series whitewash when they play against South Africa in the third and final Test at the Wanderers Stadium which will start&nbsp;from January 24.

The Indian batting line in both the previous matches suffered some serious damage. Although, Indian skipper Virat Kohli has hailed his bowlers, who have claimed 20 wickets in both Tests so far.

Recently, the team was criticised for taking a day out of practice session and planning a small trip to jungle safari instead of practice.

With such criticism going about, Virat&#39;s captaincy is currently&nbsp;under scrutiny. Many veteran&nbsp;cricketers have raised questions on Virat&#39;s decisions and team selection.

Even veteran cricketers are raising questions commenting on the team selection and game strategies.

Former Indian team captain Sunil Gavaskar also expressed his views on the performance of Parthiv Patel, who replaced wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddiman Saha.

He said that MS Dhoni&#39;s advice in the dressing room would have been invaluable.

&quot;I would have actually liked him to maybe give up captaincy and still stay in the team as wicketkeeper-batsman,&quot; Gavaskar said.

The&nbsp;third and final Test is definitely a Litmus Test for team India and men in blue is training hard to salvage the pride.

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WHACK! Out of the ground this one from <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/Bk3euApHG9">pic.twitter.com/Bk3euApHG9</a>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/955381274453204992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/955357364387016706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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India has a decent record&nbsp;at the Wanderers pitch they have yet to be beaten in Tests there, with a win and three draws going back to 1992/93.

Cheteshwar Pujara made 153 in the second innings of the 2013/14 match and India will be seeking an improvement from their number three batsman, who has made only 49 runs in four innings, including being run out in both innings in Centurion.

Ajinkya Rahane, who did not play in the first two Tests, had a lengthy net at the weekend and could be recalled on the strength of a strong record in overseas Tests.

Dinesh Karthik was flown in as a replacement for injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and could play at the expense of Parthiv Patel, who had a poor game with the gloves in Centurion.

With their formidable fast bowling attack, coupled with more resolute batting and better fielding in the first two Tests, South Africa will again start favourites although they will be wary of a potential Indian backlash. Rain could interfere with play on as many as four days.

Squad: (TBC)

South Africa: Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.

India: Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

&nbsp;

India has a decent record at the Wanderers pitch they have yet to be beaten in Tests there, with a win and three draws going back to 1992/93

India is looking to avoid a series whitewash when they play against South Africa in the third and final Test at the Wanderers Stadium which will start from January 24. The Indian batting line in both the previous matches suffered some serious damage. Although, Indian skipper Virat Kohli has hailed his bowlers, who have claimed 20 wickets in both Tests so far. Recently, the team was criticised for taking a day out of practice session and planning a small trip to jungle safari instead of practice. With such criticism going about, Virat's captaincy is currently under scrutiny. Many veteran cricketers have raised questions on Virat's decisions and team selection. Even veteran cricketers are raising questions commenting on the team selection and game strategies. Former Indian team captain Sunil Gavaskar also expressed his views on the performance of Parthiv Patel, who replaced wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddiman Saha. He said that MS Dhoni's advice in the dressing room would have been invaluable. "I would have actually liked him to maybe give up captaincy and still stay in the team as wicketkeeper-batsman," Gavaskar said. The third and final Test is definitely a Litmus Test for team India and men in blue is training hard to salvage the pride. WHACK! Out of the ground this one from @ImRo45 #TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/Bk3euApHG9 — BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2018 × Alert! Slip cordon at it this moment #TeamIndia #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/jWXAB3Jhf6 — BCCI (@BCCI) January 22, 2018 × India has a decent record at the Wanderers pitch they have yet to be beaten in Tests there, with a win and three draws going back to 1992/93. Cheteshwar Pujara made 153 in the second innings of the 2013/14 match and India will be seeking an improvement from their number three batsman, who has made only 49 runs in four innings, including being run out in both innings in Centurion. Ajinkya Rahane, who did not play in the first two Tests, had a lengthy net at the weekend and could be recalled on the strength of a strong record in overseas Tests. Dinesh Karthik was flown in as a replacement for injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and could play at the expense of Parthiv Patel, who had a poor game with the gloves in Centurion. With their formidable fast bowling attack, coupled with more resolute batting and better fielding in the first two Tests, South Africa will again start favourites although they will be wary of a potential Indian backlash. Rain could interfere with play on as many as four days. Squad: (TBC) South Africa: Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi. India: Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

India vs South Africa 3rd Test: India look to salvage pride

India captain Virat Kohli has rued his team&#39;s misfortune but admitted that South Africa were the deserving winners as they showed a lot of character during their five-wicket win in the fourth ODI here.

With their tail up in the series following a 3-0 lead, India went into yesterday&#39;s game as favourites but twin weather breaks coupled with a few missed chances brought a halt to their rampaging ODI run as South Africa kept the series alive.

&quot;In hindsight, you have to give credit to South Africa. I think they played with a lot of character, in the end, they pulled through, they deserved to win,&quot; Kohli said after last night&#39;s weather-hit and curtailed ODI.

&quot;They are a quality side, we expected them to play quality cricket and they played well. We know we&#39;ll have to be at the top of our game to get another win under our belt and we&#39;ll work extremely hard for that,&quot; he added.

Opting to bat, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli were going great guns before lightning first stopped play when the visitors were placed at 200 for 2. Although no overs were cut, India lost the momentum and only finished at 289 for 7.

Another rain break later, during South Africa&#39;s innings, forced the match to be reduced to 28 overs with the hosts set a revised target of 202.

Kohli also noted how conditions had worked against his team as India scored just 89 in 16.3 overs after the first break of play.

&quot;After the break when Shikhar and Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) came off the wicket played a bit differently, it wasn&#39;t as good to bat after the break,&quot; he said.

&quot;After the lightning break the guys felt with the weather getting cooler, the wicket got faster in the evening, and that continued through the innings, so I don&#39;t think the guys quite settled in in the later half.&quot;

Kohli felt the curtailment of the match helped South Africa.

&quot;The game getting shorter probably worked in their favour, they had to hit regardless of what the situation was. If it was a full game you never know,&quot; he said.

&quot;It was more like a T20 game where you have to go after the bowlers and it can get difficult when people get into a groove and when a side has momentum it can be very difficult to stop them.&quot;

The India skipper also gave credit to South Africa for the way they went about their run chase.

&quot;Especially Miller and their wicketkeeper batted very well when we got AB I thought we were in the game, but those two guys took the game away from us,&quot; he said.

&quot;(After the second break in play) the ball was getting a little wet, but I won&#39;t say it was too wet. The wicket was good to bat on. Our spinners were getting a little bit of turn but South Africa took their chances and it came off.

&quot;They improvised really well and it came off for them, they showed real character, they showed guts, they tried a few things and they deserved to win,&quot; Kohli added.

The Indians also had themselves to blame as David Miller was given two lives -- a dropped catch in the deep and then was bowled off a no-ball off Yuzvendra Chahal when he was on 6 and 7 respectively. He went on to make 39 off 28 balls.

&quot;We did not grab our chances. You have to take your chances in this game, no balls are a fine line as well. We did not deserve to win, that&#39;s the way the game goes,&quot; Kohli said.

&quot;No balls are always something that hurts you as a team but you can&#39;t be too hard on the boys. They try their best out there in the middle and mistakes do happen,&quot; he added.

Kohli noted how conditions had worked against his team as India scored just 89 in 16.3 overs after the first break of play

India captain Virat Kohli has rued his team's misfortune but admitted that South Africa were the deserving winners as they showed a lot of character during their five-wicket win in the fourth ODI here. With their tail up in the series following a 3-0 lead, India went into yesterday's game as favourites but twin weather breaks coupled with a few missed chances brought a halt to their rampaging ODI run as South Africa kept the series alive. "In hindsight, you have to give credit to South Africa. I think they played with a lot of character, in the end, they pulled through, they deserved to win," Kohli said after last night's weather-hit and curtailed ODI. "They are a quality side, we expected them to play quality cricket and they played well. We know we'll have to be at the top of our game to get another win under our belt and we'll work extremely hard for that," he added. Opting to bat, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli were going great guns before lightning first stopped play when the visitors were placed at 200 for 2. Although no overs were cut, India lost the momentum and only finished at 289 for 7. Another rain break later, during South Africa's innings, forced the match to be reduced to 28 overs with the hosts set a revised target of 202. Kohli also noted how conditions had worked against his team as India scored just 89 in 16.3 overs after the first break of play. "After the break when Shikhar and Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) came off the wicket played a bit differently, it wasn't as good to bat after the break," he said. "After the lightning break the guys felt with the weather getting cooler, the wicket got faster in the evening, and that continued through the innings, so I don't think the guys quite settled in in the later half." Kohli felt the curtailment of the match helped South Africa. "The game getting shorter probably worked in their favour, they had to hit regardless of what the situation was. If it was a full game you never know," he said. "It was more like a T20 game where you have to go after the bowlers and it can get difficult when people get into a groove and when a side has momentum it can be very difficult to stop them." The India skipper also gave credit to South Africa for the way they went about their run chase. "Especially Miller and their wicketkeeper batted very well when we got AB I thought we were in the game, but those two guys took the game away from us," he said. "(After the second break in play) the ball was getting a little wet, but I won't say it was too wet. The wicket was good to bat on. Our spinners were getting a little bit of turn but South Africa took their chances and it came off. "They improvised really well and it came off for them, they showed real character, they showed guts, they tried a few things and they deserved to win," Kohli added. The Indians also had themselves to blame as David Miller was given two lives -- a dropped catch in the deep and then was bowled off a no-ball off Yuzvendra Chahal when he was on 6 and 7 respectively. He went on to make 39 off 28 balls. "We did not grab our chances. You have to take your chances in this game, no balls are a fine line as well. We did not deserve to win, that's the way the game goes," Kohli said. "No balls are always something that hurts you as a team but you can't be too hard on the boys. They try their best out there in the middle and mistakes do happen," he added.

South Africa showed a lot of character and deserved to win, says Kohli

The fourth ODI between India and South Africa is set to start and &#39;Men in blue&#39; will face &#39;Men in pink&#39; at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.

India is already leading the six-match series by 3-0 with and will enter the 4th ODI with a high.

The Spin-twins are doing exceptionally well for the team. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have been a key element for India&#39;s comfortable victories.

The depth in the batting order has provided India with extra convincing support.

Though opener Rohit Sharma is struggling to regain his form as he failed to score in the previous games.

In-form skipper Virat Kohli has been magnificent. He slammed two centuries in the previous three games and had inspired the team to much-needed victories.

On the other hand, South Africa, arguably dominant unit at home strived hard to perform but the injuries had overshadowed the team as AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock were ruled out.

But now AB de Villiers is set to return in the 4th ODI that will definitely bolster South African prospects a bit.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-can-the-return-of-ab-de-villiers-turn-the-tide-for-south-africa-32395">Also read:&nbsp;Opinion: Can the return of AB de Villiers turn the tide for South Africa?</a>

The Proteas will play in the pink jersey as they have pledged to create awareness for breast cancer.

If we talk about the pink jersey, out of 5 ODI games South Africa&nbsp;have not lost a single game&nbsp;yet.

