Visakhapatnam, December 6, 2025 — The Indian cricket team secured a comprehensive nine-wicket victory against South Africa in the third and final One Day International (ODI) in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, clinching the three-match series 2-1. The deciding match saw a dominant performance by India’s top order, spearheaded by opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who smashed his maiden ODI century.
The tone for the victory was set early when Indian skipper KL Rahul won the toss—breaking a long-standing 20-match ODI toss jinx—and elected to bowl first at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
De Kock’s Ton Overshadowed by Proteas Collapse
South Africa, asked to bat first, managed to post a total of 270 runs before being bowled out in 47.5 overs. Opener Quinton de Kock delivered a superb innings, scoring 106 runs off 89 balls, marking his seventh ODI century against India. He shared a crucial 100-plus stand with captain Temba Bavuma, who fell for 48.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically after the loss of De Kock, who was clean bowled by Prasidh Krishna. India’s bowling attack then sparked a spectacular collapse, preventing South Africa from reaching the 300-plus total that had looked likely. Both Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna were instrumental, claiming four wickets apiece. Kuldeep dismantled the lower order, removing key batters including Dewald Brevis and Marco Jansen in quick succession.
Jaiswal, Rohit, and Kohli Cruise to Victory
In response to the 271-run target, India’s chase was clinical and dominant. Openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal set a fiery pace, putting up a commanding 155-run opening partnership.
Rohit Sharma scored a fluent 75 runs. During his knock, Rohit also achieved a significant personal milestone by surpassing 20,000 international runs, joining the elite Indian group consisting of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid. Rohit eventually fell attempting a slog-sweep off Keshav Maharaj.
Jaiswal, however, powered on. After scoring his maiden ODI half-century, he reached his maiden ODI century, finishing unbeaten on 116 runs. He celebrated the milestone with an enthusiastic leap, raising his bat to the cheering crowd. The Player of the Match noted that he “really enjoyed” his innings and focused on balancing his attack and rotating singles.
Veteran batter Virat Kohli continued his rich vein of form, joining Jaiswal at the crease to ensure the quick finish. Kohli, who was named Player of the Series, finished unbeaten on 65 runs off just 45 balls, hitting the winning boundary to cap the nine-wicket victory.
After the match, captain KL Rahul expressed satisfaction, stating, “The way we were able to do was pick up wickets in bunches,” and praised the team for holding their nerve throughout the competitive series. South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma lamented his side’s batting effort, stating they “didn’t have enough runs” and should have been smarter with their wicket preservation.
The victory adds to India’s recent success against South Africa, following their 2-0 Test series win. The two teams will now prepare to meet again for a five-match T20 series starting on Tuesday in Cuttack.