Especially AB de Villiers&rsquo;s record in pink ODIs is remarkable. In the five games, he has scored 450 runs at an average of 112.5.

If we talk about the weather, some showers are expected in the morning, but it won&#39;t hamper the game as the match is set to start at 4:30.

Squad (TBC):

India:

Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.

South Africa:

Aiden Markram (capt), Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, AB de Villiers, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada/Lungi Ngidi, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

&nbsp;

The fourth ODI between India and South Africa is set to start at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, AB de Villiers will return to the team

The fourth ODI between India and South Africa is set to start and 'Men in blue' will face 'Men in pink' at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. India is already leading the six-match series by 3-0 with and will enter the 4th ODI with a high. The Spin-twins are doing exceptionally well for the team. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have been a key element for India's comfortable victories. The depth in the batting order has provided India with extra convincing support. Though opener Rohit Sharma is struggling to regain his form as he failed to score in the previous games. In-form skipper Virat Kohli has been magnificent. He slammed two centuries in the previous three games and had inspired the team to much-needed victories. On the other hand, South Africa, arguably dominant unit at home strived hard to perform but the injuries had overshadowed the team as AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock were ruled out. But now AB de Villiers is set to return in the 4th ODI that will definitely bolster South African prospects a bit. Also read: Opinion: Can the return of AB de Villiers turn the tide for South Africa? The Proteas will play in the pink jersey as they have pledged to create awareness for breast cancer. If we talk about the pink jersey, out of 5 ODI games South Africa have not lost a single game yet. Especially AB de Villiers’s record in pink ODIs is remarkable. In the five games, he has scored 450 runs at an average of 112.5. If we talk about the weather, some showers are expected in the morning, but it won't hamper the game as the match is set to start at 4:30. Squad (TBC): India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah. South Africa: Aiden Markram (capt), Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, AB de Villiers, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada/Lungi Ngidi, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

4th ODI: 'Men in blue' vs 'men in pink'

India vs South Africa live up to its billing -&nbsp; unpredictable and exciting. Everything in the last four days from the pitch, bowling and Pandya&#39;s batting had all the ingredients of a delicious curry, just that it was enjoyed more by the hosts than the visitors.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-what-ails-indian-cricket-team-pace-bowling-28969">It was a match full of drama from the first morning</a> when South Africa crashed to 12 for three losing Elgar, Markram and Amla cheaply after choosing to bat on a seaming pitch but they came back magnificently and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-135-all-out-south-africa-wins-1st-test-by-72-runs-28890">won the game. Now they lead the series 1-0.</a>

India was definitely outplayed by the South Africans. Though Indian bowlers started the game quite well but that was not enough. Even after creating pressure on the first half of Day 1, Indian pacers gave away 50-60 extra runs. A fact acknowledged by Bhunveshwar Kumar later.

Counter-attacking batting by De Villiers and Du Plessis enabled South Africa to set up a competitive 286 in their first innings.

The first innings for India was extremely disappointing after the batsmen fell without a fight, except India&#39;s new all-rounder Hardik Pandya who stood tall amid the ruins.

Pandya&#39;s invaluable 93 runs with 14 hits to the boundary and one six - it was was a stand-out performance. However, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn,&nbsp; Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada destroyed India&#39;s pride.

In the second innings too, Indian bowlers did their bit by holding the Proteas to 130 ensuring India had a target of 208 but this time too the batters disappointed and India surrendered the match, losing by 72 runs.

Kohli&#39;s decision of selecting Rohit Sharma ahead of Ajinkya Rahane remains questionable.

No doubt Rohit&#39;s performance in ODI and other limited over format is outstanding, but in South Africa, conditions are totally different where the pitch offers swing and bowlers hold sway.

Rohit has played 27 innings in 14 matches on foreign soil and has scored just 653 runs at an average of 25.12, on the other hand, in the matches played in India, his average is a stupendous 65.17.

Clearly, Rohit along with Virat need to come to the party if India wants to hit back in the next Test at Centurion in Gauteng next week.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

Rohit has played 27 innings in 14 matches on foreign soil and has scored just 653 runs at an average of 25.12

India vs South Africa live up to its billing - unpredictable and exciting. Everything in the last four days from the pitch, bowling and Pandya's batting had all the ingredients of a delicious curry, just that it was enjoyed more by the hosts than the visitors. It was a match full of drama from the first morning when South Africa crashed to 12 for three losing Elgar, Markram and Amla cheaply after choosing to bat on a seaming pitch but they came back magnificently and won the game. Now they lead the series 1-0. India was definitely outplayed by the South Africans. Though Indian bowlers started the game quite well but that was not enough. Even after creating pressure on the first half of Day 1, Indian pacers gave away 50-60 extra runs. A fact acknowledged by Bhunveshwar Kumar later. Counter-attacking batting by De Villiers and Du Plessis enabled South Africa to set up a competitive 286 in their first innings. The first innings for India was extremely disappointing after the batsmen fell without a fight, except India's new all-rounder Hardik Pandya who stood tall amid the ruins. Pandya's invaluable 93 runs with 14 hits to the boundary and one six - it was was a stand-out performance. However, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada destroyed India's pride. In the second innings too, Indian bowlers did their bit by holding the Proteas to 130 ensuring India had a target of 208 but this time too the batters disappointed and India surrendered the match, losing by 72 runs. Kohli's decision of selecting Rohit Sharma ahead of Ajinkya Rahane remains questionable. No doubt Rohit's performance in ODI and other limited over format is outstanding, but in South Africa, conditions are totally different where the pitch offers swing and bowlers hold sway. Rohit has played 27 innings in 14 matches on foreign soil and has scored just 653 runs at an average of 25.12, on the other hand, in the matches played in India, his average is a stupendous 65.17. Clearly, Rohit along with Virat need to come to the party if India wants to hit back in the next Test at Centurion in Gauteng next week. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Rohit Sharma is rockstar at home, flop star abroad

How would you rate the performance of a team who has defeated the number two ODI team in ICC ranking, in back to back matches by the massive margins of 9 wickets and 124 runs?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

I can only describe it as insane.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But this is what men in blue have just done during the 2nd&nbsp;and 3rd&nbsp;ODIs of the current ODI series.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Once Pakistan&rsquo;s Cricket legend Imran Khan said that captain should rely on strong points of his side with conviction and should go for full throttle attack.

&nbsp;

So when Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were running through the South African batting line-up during the second and third ODIs against South Africa, what Imran said was simply holding true. Both of these spinners claimed sixteen wickets between them during these two matches and India simply decimated the 2nd&nbsp;ranked team South Africa in back to back matches. India&rsquo;s proven strength in spin bowling played its part to perfection yet again and Kohli simple unleashed them to hunt South Africans.

&nbsp;

After the 2nd&nbsp;ODI, Indian Captain Virat Kohli himself came up with the rave compliment for the performance of the Indian spinners. According to Kohli, Chahal and Kuldeep can generate a turn on any surface. If Kohli thinks so, then the moot question here is why spinners were not in much of action during the Test series, notwithstanding that series was played on pacer-friendly tracks.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There is a specific case here for Kuldeep Yadav. People was bit surprised when Kuldeep was not selected for the Test series against South Africa. So, Kohli&rsquo;s statement endorses the fact that Kuldeep deserved a place in Test playing eleven. Being a left-arm chinaman bowler, Kuldeep brings a certain x-factor and surprise element on the table. He had a wonderful Test debut last year. Before the Test squad for the series against South Africa was selected, Rahul Dravid opined that India should use unorthodox style embedded in Kuldeep&#39;s&nbsp;bowling to its advantage.

&nbsp;

But let&rsquo;s park Kuldeep&#39;s exclusion from the Test squad for the time being; the performance of Chahal and Kuldeep suggests that perhaps Kohli missed the trick in utilising available spinners during the last two Test matches. Particularly, Kohli erred in leaving Jadeja out from playing eleven during the second Test. Kohli even overlooked the fact that during the last tour in 2014, Jadeja had a six wickets haul in a Test in South Africa.&nbsp;In the last Test match as well, Kohli went for five fast bowlers and one of them (Hardik) hardly bowled.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Chahal has been consistently&nbsp;performing&nbsp;well in the ODIs. He struck to fame with his&nbsp;very successful stint with the RCB in the IPL.&nbsp;Chahal has been proving his credentials in the ODI and the T-20 time and again. Last year in a T-20 match, Chahal claimed an amazing six wickets haul. His 38 wickets in 20 ODIs with an economy rate of 4.58 speaks about Chahal&rsquo;s ability to claim wickets and at the same time keeping the run-scoring in control. He doesn&rsquo;t give much air and bowls rather flat but he is spot on with his length and line and generate good turn.

&nbsp;

Kuldeep Yadav has earned his place in the national side with his hard work. So far in ODI series, he has bowled beautifully, gave nice flight to balls, pitched them right and moreover disguised his wrong ones (googlies) quite impeccably.

&nbsp;

With such form of the Indian team, Kuldeep and Chahal in particular, and with a depleted South African side (ABD, du Plessis and de Kock are out due to injuries), India stands a clear chance of sweeping the ODI series with a huge margin. Not be surprised if the ODI series ends up with a scoreline of 6-0.

&nbsp;

The narrative which India has reversed after losing first two Tests reached its zenith by this 3rd&nbsp;ODI and Chahal and Kuldeep are the men of the moment.

&nbsp;

In all probability, Chahal and Kuldeep are set to play a big role for their side in the World Cup next year. Being wrist spinners, both of them have displayed an uncanny ability to bowl effectively on tracks, which are not necessarily spinner&rsquo;s friendly. Both of them would be players to watch in England during ICC World Cup 2019.

&nbsp;

And yes, how interesting it is, India has two world-class finger spinners in form of Ashwin and Jadeja for the Test matches and two demolition men, two wrist spinners Chahal and Kuldeep to unleash havoc in ODIs.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India’s proven strength in spin bowling played its part to perfection yet again and Kohli simple unleashed them to hunt South Africans.

How would you rate the performance of a team who has defeated the number two ODI team in ICC ranking, in back to back matches by the massive margins of 9 wickets and 124 runs? I can only describe it as insane. But this is what men in blue have just done during the 2nd and 3rd ODIs of the current ODI series. Once Pakistan’s Cricket legend Imran Khan said that captain should rely on strong points of his side with conviction and should go for full throttle attack. So when Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were running through the South African batting line-up during the second and third ODIs against South Africa, what Imran said was simply holding true. Both of these spinners claimed sixteen wickets between them during these two matches and India simply decimated the 2nd ranked team South Africa in back to back matches. India’s proven strength in spin bowling played its part to perfection yet again and Kohli simple unleashed them to hunt South Africans. After the 2nd ODI, Indian Captain Virat Kohli himself came up with the rave compliment for the performance of the Indian spinners. According to Kohli, Chahal and Kuldeep can generate a turn on any surface. If Kohli thinks so, then the moot question here is why spinners were not in much of action during the Test series, notwithstanding that series was played on pacer-friendly tracks. There is a specific case here for Kuldeep Yadav. People was bit surprised when Kuldeep was not selected for the Test series against South Africa. So, Kohli’s statement endorses the fact that Kuldeep deserved a place in Test playing eleven. Being a left-arm chinaman bowler, Kuldeep brings a certain x-factor and surprise element on the table. He had a wonderful Test debut last year. Before the Test squad for the series against South Africa was selected, Rahul Dravid opined that India should use unorthodox style embedded in Kuldeep's bowling to its advantage. But let’s park Kuldeep's exclusion from the Test squad for the time being; the performance of Chahal and Kuldeep suggests that perhaps Kohli missed the trick in utilising available spinners during the last two Test matches. Particularly, Kohli erred in leaving Jadeja out from playing eleven during the second Test. Kohli even overlooked the fact that during the last tour in 2014, Jadeja had a six wickets haul in a Test in South Africa. In the last Test match as well, Kohli went for five fast bowlers and one of them (Hardik) hardly bowled. Chahal has been consistently performing well in the ODIs. He struck to fame with his very successful stint with the RCB in the IPL. Chahal has been proving his credentials in the ODI and the T-20 time and again. Last year in a T-20 match, Chahal claimed an amazing six wickets haul. His 38 wickets in 20 ODIs with an economy rate of 4.58 speaks about Chahal’s ability to claim wickets and at the same time keeping the run-scoring in control. He doesn’t give much air and bowls rather flat but he is spot on with his length and line and generate good turn. Kuldeep Yadav has earned his place in the national side with his hard work. So far in ODI series, he has bowled beautifully, gave nice flight to balls, pitched them right and moreover disguised his wrong ones (googlies) quite impeccably. With such form of the Indian team, Kuldeep and Chahal in particular, and with a depleted South African side (ABD, du Plessis and de Kock are out due to injuries), India stands a clear chance of sweeping the ODI series with a huge margin. Not be surprised if the ODI series ends up with a scoreline of 6-0. The narrative which India has reversed after losing first two Tests reached its zenith by this 3rd ODI and Chahal and Kuldeep are the men of the moment. In all probability, Chahal and Kuldeep are set to play a big role for their side in the World Cup next year. Being wrist spinners, both of them have displayed an uncanny ability to bowl effectively on tracks, which are not necessarily spinner’s friendly. Both of them would be players to watch in England during ICC World Cup 2019. And yes, how interesting it is, India has two world-class finger spinners in form of Ashwin and Jadeja for the Test matches and two demolition men, two wrist spinners Chahal and Kuldeep to unleash havoc in ODIs. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav are demolition men of Indian cricket

They may be a married couple now but fans can&#39;t get enough of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. Its been more than two months since the pair tied the knot in a private ceremony in Italy, but fans still are reeling looking at photos of their dream-like wedding ceremony.&nbsp; 
 
While the two are in different parts of the world, owing to their professional commitments, most are curious to see where and when will they make their first appearance together as a married couple.&nbsp; 
 
News has it, that Karan Johar is trying to rope them in for their first TV interview for the new season of Koffee With Karan. The chat show, which has had a bevy of stars being their candid self in front of KJo has had four successful seasons already. 
 
&ldquo;The makers want Karan to host another season of his popular show and have already discussed it with him. The only problem is that the filmmaker is busy with several things and the makers and he are yet to sit and decide when they would like to telecast it. But it is definitely happening this year,&quot;DNA quoted a source as saying. 
 
&quot;The team has been asked to draw a guest list, and apart from the celebrities who are regulars on the show, the makers are keen on getting Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli together. They hope it will be their first appearance post-wedding. Last time, the actress had appeared with Katrina Kaif,&quot; the source added. 
 
On the work front, Anushka will next be seen in supernatural thriller Pari- a film that she has produced. She also has Zero and Sui Dhaga lined up for release later this year.

If KJo manages to convince the two, this will be their first interview together.

They may be a married couple now but fans can't get enough of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. Its been more than two months since the pair tied the knot in a private ceremony in Italy, but fans still are reeling looking at photos of their dream-like wedding ceremony. While the two are in different parts of the world, owing to their professional commitments, most are curious to see where and when will they make their first appearance together as a married couple. News has it, that Karan Johar is trying to rope them in for their first TV interview for the new season of Koffee With Karan. The chat show, which has had a bevy of stars being their candid self in front of KJo has had four successful seasons already. “The makers want Karan to host another season of his popular show and have already discussed it with him. The only problem is that the filmmaker is busy with several things and the makers and he are yet to sit and decide when they would like to telecast it. But it is definitely happening this year,"DNA quoted a source as saying. "The team has been asked to draw a guest list, and apart from the celebrities who are regulars on the show, the makers are keen on getting Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli together. They hope it will be their first appearance post-wedding. Last time, the actress had appeared with Katrina Kaif," the source added. On the work front, Anushka will next be seen in supernatural thriller Pari- a film that she has produced. She also has Zero and Sui Dhaga lined up for release later this year.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma to appear in the new season of Koffee With Karan?

You do not often see a visiting Indian side to South Africa in a position like this. They are 2-0 up in the six-match ODI series, and as they take on the hosts in the third ODI at Cape Town, India have a rare chance of taking an unassailable lead. A victory here would ensure that India cannot lose the series, which would be a significant achievement in itself given India&rsquo;s poor record on previous tours here. However, the manner in which India has dominated South Africa in the first two ODIs, one cannot help but say that India starts off as the favourite.

&nbsp;

Virat Kohli&rsquo;s men have displayed a brand of cricket they are known for these days &ndash; fearless, positive and purposeful. They have been clinical both with the bat and the ball and led by an exuberant captain, are firing on all cylinders. South Africa, on the other hand, seems to be coming off at the seams. After losing star batsman AB de Villiers at the start of the series, they lost their captain Faf du Plessis and now wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock after the first two ODIs. While injuries have certainly hampered their progress, South Africa has been rather undisciplined in the batting and lackluster with the ball.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

South Africa&rsquo;s longtime running struggle against wrist spin is continuing to haunt them as both of India&rsquo;s spinners &ndash; Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav &ndash; have been all over them during the middle overs, and India would hope that they can carry on their magic. The home side would also really need more than just the 39 runs their top batsman Hashim Amla has mustered in the series so far. Stand-in captain Aiden Markram also has his task cut out and would have to bat out of his skin to ensure his team gets decent totals on the board.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

For India, most bases look covered. Their captain is in red-hot form and the bowling looks to be getting the job done every time. While India&rsquo;s lower middle-order, led by the old warhorse MS Dhoni, has not been tested yet, they would also want Rohit Sharma to play with more responsibility. For all the talent he has, he keeps getting out to careless shots even before he has settled in and it is about time he got that in check. Otherwise, India looks to have a settled outfit and should be fielding the same eleven that played in the first two ODIs.

&nbsp;

The only solace South Africa has going into this ODI is their record at the venue. Newlands is their happy-hunting ground where they have won 28 out of 33 matches they have played. So, that should give them some confidence and, hopefully, inspire them to play better.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As things stand, India will fancy their chances against a depleted, severely short on confidence, South Africa, as they take them on in the third ODI at Cape Town and the hosts will have to pull something really special out of their bag to stop this resurgent India.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India will fancy their chances against a depleted, severely short on confidence, South Africa, as they take them on in the third ODI at Cape Town and the hosts will have to pull something really special out of their bag to stop this resurgent India.

You do not often see a visiting Indian side to South Africa in a position like this. They are 2-0 up in the six-match ODI series, and as they take on the hosts in the third ODI at Cape Town, India have a rare chance of taking an unassailable lead. A victory here would ensure that India cannot lose the series, which would be a significant achievement in itself given India’s poor record on previous tours here. However, the manner in which India has dominated South Africa in the first two ODIs, one cannot help but say that India starts off as the favourite. Virat Kohli’s men have displayed a brand of cricket they are known for these days – fearless, positive and purposeful. They have been clinical both with the bat and the ball and led by an exuberant captain, are firing on all cylinders. South Africa, on the other hand, seems to be coming off at the seams. After losing star batsman AB de Villiers at the start of the series, they lost their captain Faf du Plessis and now wicket-keeper batsman Quinton de Kock after the first two ODIs. While injuries have certainly hampered their progress, South Africa has been rather undisciplined in the batting and lackluster with the ball. South Africa’s longtime running struggle against wrist spin is continuing to haunt them as both of India’s spinners – Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav – have been all over them during the middle overs, and India would hope that they can carry on their magic. The home side would also really need more than just the 39 runs their top batsman Hashim Amla has mustered in the series so far. Stand-in captain Aiden Markram also has his task cut out and would have to bat out of his skin to ensure his team gets decent totals on the board. For India, most bases look covered. Their captain is in red-hot form and the bowling looks to be getting the job done every time. While India’s lower middle-order, led by the old warhorse MS Dhoni, has not been tested yet, they would also want Rohit Sharma to play with more responsibility. For all the talent he has, he keeps getting out to careless shots even before he has settled in and it is about time he got that in check. Otherwise, India looks to have a settled outfit and should be fielding the same eleven that played in the first two ODIs. The only solace South Africa has going into this ODI is their record at the venue. Newlands is their happy-hunting ground where they have won 28 out of 33 matches they have played. So, that should give them some confidence and, hopefully, inspire them to play better. As things stand, India will fancy their chances against a depleted, severely short on confidence, South Africa, as they take them on in the third ODI at Cape Town and the hosts will have to pull something really special out of their bag to stop this resurgent India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Can India make it 3-0 today South Africa's favourite venue?

Virat Kohli&#39;s masterclass and a pouncing pack of wrist-spinners ensured a 124-run win for India in the third ODI here, giving the visitors an unassailable 3-0 lead and taking them one step closer to a maiden series triumph in South Africa.

Kohli reaffirmed his status as an ODI great with an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/unstoppable-kohli-hits-34th-odi-ton-takes-india-to-3036-32131" target="_blank">unbeaten 160 off 159 balls</a> on a challenging surface, propelling India to 303 for six.

It was the 34th ODI hundred for the Indian captain, who is now 15 shy of Sachin Tendulkar&#39;s mark of 49.

Kohli has been simply unstoppable in the 50-over format of late and today&#39;s match-winning effort was his fourth three-figure score in the last six ODIs. It was also his second hundred of the series and third of the tour.

While most Indian batsmen struggled after South Africa opted to bowl, Kohli made batting look easy. Shikhar Dhawan too stood out with a fluent 76 off 63 balls.

South Africa started the chase on a promising note with captain Aiden Markram (32) and JP Duminy (51) sharing a 78-run stand for the second wicket.

But most of their runs came against the pacers and when Indian spinners got into the act, it was a familiar story as South Africa surrendered to Yuzvendra Chahal (4/46) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/23) to end way behind at 170 all out in 40 overs.

The South African batsmen failed to pick India&#39;s wily wrist-spinners, as was the case in the first two ODIs.

The slide began with the fall of Markram, who was stumped by MS Dhoni after getting beaten by a flighted delivery from Yadav.

It happened to be Dhoni&#39;s 400th dismissal in ODIs as he became only the fourth wicket-keeper to reach that milestone in ODIs.

Not reading the spinners led to South African batsmen being defensive which pushed the run-rate up. From a healthy 79 for one in the 17th over, the hosts were reduced to 129 for five in the 33rd over, ending all their hopes of a recovery.

Earlier, Kohli scored the highest individual score by an Indian batsman against South Africa in South Africa, going past Sourav Ganguly?s 127 at Johannesburg in 2001. It was also Kohli?s second-highest ODI score after 183 against Pakistan in 2012.

Such was the nature of his innings that he scored only 60 runs through boundaries while he had to run hard for the remaining 100. In total, he collected 12 fours and two sixes.

He also became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred against South Africa at Newlands. Only Ganguly previously had an ODI century at this ground, but that came against Kenya in March 2003. 
 
Records kept tumbling as his innings progressed. He also became the Indian ODI captain with most hundreds to his name.

He went past Ganguly again, who has 11 centuries in 142 innings. Kohli now boasts of 12 hundreds as skipper but in only 43 innings.

Kohli, with 318 runs in this series so far, now also has the most runs for a visiting batsman in a bilateral ODI series against South Africa in South Africa. Ricky Ponting, with 283 runs in 2001-02, was the previous best.

In terms of balls faced, it was the joint-slowest hundred for Kohli, after he faced 119 balls against Pakistan at Adelaide in 2015. But in doing so, Kohli put on 140 runs with Dhawan for the second wicket.

The Proteas made three changes to their playing eleven after the Centurion defeat. Lungi Ngidi and Heinrich Klaasen were handed their ODI debuts and came in for Morne Morkel and injured Quinton de Kock, respectively.

Andile Phehlukwayo was included ahead of Tabraiz Shamsi as the hosts played only full-time spinner. India fielded an unchanged side again.

Rohit Sharma (0) continued his poor run in this ODI series and was caught behind off the sixth ball he faced. The three-time ODI double-centurion now averages 12.10 in 10 innings on South African soil and has an ODI high score of only 23.

Kohli (on 0*) survived an early lbw shout off Kagiso Rabada (1-54) in the third over. He immediately asked for DRS review, which showed an inside edge and the decision was overturned.

Dhawan and Kohli then came together, and piled on the runs, almost continuing from where they had left off in the previous match.

Momentarily though, India?s run-rate dipped below 5/over as Chris Morris (1-45) exerted some control over proceedings. In the meantime, Dhawan scored his 25th ODI half-century off 42 balls and took his team past 100 in the 18th over.

Dhawan accelerated after reaching his mark, and scored 26 runs off next 21 balls he faced. Part of the reason had to do with Imran Tahir?s (1-52) inclusion into the attack as Dhawan-Kohli pairing milked his bowling for runs.

JP Duminy (2-60) then provided the breakthrough. In fact, it was stand-in skipper Markram who did all the hard work and took a stunning diving catch to dismiss Dhawan who had danced down to the part-timer.

South Africa then triggered a mini-collapse in the middle order as India lost three wickets for 48 runs.

MS Dhoni (10) then stemmed the down-curve and added 40 runs with Kohli.

Kedar Jadhav (1) played a nothing shot and edged behind off Phehlukwayo (1-42) as India were reduced to 236 for six in the 43rd over.

The skipper then found a stable partner in Bhuvneshwar Kumar (16 not out) and the duo added 63 runs off only 43 balls for the seventh wicket.&nbsp;

Kohli hit his 34th ODI hundred; he is now 15 shy of Sachin Tendulkar's 49

Virat Kohli's masterclass and a pouncing pack of wrist-spinners ensured a 124-run win for India in the third ODI here, giving the visitors an unassailable 3-0 lead and taking them one step closer to a maiden series triumph in South Africa. Kohli reaffirmed his status as an ODI great with an unbeaten 160 off 159 balls on a challenging surface, propelling India to 303 for six. It was the 34th ODI hundred for the Indian captain, who is now 15 shy of Sachin Tendulkar's mark of 49. Kohli has been simply unstoppable in the 50-over format of late and today's match-winning effort was his fourth three-figure score in the last six ODIs. It was also his second hundred of the series and third of the tour. While most Indian batsmen struggled after South Africa opted to bowl, Kohli made batting look easy. Shikhar Dhawan too stood out with a fluent 76 off 63 balls. South Africa started the chase on a promising note with captain Aiden Markram (32) and JP Duminy (51) sharing a 78-run stand for the second wicket. But most of their runs came against the pacers and when Indian spinners got into the act, it was a familiar story as South Africa surrendered to Yuzvendra Chahal (4/46) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/23) to end way behind at 170 all out in 40 overs. The South African batsmen failed to pick India's wily wrist-spinners, as was the case in the first two ODIs. The slide began with the fall of Markram, who was stumped by MS Dhoni after getting beaten by a flighted delivery from Yadav. It happened to be Dhoni's 400th dismissal in ODIs as he became only the fourth wicket-keeper to reach that milestone in ODIs. Not reading the spinners led to South African batsmen being defensive which pushed the run-rate up. From a healthy 79 for one in the 17th over, the hosts were reduced to 129 for five in the 33rd over, ending all their hopes of a recovery. Earlier, Kohli scored the highest individual score by an Indian batsman against South Africa in South Africa, going past Sourav Ganguly?s 127 at Johannesburg in 2001. It was also Kohli?s second-highest ODI score after 183 against Pakistan in 2012. Such was the nature of his innings that he scored only 60 runs through boundaries while he had to run hard for the remaining 100. In total, he collected 12 fours and two sixes. He also became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred against South Africa at Newlands. Only Ganguly previously had an ODI century at this ground, but that came against Kenya in March 2003. Records kept tumbling as his innings progressed. He also became the Indian ODI captain with most hundreds to his name. He went past Ganguly again, who has 11 centuries in 142 innings. Kohli now boasts of 12 hundreds as skipper but in only 43 innings. Kohli, with 318 runs in this series so far, now also has the most runs for a visiting batsman in a bilateral ODI series against South Africa in South Africa. Ricky Ponting, with 283 runs in 2001-02, was the previous best. In terms of balls faced, it was the joint-slowest hundred for Kohli, after he faced 119 balls against Pakistan at Adelaide in 2015. But in doing so, Kohli put on 140 runs with Dhawan for the second wicket. The Proteas made three changes to their playing eleven after the Centurion defeat. Lungi Ngidi and Heinrich Klaasen were handed their ODI debuts and came in for Morne Morkel and injured Quinton de Kock, respectively. Andile Phehlukwayo was included ahead of Tabraiz Shamsi as the hosts played only full-time spinner. India fielded an unchanged side again. Rohit Sharma (0) continued his poor run in this ODI series and was caught behind off the sixth ball he faced. The three-time ODI double-centurion now averages 12.10 in 10 innings on South African soil and has an ODI high score of only 23. Kohli (on 0*) survived an early lbw shout off Kagiso Rabada (1-54) in the third over. He immediately asked for DRS review, which showed an inside edge and the decision was overturned. Dhawan and Kohli then came together, and piled on the runs, almost continuing from where they had left off in the previous match. Momentarily though, India?s run-rate dipped below 5/over as Chris Morris (1-45) exerted some control over proceedings. In the meantime, Dhawan scored his 25th ODI half-century off 42 balls and took his team past 100 in the 18th over. Dhawan accelerated after reaching his mark, and scored 26 runs off next 21 balls he faced. Part of the reason had to do with Imran Tahir?s (1-52) inclusion into the attack as Dhawan-Kohli pairing milked his bowling for runs. JP Duminy (2-60) then provided the breakthrough. In fact, it was stand-in skipper Markram who did all the hard work and took a stunning diving catch to dismiss Dhawan who had danced down to the part-timer. South Africa then triggered a mini-collapse in the middle order as India lost three wickets for 48 runs. MS Dhoni (10) then stemmed the down-curve and added 40 runs with Kohli. Kedar Jadhav (1) played a nothing shot and edged behind off Phehlukwayo (1-42) as India were reduced to 236 for six in the 43rd over. The skipper then found a stable partner in Bhuvneshwar Kumar (16 not out) and the duo added 63 runs off only 43 balls for the seventh wicket.

3rd ODI: India beat South Africa by 124 runs, take unassailable 3-0 lead

Run machine Virat Kohli carved out his 34th ODI hundred and second of the series to push India to 303 for six in the third match against South Africa here today.

Kohli scored an unbeaten 160 off 159 balls for the highest individual score by an Indian batsman against South Africa in South Africa, going past Sourav Ganguly&#39;s&nbsp;127 at Johannesburg in 2001. It was also Kohli&#39;s second-highest ODI score after 183 against Pakistan in 2012.

It was not an easy wicket to bat on but Kohli made run-scoring look easy as some of the other batsmen struggled to get going.

Such was the nature of his innings that he scored only 60 runs through boundaries while he had to run hard for the remaining 100. In total, he collected 12 fours and two sixes.

He also became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred against South Africa at Newlands. Only Ganguly previously had an ODI century at this ground, but that came against Kenya in March 2003.

Records kept tumbling as his innings progressed. He also became the Indian ODI captain with most hundreds to his name.

He went past Ganguly again, who has 11 centuries in 142 innings. Kohli now boasts of 12 hundred as skipper but in only 43 innings.

Kohli, with 318 runs in this series so far, now also has the most runs for a visiting batsman in a bilateral ODI series against South Africa in South Africa. Ricky Ponting, with 283 runs in 2001-02, was the previous best.

In terms of balls faced, it was the joint-slowest hundred for Kohli, after he faced 119 balls against Pakistan at Adelaide in 2015. But in doing so, Kohli put on 140 runs with Shikar Dhawan for the second wicket.

The left-handed opener scored 76 runs off 63 balls (12 fours) to rescue India from a poor start after South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl.

The Proteas made three changes to their playing eleven after the Centurion defeat. Lungi Ngidi and Heinrich Klaasen were handed their ODI debuts and came in for Morne Morkel and injured Quinton de Kock, respectively.

Andile Phehlukwayo was included ahead of Tabraiz Shamsi as the hosts played only full-time spinner. India fielded an unchanged side again.

Rohit Sharma (0) continued his poor run in this ODI series and was caught behind off the sixth ball he faced. The three-time ODI double-centurion now averages 12.10 in 10 innings on South African soil and has an ODI high score of only 23.

Kohli (on 0*) survived an early lbw shout off Kagiso Rabada (1-54) in the third over. He immediately asked for DRS review, which showed an inside edge and the decision was overturned.

Dhawan and Kohli then came together, and piled on the runs, almost continuing from where they had left off in the previous match. They hit a plethora of boundaries in the first 10 overs as India were placed at 50/1 at the end of first powerplay.

Momentarily though, India&#39;s run-rate dipped below 5/over as Chris Morris (1-45) exerted some control over proceedings. In the meantime, Dhawan scored his 25th ODI half-century off 42 balls and took his team past 100 in the 18th over.

Dhawan accelerated after reaching his mark and scored 26 runs off next 21 balls he faced. Part of the reason had to do with Imran Tahir?s (1-52) inclusion into the attack as Dhawan-Kohli pairing milked his bowling for runs. India&#39;s run-rate suddenly soared past six runs per over.

JP Duminy (2-60) then provided the breakthrough. In fact, it was stand-in skipper Aiden Markram who did all the hard work and took a stunning diving catch to dismiss Dhawan who had danced down to the part-timer.

South Africa then triggered a mini-collapse in the middle order as India lost three wickets for 48 runs. Ajinkya Rahane (11) tried to needlessly attack Duminy and only skied a catch to Phehlukwayo.

Hardik Pandya (14) was sent out to target the spinners, who were creating a bit of pressure backed up by some energised Proteas&#39;&nbsp;fielding. He did hit one six in his 15-ball stay but otherwise looked pretty unconvincing before edging behind off Morris.

MS Dhoni (10) then stemmed the down-curve and added 40 runs with Kohli. In this passage of play, Kohli brought up his hundred off 119 balls, including seven fours.

Oddly enough, quite a few South African bowlers used off cutters as the ball seemed to stop before coming onto the bat, indicating that the wrist-spinners will once come into play.

Kedar Jadhav (1) played a nothing shot and edged behind off Phehlukwayo (1-42) as India were reduced to 236 for six in the 43rd over.

The skipper then found a stable partner in Bhuvneshwar Kumar (16 not out) and the duo added 63 runs off only 43 balls for the seventh wicket, taking India to a challenging total.

Kohli scored an unbeaten 160 off 159 balls for the highest individual score by an Indian batsman against South Africa in South Africa, going past Sourav Ganguly's 127 at Johannesburg in 2001. It was also Kohli's second-highest ODI score after 183 against Pakistan in 2012

Run machine Virat Kohli carved out his 34th ODI hundred and second of the series to push India to 303 for six in the third match against South Africa here today. Kohli scored an unbeaten 160 off 159 balls for the highest individual score by an Indian batsman against South Africa in South Africa, going past Sourav Ganguly's 127 at Johannesburg in 2001. It was also Kohli's second-highest ODI score after 183 against Pakistan in 2012. It was not an easy wicket to bat on but Kohli made run-scoring look easy as some of the other batsmen struggled to get going. Such was the nature of his innings that he scored only 60 runs through boundaries while he had to run hard for the remaining 100. In total, he collected 12 fours and two sixes. He also became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred against South Africa at Newlands. Only Ganguly previously had an ODI century at this ground, but that came against Kenya in March 2003. Records kept tumbling as his innings progressed. He also became the Indian ODI captain with most hundreds to his name. He went past Ganguly again, who has 11 centuries in 142 innings. Kohli now boasts of 12 hundred as skipper but in only 43 innings. Kohli, with 318 runs in this series so far, now also has the most runs for a visiting batsman in a bilateral ODI series against South Africa in South Africa. Ricky Ponting, with 283 runs in 2001-02, was the previous best. In terms of balls faced, it was the joint-slowest hundred for Kohli, after he faced 119 balls against Pakistan at Adelaide in 2015. But in doing so, Kohli put on 140 runs with Shikar Dhawan for the second wicket. The left-handed opener scored 76 runs off 63 balls (12 fours) to rescue India from a poor start after South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl. The Proteas made three changes to their playing eleven after the Centurion defeat. Lungi Ngidi and Heinrich Klaasen were handed their ODI debuts and came in for Morne Morkel and injured Quinton de Kock, respectively. Andile Phehlukwayo was included ahead of Tabraiz Shamsi as the hosts played only full-time spinner. India fielded an unchanged side again. Rohit Sharma (0) continued his poor run in this ODI series and was caught behind off the sixth ball he faced. The three-time ODI double-centurion now averages 12.10 in 10 innings on South African soil and has an ODI high score of only 23. Kohli (on 0*) survived an early lbw shout off Kagiso Rabada (1-54) in the third over. He immediately asked for DRS review, which showed an inside edge and the decision was overturned. Dhawan and Kohli then came together, and piled on the runs, almost continuing from where they had left off in the previous match. They hit a plethora of boundaries in the first 10 overs as India were placed at 50/1 at the end of first powerplay. Momentarily though, India's run-rate dipped below 5/over as Chris Morris (1-45) exerted some control over proceedings. In the meantime, Dhawan scored his 25th ODI half-century off 42 balls and took his team past 100 in the 18th over. Dhawan accelerated after reaching his mark and scored 26 runs off next 21 balls he faced. Part of the reason had to do with Imran Tahir?s (1-52) inclusion into the attack as Dhawan-Kohli pairing milked his bowling for runs. India's run-rate suddenly soared past six runs per over. JP Duminy (2-60) then provided the breakthrough. In fact, it was stand-in skipper Aiden Markram who did all the hard work and took a stunning diving catch to dismiss Dhawan who had danced down to the part-timer. South Africa then triggered a mini-collapse in the middle order as India lost three wickets for 48 runs. Ajinkya Rahane (11) tried to needlessly attack Duminy and only skied a catch to Phehlukwayo. Hardik Pandya (14) was sent out to target the spinners, who were creating a bit of pressure backed up by some energised Proteas' fielding. He did hit one six in his 15-ball stay but otherwise looked pretty unconvincing before edging behind off Morris. MS Dhoni (10) then stemmed the down-curve and added 40 runs with Kohli. In this passage of play, Kohli brought up his hundred off 119 balls, including seven fours. Oddly enough, quite a few South African bowlers used off cutters as the ball seemed to stop before coming onto the bat, indicating that the wrist-spinners will once come into play. Kedar Jadhav (1) played a nothing shot and edged behind off Phehlukwayo (1-42) as India were reduced to 236 for six in the 43rd over. The skipper then found a stable partner in Bhuvneshwar Kumar (16 not out) and the duo added 63 runs off only 43 balls for the seventh wicket, taking India to a challenging total.

3rd ODI: Unstoppable Kohli hits 34th ton, takes India to 303/6

India captain Virat Kohli has hit his 34th hundred in the third ODI against South Africa in Cape Town.&nbsp;

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Third ODI: Virat Kohli slams his 34th century. India are 214 for 4 in 39.1 overs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/zSwutpLaAN">pic.twitter.com/zSwutpLaAN</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/961235350919307266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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India were at the time 214 for 4 in 39.1 overs.&nbsp;

India currently lead the six-match series 2-0.&nbsp;

This is the second hundred Kohli has scored in this series. He scored his first century of the series in the first ODI at Durban, and went on to make a total of 112.&nbsp;

India were at the time 214 for 4 in 39.1 overs.

India captain Virat Kohli has hit his 34th hundred in the third ODI against South Africa in Cape Town. Third ODI: Virat Kohli slams his 34th century. India are 214 for 4 in 39.1 overs #INDvsSA pic.twitter.com/zSwutpLaAN — ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2018 × India were at the time 214 for 4 in 39.1 overs. India currently lead the six-match series 2-0. This is the second hundred Kohli has scored in this series. He scored his first century of the series in the first ODI at Durban, and went on to make a total of 112.

India vs South Africa, 3rd ODI: Kohli slams 34th century

&nbsp;

South Africa top batting line-up collapsed against India&#39;s wrist spin after they lost three wickets in the space of six balls&nbsp;in the second ODI at SuperSport Park, Centurion.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mystery spinner Kuldeep Yadav struck twice to dismiss stand-in-skipper <a href="http://www.cricbuzz.com/profiles/9582/aiden-markram" title="View profile of Aiden Markram">Aiden Markram&nbsp;</a>and David Miller at 8 and 0 respectively.

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave India its first breakthrough to dismiss opener Hashim Amla at 23 runs.

In-form Virat Kohli is in no mood to let South Africa equal the series and hence preferred to do what he is best at.

The Indian skipper won the toss and opted to bowl against Proteas, a move signalling Kohli&#39;s desire to again chase the target.

In the first ODI, Kohli smashed a magnificent century along with Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 79 runs, added 189 runs and made a chase of 270 look ridiculously easy against a good South African bowling attack.&nbsp;

India leads the six-match ODI series by 1-0. 
&nbsp; 
Coming back to the teams, South Africa have handed a debut to Khaya Zondo and have selected two wrist spinners, Imran Tahir and Tabriez Shamshi.&nbsp;

Having suffered a huge setback due to regular skipper Faf du Plessis&#39; injury, the Cricket South Africa today named 23-year-old batsman Aiden Markram as skipper for the remainder of the five-match ODI series against India

For India, there are no changes.&nbsp;

The Indian skipper won the toss and opted to bowl against Proteas

South Africa top batting line-up collapsed against India's wrist spin after they lost three wickets in the space of six balls in the second ODI at SuperSport Park, Centurion. Mystery spinner Kuldeep Yadav struck twice to dismiss stand-in-skipper Aiden Markram and David Miller at 8 and 0 respectively. Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave India its first breakthrough to dismiss opener Hashim Amla at 23 runs. In-form Virat Kohli is in no mood to let South Africa equal the series and hence preferred to do what he is best at. The Indian skipper won the toss and opted to bowl against Proteas, a move signalling Kohli's desire to again chase the target. In the first ODI, Kohli smashed a magnificent century along with Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 79 runs, added 189 runs and made a chase of 270 look ridiculously easy against a good South African bowling attack. India leads the six-match ODI series by 1-0. Coming back to the teams, South Africa have handed a debut to Khaya Zondo and have selected two wrist spinners, Imran Tahir and Tabriez Shamshi. Having suffered a huge setback due to regular skipper Faf du Plessis' injury, the Cricket South Africa today named 23-year-old batsman Aiden Markram as skipper for the remainder of the five-match ODI series against India For India, there are no changes.

2nd ODI: Chahal, Kuldeep cripple South Africa

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took career-best figures as India cruised to a thumping nine-wicket One-Day International victory over a woeful South Africa on Sunday, though their moment of triumph was reduced to a farce by the umpires.

Aleem Dar and Adrian Holdstock stuck to the rules and called for a lunch break with the tourists needing just two runs for victory at Centurion.

That ensured the final act was played out 40 minutes later in front of a sparse crowd, a decision that left both teams bemused.

Chahal finished with 5-22 in 8.2 overs, ripping through the middle-order as India won the toss and skittled their hosts for 118, South Africa&rsquo;s lowest total in home ODI matches.

India then reached the victory target in 20 overs to humiliate their hosts.

After victory in the opening match of the six-game series in Durban, India always looked in control of the chase as opener Shikhar Dhawan (51 not out from 56 balls) and captain Virat Kohli (46 not out from 50 balls) made light work of the home attack.

The third match in the series will be played in Cape Town on Wednesday.

The decision to call for lunch with the game all but over will be the major talking point to come out of the match, but it should not overshadow what was a dominant display from a highly impressive Indian unit.

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav also recorded his career-best figures of 3-20 in six overs as South Africa slipped from 51 for one to lose their last nine wickets for 67 runs.

&quot;The spinners were outstanding, it was a hard surface so they were getting pace and bounce off the wicket as well,&quot; Kohli said at the post-match presentation.

&quot;We want to play positive cricket and take the opposition on. We know their middle order is inexperienced and we want to cash in on that.&quot;

&nbsp;

Soft options:

The home side were captained by 23-year-old Aiden Markram in just his third ODI game with both experienced batsmen Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers missing with finger injuries.

They made a cautious start, losing their first wicket two balls shy of 10 overs with just 39 on the scoreboard as Hashim Amla (23) was dismissed.

The introduction of the spinners proved the catalyst for South Africa&rsquo;s collapse, with Chahal picking up the wickets of innings top-scorers JP Duminy and debutant Khaya Zondo, who both scored 25.

&quot;There were a couple of soft options (shots), starting with myself, so I am going to have to lead from the front and do better going forward,&quot; Markram said.

Aleem Dar and Adrian Holdstock stuck to the rules and called for a lunch break with the tourists needing just two runs for victory at Centurion.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took career-best figures as India cruised to a thumping nine-wicket One-Day International victory over a woeful South Africa on Sunday, though their moment of triumph was reduced to a farce by the umpires. Aleem Dar and Adrian Holdstock stuck to the rules and called for a lunch break with the tourists needing just two runs for victory at Centurion. That ensured the final act was played out 40 minutes later in front of a sparse crowd, a decision that left both teams bemused. Chahal finished with 5-22 in 8.2 overs, ripping through the middle-order as India won the toss and skittled their hosts for 118, South Africa’s lowest total in home ODI matches. India then reached the victory target in 20 overs to humiliate their hosts. After victory in the opening match of the six-game series in Durban, India always looked in control of the chase as opener Shikhar Dhawan (51 not out from 56 balls) and captain Virat Kohli (46 not out from 50 balls) made light work of the home attack. The third match in the series will be played in Cape Town on Wednesday. The decision to call for lunch with the game all but over will be the major talking point to come out of the match, but it should not overshadow what was a dominant display from a highly impressive Indian unit. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav also recorded his career-best figures of 3-20 in six overs as South Africa slipped from 51 for one to lose their last nine wickets for 67 runs. "The spinners were outstanding, it was a hard surface so they were getting pace and bounce off the wicket as well," Kohli said at the post-match presentation. "We want to play positive cricket and take the opposition on. We know their middle order is inexperienced and we want to cash in on that." Soft options: The home side were captained by 23-year-old Aiden Markram in just his third ODI game with both experienced batsmen Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers missing with finger injuries. They made a cautious start, losing their first wicket two balls shy of 10 overs with just 39 on the scoreboard as Hashim Amla (23) was dismissed. The introduction of the spinners proved the catalyst for South Africa’s collapse, with Chahal picking up the wickets of innings top-scorers JP Duminy and debutant Khaya Zondo, who both scored 25. "There were a couple of soft options (shots), starting with myself, so I am going to have to lead from the front and do better going forward," Markram said.

Cricket: India cruise to victory as Chahal puts South Africa in a spin

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/2nd-odi-india-romp-home-in-centurion-odi-by-9-wickets-lead-series-2-0-31746">2nd ODI: India romp home in Centurion ODI by 9 wickets, lead series 2-0</a>

Opener Shikhar Dhawan and Skipper Virat Kohli&#39;s 91 partnership helped India defeat South Africa by nine wickets in the 2nd ODI at SuperSport Park, Centurion.&nbsp;

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Congress is standing at the exit gate in Karnataka. It has caused destruction here and Karnataka doesn&#39;t need a Congress culture, &nbsp;said Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a major rally on Sunday in Bengaluru ahead of the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-ksrtc-driver-goes-on-for-70-kilometres-with-body-stuck-to-bus-31742">Karnataka: Bus driven 70 kilometres with body stuck in undercarriage</a>

A driver with the &nbsp;Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) kept on driving for nearly 70 kilometres without realising that a dead body was stuck to the undercarriage of the bus.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indian-americans-hold-rally-to-support-merit-based-immigration-31737">Indian-Americans stage rare pro-Trump immigration rally to support merit-based system</a>

Several hundred highly-skilled Indian workers, in long agonising green card, wait, from across the US along with their children and spouses held a rally in front of the White House here in support of President Donald Trump&#39;s plan for a merit-based immigration system that among other things ends chain migration and diversity lottery visa.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-get-best-lawyer-to-get-ankit-justice-arvind-kejriwalon-ankit-saxenas-murder-31740">&#39;Will get </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-get-best-lawyer-to-get-ankit-justice-arvind-kejriwalon-ankit-saxenas-murder-31740">best</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-get-best-lawyer-to-get-ankit-justice-arvind-kejriwalon-ankit-saxenas-murder-31740"> lawyer to get Ankit justice,&#39; Arvind Kejriwal on Ankit Saxena&#39;s murder</a>

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his regret over Ankit Saxena&#39;s murder and met with his kin today.&nbsp;

2nd ODI: India romp home in Centurion ODI by 9 wickets, lead series 2-0 Opener Shikhar Dhawan and Skipper Virat Kohli's 91 partnership helped India defeat South Africa by nine wickets in the 2nd ODI at SuperSport Park, Centurion. Congress is standing at 'exit gate' in Karnataka: Modi Congress is standing at the exit gate in Karnataka. It has caused destruction here and Karnataka doesn't need a Congress culture, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a major rally on Sunday in Bengaluru ahead of the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. Karnataka: Bus driven 70 kilometres with body stuck in undercarriage A driver with the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) kept on driving for nearly 70 kilometres without realising that a dead body was stuck to the undercarriage of the bus. Indian-Americans stage rare pro-Trump immigration rally to support merit-based system Several hundred highly-skilled Indian workers, in long agonising green card, wait, from across the US along with their children and spouses held a rally in front of the White House here in support of President Donald Trump's plan for a merit-based immigration system that among other things ends chain migration and diversity lottery visa. 'Will get best lawyer to get Ankit justice,' Arvind Kejriwal on Ankit Saxena's murder Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his regret over Ankit Saxena's murder and met with his kin today.

WION Evening News Brief, February 4, 2018

Ajinkya Rahane&#39;s batting position in the ODI side has been a topic of debate but the Mumbai batsman made it clear that his preferred slot will be number four after a well-made 79 in India&#39;s six-wicket win against South Africa in the first ODI.

Prior to this series, Rahane was being dubbed as the reserve opener as team management experimented with a number of batsmen at that position but things have changed after his half-century in the opening game coming at number four.

KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik have all been tried at that position with mixed results.

Asked if he is more comfortable at number four, Rahane said:&quot;I am better equipped for batting at number four, I am more matured now. I know how to build my innings at number four,&quot; Rahane said ahead of the second ODI.

&quot;Batting at number four is different. The confidence came from last Test win at Johannesburg, where I scored 48 runs. But I was actually determined to do well at that slot because I have batted at that position during the 2015 World Cup (in Australia and New Zealand),&quot; Rahane added.

About his innings during first ODI, Rahane seemed satisfied as a target of 270 seemed par-score.

&quot;We knew that it (270) was a par score on that wicket. Our bowlers did a really good job. Personally, I really enjoyed batting at that particular position and I am looking forward to doing even better,&quot; he added.

When asked about the challenges of batting two-down as he was primarily perceived asn an opener, Rahane replied: &quot;It&#39;s all about how you think, especially when you bat at Nos 3 and 4, it&#39;s all about how you think. My mindset was just to take my time initially and then later on back my instincts.

The pace and bounce on South African wickets suit huis style of batsmanship, said Rahane.

&quot;I am naturally an attacking batsman and these wickets suit me a lot. There is good pace and bounce. So these wickets suit me a lot. So my plan was to take my time initially and if I get set, then carry on my innings.&quot;

Challenging the surfaces with quality pace attack is something that Rahane always enjoys facing and it&#39;s no different.

&quot;I enjoy playing against every opponent but I think teams like South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, they have very good attacks in world cricket and I enjoy facing fast bowlers.

&quot;I enjoy facing challenges, and when you play in South Africa against this sort of attack you know that you are up for the challenge. We don&#39;t take them lightly. As I mentioned, I just wanted to take my time but I enjoyed facing this challenge,&quot; he said.

The soft-spoken Mumbaikar said that his mind was completely blank before the start of the series.

&quot;I was completely blank. I wasn&#39;t thinking about any result. Ahead of this (series), I didn&#39;t know what was going to happen. I was just thinking about what would be my role in the series. I just wanted to keep contributing towards the win. Right now, the team management told me to bat at No 4 position. So I just want to give my best shot,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Prior to this series, Rahane was being dubbed as the reserve opener

Ajinkya Rahane's batting position in the ODI side has been a topic of debate but the Mumbai batsman made it clear that his preferred slot will be number four after a well-made 79 in India's six-wicket win against South Africa in the first ODI. Prior to this series, Rahane was being dubbed as the reserve opener as team management experimented with a number of batsmen at that position but things have changed after his half-century in the opening game coming at number four. KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik have all been tried at that position with mixed results. Asked if he is more comfortable at number four, Rahane said:"I am better equipped for batting at number four, I am more matured now. I know how to build my innings at number four," Rahane said ahead of the second ODI. "Batting at number four is different. The confidence came from last Test win at Johannesburg, where I scored 48 runs. But I was actually determined to do well at that slot because I have batted at that position during the 2015 World Cup (in Australia and New Zealand)," Rahane added. About his innings during first ODI, Rahane seemed satisfied as a target of 270 seemed par-score. "We knew that it (270) was a par score on that wicket. Our bowlers did a really good job. Personally, I really enjoyed batting at that particular position and I am looking forward to doing even better," he added. When asked about the challenges of batting two-down as he was primarily perceived asn an opener, Rahane replied: "It's all about how you think, especially when you bat at Nos 3 and 4, it's all about how you think. My mindset was just to take my time initially and then later on back my instincts. The pace and bounce on South African wickets suit huis style of batsmanship, said Rahane. "I am naturally an attacking batsman and these wickets suit me a lot. There is good pace and bounce. So these wickets suit me a lot. So my plan was to take my time initially and if I get set, then carry on my innings." Challenging the surfaces with quality pace attack is something that Rahane always enjoys facing and it's no different. "I enjoy playing against every opponent but I think teams like South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, they have very good attacks in world cricket and I enjoy facing fast bowlers. "I enjoy facing challenges, and when you play in South Africa against this sort of attack you know that you are up for the challenge. We don't take them lightly. As I mentioned, I just wanted to take my time but I enjoyed facing this challenge," he said. The soft-spoken Mumbaikar said that his mind was completely blank before the start of the series. "I was completely blank. I wasn't thinking about any result. Ahead of this (series), I didn't know what was going to happen. I was just thinking about what would be my role in the series. I just wanted to keep contributing towards the win. Right now, the team management told me to bat at No 4 position. So I just want to give my best shot," he added.

India vs South Africa 2nd ODI: Better equipped to bat at No 4, says Rahane

Skipper Virat Kohli peeled off yet another century as India defeated South Africa by six wickets in the first ODI of the six-match series to take 1-0 lead at Kingsmead, Durban on Thursday.

With many dramatic moments on the ground, it was Shikhar Dhawan&#39;s anger at Virat Kohli which caught the attention of the viewers yesterday.&nbsp;

Dhawan was scoring good in the first ODI against South Africa when his inning was prematurely brought to an end amid a forced run by Kohli at the other end.&nbsp;Dhawan had to leave the ground with 35 runs from 29 balls.

The incident happened in the 13th when the opener was struck on the pads and as South Africa appealed for leg before, Dhawan was slowed down in his response to a Kohli&rsquo;s shout for stealing a quick run.&nbsp;

With Kohli more than halfway down the pitch, Dhawan had no choice but to run for it.&nbsp;However, alert Aiden Markram spot on target and Dhawan had no chance to make it to safety.

Upset with the push for a single, Dhawan walked looking back at Kohli and shook his head while gesturing the run wasn&rsquo;t there to be taken.&nbsp;

Later, in the dressing room, a clearly irate Dhawan vented his frustration to batting coach Sanjay Bangar.

However, Cricket fans made the most of Dhawan&#39;s anger and took to Twitter to comment on the incident.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Dhawan waiting for Kohli in dressing room <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/py0aIuO7U8">pic.twitter.com/py0aIuO7U8</a>
&mdash; Sir Bumraaaah!!!! (@Ibleed_sarcasm) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ibleed_sarcasm/status/959098374480801793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Newton&#39;s law of cricket 
It states that KOHLI will remain at rest or in motion in a straight line in indecisiveness and will lead to run out the batsman at the other end<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreedomSeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreedomSeries</a>
&mdash; The Eye Doctor (@sharad91mishra) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharad91mishra/status/959101193631948800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Rare moment where the batsman abusing after a run-out is not Kohli. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA</a>
&mdash; Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trendulkar/status/959096910027132929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Dear Shikhar Dhawan, you must be remember that Virat Kohli is the captain.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvSA</a>
&mdash; Sunil- The Cricketer (@1sInto2s) <a href="https://twitter.com/1sInto2s/status/959097144270401536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Kohli deserved the Man of the match award. Not only did he score a century but also took Shikhar Dhawan&rsquo;s wicket.
&mdash; Bhayanak Puppy (@BhayanakPuppy) <a href="https://twitter.com/BhayanakPuppy/status/959149157700190208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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India chased down 270 in 45.3 overs with Kohli scoring his first limited-overs ton in South Africa. He was out after scoring 112 off 119 balls.

It was India&#39;s first ever win in ODIs over South Africa in Durban and they also broke the hosts&#39; run of 17 consecutive wins at home.

Skipper Virat Kohli peeled off yet another century as India defeated South Africa by six wickets in the first ODI of the six-match series to take 1-0 lead at Kingsmead, Durban on Thursday. With many dramatic moments on the ground, it was Shikhar Dhawan's anger at Virat Kohli which caught the attention of the viewers yesterday. Dhawan was scoring good in the first ODI against South Africa when his inning was prematurely brought to an end amid a forced run by Kohli at the other end. Dhawan had to leave the ground with 35 runs from 29 balls. The incident happened in the 13th when the opener was struck on the pads and as South Africa appealed for leg before, Dhawan was slowed down in his response to a Kohli’s shout for stealing a quick run. With Kohli more than halfway down the pitch, Dhawan had no choice but to run for it. However, alert Aiden Markram spot on target and Dhawan had no chance to make it to safety. Upset with the push for a single, Dhawan walked looking back at Kohli and shook his head while gesturing the run wasn’t there to be taken. Later, in the dressing room, a clearly irate Dhawan vented his frustration to batting coach Sanjay Bangar. However, Cricket fans made the most of Dhawan's anger and took to Twitter to comment on the incident. Dhawan waiting for Kohli in dressing room #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/py0aIuO7U8 — Sir Bumraaaah!!!! (@Ibleed_sarcasm) February 1, 2018 × Newton's law of cricket It states that KOHLI will remain at rest or in motion in a straight line in indecisiveness and will lead to run out the batsman at the other end#INDvSA #FreedomSeries — The Eye Doctor (@sharad91mishra) February 1, 2018 × Rare moment where the batsman abusing after a run-out is not Kohli. #INDvSA — Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) February 1, 2018 × Dear Shikhar Dhawan, you must be remember that Virat Kohli is the captain.#INDvSA — Sunil- The Cricketer (@1sInto2s) February 1, 2018 × Kohli deserved the Man of the match award. Not only did he score a century but also took Shikhar Dhawan’s wicket. — Bhayanak Puppy (@BhayanakPuppy) February 1, 2018 × India chased down 270 in 45.3 overs with Kohli scoring his first limited-overs ton in South Africa. He was out after scoring 112 off 119 balls. It was India's first ever win in ODIs over South Africa in Durban and they also broke the hosts' run of 17 consecutive wins at home.

1st ODI: Shikhar Dhawan gets angry at Kohli after run out, Twitterati make the most of it

Captain Virat Kohli further enhanced his reputation as a &#39;chase master&#39; as he smashed his 33rd hundred to lead India to a six-wicket victory over South Africa in the first cricket one-dayer here on Thursday.

Kohli struck 112 off 119 balls with the help of 10 boundaries and put on 189 runs for the third wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (79 runs of 86 balls) as India chased down the target of 270 with 4.3 overs to spare.

It was the highest stand for India in South Africa, while Kohli notched up his 20th hundred in a run-chase, out of which 18 have been successfully converted to victories.

After scoring freely all across the world, this was Kohli&#39;s first ODI hundred on South African soil.

Also, this was India&#39;s first ODI win against South Africa at Durban, and only their sixth overall in bilateral engagements here since 1992-93.

India got off to a quick start with Rohit Sharma (20) and Shikhar Dhawan (35) adding 33 for the opening wicket. Rohit was looking to play his strokes but miscued one off Morne Morkel (1/35) in the seventh over and was out caught.

Dhawan and Kohli then added 34 runs for the second wicket and the duo were looking good to take advantage of South Africa&#39;s spinners, when the former was run-out.

Kohli took off for a quick single in the 13th over but Dhawan was late in responding having taken strike and was run-out by Aiden Markram&#39;s direct throw.

Kohli and Rahane came together thereafter and did not give the Proteas a sniff. Imran Tahir (0/51) was duly taken for runs, while JP Duminy (0/16) and Markram (0/20) had no impact in their short spells.

The most vital aspect of this partnership was the running between wickets. The duo looked to cut down on errors, calling loud and clear. They brought their 100-stand off 112 balls.

Rahane brought up his half-century off 60 balls as their partnership crossed 150 off only 154 balls. India reached 200 in the 36th over.

Kohli then celebrated his maiden hundred on South African soil in style, reaching there off 105 balls. In doing so, he equalled Sourav Ganguly&#39;s record of most ODI hundreds as Indian captain. Both now have 11 centuries, with Kohli reaching the milestone in 41 innings as compared to Ganguly&#39;s 142 innings.

Rahane was out caught in the 43rd over, while Kohli&#39;s innings ended three overs later. He walked off to a rousing reception from the Durban faithful even as the home side were subjected to a demoralizing defeat.

This was after India&#39;s leg-spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal shared 5 wickets between them as South Africa were restricted to 269/8.

Yadav took 3/34 and Chahal returned 2/45 as the duo excelled in their first proper overseas outing, underlining the team management&#39;s faith in leg spin since July last year.

Proteas&#39; skipper Faf du Plessis (120 runs, 112 balls, 11 fours, 2 sixes) scored his ninth ODI hundred after South Africa&#39;s top-order collapse. The hosts lost 4 wickets for 51 runs before du Plessis and Chris Morris (37) rescued them with 74-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

Hashim Amla (16) and Quinton de Kock (34) got off to a watchful start. The latter, in particular, took his time for he had been enduring a poor run of form. At the other end, Amla looked in good nick and was scoring at a strike-rate of 90-plus.

They put on 30 runs for the opening wicket before Jasprit Bumrah (1/56) struck in the 8th over. He trapped Amla plumb lbw, albeit was lucky to have his front-foot only millimetres behind the line.

Just before this, India had a major injury scare when Virat Kohli hurt his knee while fielding in the seventh over. He struggled with his right leg for a while thereafter, and even went off to the Indian dugout to get attention from the physiotherapist.

South Africa scored 49/1 in the first 10 overs even as Hardik Pandya (0/41) came on to bowl first-change. More importantly though, Kohli went off the field -- this time to the dressing room to get further treatment -- in this interim as the knee niggle continued to bother him.

Meanwhile, du Plessis began his innings in attacking fashion. He put on 53 runs off 46 balls with de Kock for the second wicket. India had brought on spin from the 11th over itself as Chahal exerted control over proceedings. However, the Proteas&#39; batsmen attacked Pandya and he was expensive in his first spell.

Chahal trapped de Kock lbw in the 15th over, and the batsman walked without bothering for a review. Had he opted for the referral, he would have survived. Du Plessis, alternately, would have been given out lbw on 18 if India had opted for DRS at the end of the 13th over.

The spinners took quick wickets thereafter and did not allow South Africa&#39;s partnerships to settle even as 100 came up in the 21st over. Aiden Markram (9) was caught off Chahal shortly after.

Then Yadav got into the act. He bowled JP Duminy (12) with one that kept low, whilst foxing David Miller (7) into a false shot as Kohli completed a smart forward-diving catch at short extra-cover.

Du Plessis reached his half-century off 54 balls and brought up his 50-partnership with Morris off 57 balls. South Africa recovered to reach 200/5 at the end of 40 overs.

Yadav returned for a final spell to bowl Morris in the 41st over. Du Plessis though stood tall and added 56 runs for the seventh wicket with Andile Phehlukwayo (26 not out). In doing so, he brought up his century off 101 balls.&nbsp;

Kohli struck 112 off 119 balls with the help of 10 boundaries and put on 189 runs for the third wicket with Ajinkya Rahane as India chased down the target of 270 with 4.3 overs to spare.

Captain Virat Kohli further enhanced his reputation as a 'chase master' as he smashed his 33rd hundred to lead India to a six-wicket victory over South Africa in the first cricket one-dayer here on Thursday. Kohli struck 112 off 119 balls with the help of 10 boundaries and put on 189 runs for the third wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (79 runs of 86 balls) as India chased down the target of 270 with 4.3 overs to spare. It was the highest stand for India in South Africa, while Kohli notched up his 20th hundred in a run-chase, out of which 18 have been successfully converted to victories. After scoring freely all across the world, this was Kohli's first ODI hundred on South African soil. Also, this was India's first ODI win against South Africa at Durban, and only their sixth overall in bilateral engagements here since 1992-93. India got off to a quick start with Rohit Sharma (20) and Shikhar Dhawan (35) adding 33 for the opening wicket. Rohit was looking to play his strokes but miscued one off Morne Morkel (1/35) in the seventh over and was out caught. Dhawan and Kohli then added 34 runs for the second wicket and the duo were looking good to take advantage of South Africa's spinners, when the former was run-out. Kohli took off for a quick single in the 13th over but Dhawan was late in responding having taken strike and was run-out by Aiden Markram's direct throw. Kohli and Rahane came together thereafter and did not give the Proteas a sniff. Imran Tahir (0/51) was duly taken for runs, while JP Duminy (0/16) and Markram (0/20) had no impact in their short spells. The most vital aspect of this partnership was the running between wickets. The duo looked to cut down on errors, calling loud and clear. They brought their 100-stand off 112 balls. Rahane brought up his half-century off 60 balls as their partnership crossed 150 off only 154 balls. India reached 200 in the 36th over. Kohli then celebrated his maiden hundred on South African soil in style, reaching there off 105 balls. In doing so, he equalled Sourav Ganguly's record of most ODI hundreds as Indian captain. Both now have 11 centuries, with Kohli reaching the milestone in 41 innings as compared to Ganguly's 142 innings. Rahane was out caught in the 43rd over, while Kohli's innings ended three overs later. He walked off to a rousing reception from the Durban faithful even as the home side were subjected to a demoralizing defeat. This was after India's leg-spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal shared 5 wickets between them as South Africa were restricted to 269/8. Yadav took 3/34 and Chahal returned 2/45 as the duo excelled in their first proper overseas outing, underlining the team management's faith in leg spin since July last year. Proteas' skipper Faf du Plessis (120 runs, 112 balls, 11 fours, 2 sixes) scored his ninth ODI hundred after South Africa's top-order collapse. The hosts lost 4 wickets for 51 runs before du Plessis and Chris Morris (37) rescued them with 74-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Hashim Amla (16) and Quinton de Kock (34) got off to a watchful start. The latter, in particular, took his time for he had been enduring a poor run of form. At the other end, Amla looked in good nick and was scoring at a strike-rate of 90-plus. They put on 30 runs for the opening wicket before Jasprit Bumrah (1/56) struck in the 8th over. He trapped Amla plumb lbw, albeit was lucky to have his front-foot only millimetres behind the line. Just before this, India had a major injury scare when Virat Kohli hurt his knee while fielding in the seventh over. He struggled with his right leg for a while thereafter, and even went off to the Indian dugout to get attention from the physiotherapist. South Africa scored 49/1 in the first 10 overs even as Hardik Pandya (0/41) came on to bowl first-change. More importantly though, Kohli went off the field -- this time to the dressing room to get further treatment -- in this interim as the knee niggle continued to bother him. Meanwhile, du Plessis began his innings in attacking fashion. He put on 53 runs off 46 balls with de Kock for the second wicket. India had brought on spin from the 11th over itself as Chahal exerted control over proceedings. However, the Proteas' batsmen attacked Pandya and he was expensive in his first spell. Chahal trapped de Kock lbw in the 15th over, and the batsman walked without bothering for a review. Had he opted for the referral, he would have survived. Du Plessis, alternately, would have been given out lbw on 18 if India had opted for DRS at the end of the 13th over. The spinners took quick wickets thereafter and did not allow South Africa's partnerships to settle even as 100 came up in the 21st over. Aiden Markram (9) was caught off Chahal shortly after. Then Yadav got into the act. He bowled JP Duminy (12) with one that kept low, whilst foxing David Miller (7) into a false shot as Kohli completed a smart forward-diving catch at short extra-cover. Du Plessis reached his half-century off 54 balls and brought up his 50-partnership with Morris off 57 balls. South Africa recovered to reach 200/5 at the end of 40 overs. Yadav returned for a final spell to bowl Morris in the 41st over. Du Plessis though stood tall and added 56 runs for the seventh wicket with Andile Phehlukwayo (26 not out). In doing so, he brought up his century off 101 balls.

1st ODI: Virat Kohli's 33rd ton helps India beat South Africa by 6 wickets

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The national health protection scheme announced in the Union Budget 2018 on Thursday will be implemented from October 2, reports said. A Niti Ayog official said the health insurance scheme proposed in the Budget will cost Rs 10,000-12,000 crore.

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Resting all doubts, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli led the Indian team to a 6-wicket win against South Africa on their 1st ODI match in Durban. While the cricketer hit 112 from 119 balls to help his team get an easy win over South Africa, his wife and actress Anushka Sharma supported him on social media by posting sweet messages.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-24-surgeries-bangladesh-tree-man-relapses-31548">After 24 surgeries, Bangladesh &#39;tree man&#39; relapses</a>

A year ago Abul Bajandar, a Bangladeshi rickshaw-puller dubbed &quot;tree-man&quot; for the bark-like growths that once covered his body, appeared to have made a full recovery from the rare condition that has afflicted him for a decade. But twelve months after doctors declared him all but cured following 24 surgeries, Bajandar&#39;s hands are once again covered in the growths that characterise his rare condition. 
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Budget 2018: Govt's landmark national health scheme to be implemented from October 2nd The national health protection scheme announced in the Union Budget 2018 on Thursday will be implemented from October 2, reports said. A Niti Ayog official said the health insurance scheme proposed in the Budget will cost Rs 10,000-12,000 crore. Watch: Figure skating champion performs 'Ghoomar on ice' and it's jaw-dropping Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat released on January 25 and has ever since raked in more than Rs 150 crore at the box office. The film has become such a hit among US and UK audiences, that women in San Francisco even dressed up like Deepika's character in the film to go watch the movie in theatres. Now, Trump attacks FBI, US Justice Department for 'favouring' Democrats President Trump today attacked the FBI and US Justice Department for showing pro-Democrats bias, and working against Republicans. In a tweet, the President said: "The top leadership and investigators of the FBI and the Justice Department have politicized the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans - something which would have been unthinkable just a short time ago." In Photos: Anushka Sharma can't get over husband Virat Kohli's 33rd ODI century Resting all doubts, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli led the Indian team to a 6-wicket win against South Africa on their 1st ODI match in Durban. While the cricketer hit 112 from 119 balls to help his team get an easy win over South Africa, his wife and actress Anushka Sharma supported him on social media by posting sweet messages. After 24 surgeries, Bangladesh 'tree man' relapses A year ago Abul Bajandar, a Bangladeshi rickshaw-puller dubbed "tree-man" for the bark-like growths that once covered his body, appeared to have made a full recovery from the rare condition that has afflicted him for a decade. But twelve months after doctors declared him all but cured following 24 surgeries, Bajandar's hands are once again covered in the growths that characterise his rare condition.

WION Evening News Brief, February 2, 2018

Indian captain Virat Kohli gave his team an injury scare when he landed awkwardly on his left knee while fielding in the first one-day international against South Africa at Kingsmead on Thursday.

Kohli made a sliding stop in the seventh over but his boot took a big divot and he appeared to jar his knee as he landed on an outfield softened by overnight rain. He left the field briefly but returned in the next over.

After fielding in the covers for five overs, Kohli went to slip but then left the field again in the 14th over. There was no immediate word on his condition.

The skipper landed awkwardly on his left knee while fielding

Indian captain Virat Kohli gave his team an injury scare when he landed awkwardly on his left knee while fielding in the first one-day international against South Africa at Kingsmead on Thursday. Kohli made a sliding stop in the seventh over but his boot took a big divot and he appeared to jar his knee as he landed on an outfield softened by overnight rain. He left the field briefly but returned in the next over. After fielding in the covers for five overs, Kohli went to slip but then left the field again in the 14th over. There was no immediate word on his condition.

1st ODI: Virat Kohli injury scare for India

The One Day International series between India and South Africa is set to start.&nbsp;South Africa and India will vie for the world number one ranking again when they meet in a six-match one-day international series, starting at Kingsmead on Thursday.

South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first. A&nbsp;perfect&nbsp;decision for the Proteas, as the wicket looks fine as of now.

The brown grass on the pitch is a good news for the pacers.

India is banking on wrist spinners, and wicket might help them as it appears bit dry.

In a recent interview, Indian skipper said: &quot;The balance of ODI side is very good.&quot;

&quot;India is the only team in the world to be blessed with two wrist spinners. Kedar Jadhav is doing a conventional job.&quot;

He also mentioned that Spinners might give a new boost to the team with their outstanding abilities.

The past week saw India losing to the host 2-1 and barely managing to save themselves from a series whitewash. The performance, especially the batting side was not at par but keeping the bittersweet memories of the Test series aside, team India is now looking forward to salvaging the pride in a limited overs format.

Teams:

South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock(w), Faf du Plessis(c), Aiden Markram, Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir.

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni(w), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.

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South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first in the first ODI match against India

The One Day International series between India and South Africa is set to start. South Africa and India will vie for the world number one ranking again when they meet in a six-match one-day international series, starting at Kingsmead on Thursday. South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first. A perfect decision for the Proteas, as the wicket looks fine as of now. The brown grass on the pitch is a good news for the pacers. India is banking on wrist spinners, and wicket might help them as it appears bit dry. In a recent interview, Indian skipper said: "The balance of ODI side is very good." "India is the only team in the world to be blessed with two wrist spinners. Kedar Jadhav is doing a conventional job." He also mentioned that Spinners might give a new boost to the team with their outstanding abilities. The past week saw India losing to the host 2-1 and barely managing to save themselves from a series whitewash. The performance, especially the batting side was not at par but keeping the bittersweet memories of the Test series aside, team India is now looking forward to salvaging the pride in a limited overs format. Teams: South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock(w), Faf du Plessis(c), Aiden Markram, Jean-Paul Duminy, David Miller, Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir. India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni(w), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.

India vs South Africa: SA to bat first in 1st ODI

The One Day International series between India and South Africa is set to start.&nbsp;South Africa and India will vie for the world number one ranking again when they meet in a six-match one-day international series, starting at Kingsmead on Thursday.

If we talk about history, India has never won an ODI match in the Kingsmead, Durban and that&#39;s an additional pressure on skipper Virat Kohli and the team but it is expected that &#39;Men in blue&#39; would start the ODI series with new energy.

Despite the odds that the team have faced in the recent past, Indian captain Virat Kohli is very confident about the line-up for the upcoming ODI series.

In a recent interview, he said: &quot;The balance of ODI side is very good.&quot;

&quot;India is the only team in the world to be blessed with two wrist spinners. Kedar Jadhav is doing a conventional job.&quot;

He also mentioned that Spinners might give a new boost to the team with their outstanding abilities.

Virat emphasised on the fact that, spinners give results on any pitch condition&nbsp;in the foreign as well as home soil.

Indian sqaud (TBC)

Virat Kohli (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur.

Ahead of the ODI series, skipper Kohli said that the core of the team is settled and the number four spot is the only position where the team will look to experiment.

&quot;The lower middle order is sorted, the combination is working well for the team.&quot;

We have experimented a lot with spot number four&nbsp;in the last few games and only this spot needs to be solidified.

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Virat Kohli banks on wrist spinners for ODI series against South Africa and emphasised that spinners give results on any pitch condition in the foreign as well as home soil

The One Day International series between India and South Africa is set to start. South Africa and India will vie for the world number one ranking again when they meet in a six-match one-day international series, starting at Kingsmead on Thursday. If we talk about history, India has never won an ODI match in the Kingsmead, Durban and that's an additional pressure on skipper Virat Kohli and the team but it is expected that 'Men in blue' would start the ODI series with new energy. Despite the odds that the team have faced in the recent past, Indian captain Virat Kohli is very confident about the line-up for the upcoming ODI series. In a recent interview, he said: "The balance of ODI side is very good." "India is the only team in the world to be blessed with two wrist spinners. Kedar Jadhav is doing a conventional job." He also mentioned that Spinners might give a new boost to the team with their outstanding abilities. Virat emphasised on the fact that, spinners give results on any pitch condition in the foreign as well as home soil. Indian sqaud (TBC) Virat Kohli (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Ajinkya Rahane, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur. Ahead of the ODI series, skipper Kohli said that the core of the team is settled and the number four spot is the only position where the team will look to experiment. "The lower middle order is sorted, the combination is working well for the team." We have experimented a lot with spot number four in the last few games and only this spot needs to be solidified.

Virat Kohli: 'The balance of ODI side is very good'

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