Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden ODI century powered India to a convincing nine-wicket victory in the series decider, giving them a 2-1 triumph over South Africa on Saturday.
Published: December 6, 2025 9:27 PM IST
Yashasvi Jaiswal struck his maiden ODI century and guided India to a commanding nine-wicket win in the final ODI, sealing a 2-1 series victory over South Africa on Saturday.
Chasing 271, India cruised to the target in just 39.5 overs with nine wickets in hand. Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 116 from 121 deliveries, while Rohit Sharma set the tone with a fluent 75 off 73 balls. Their 155-run opening stand in 25.5 overs put India firmly in control early in the chase. Virat Kohli later joined Jaiswal and contributed a stylish 65 not out off 45 balls to finish the job.
Earlier, Quinton de Kock had carried South Africa with a polished 106 from 89 balls, his 23rd ODI hundred, but his effort could not prevent a sub-par total as India’s bowlers kept the visitors in check. Prasidh Krishna (4/66) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/41) led a disciplined bowling effort, bowling out South Africa for 270 in 47.5 overs.
Jaiswal had a cautious start, but Rohit’s presence at the other end helped him settle. Rohit, who also became the fourth Indian to cross 20,000 international runs during his innings, handled most of the early scoring. His trademark pull shots, three of which went for six, added impetus to the chase. After reaching his fifty in 75 balls, Jaiswal grew more confident, opening up his range of strokes.
Rohit looked poised for a century before mistiming a sweep off Keshav Maharaj. But Jaiswal, partnered by an aggressive Kohli, kept India moving smoothly. The young left-hander reached his first ODI hundred in 111 balls, celebrating with a burst of emotion before pushing on to anchor the chase. The pair added 156 runs for the second wicket, ensuring a comfortable finish in front of nearly 27,000 fans.
South Africa’s innings had earlier looked promising when de Kock and Temba Bavuma (48 off 67) added 113 for the second wicket. De Kock punished loose bowling—especially from Prasidh in his first spell—reaching his half-century in 42 balls and his ton in 79. But India fought back strongly.
Jadeja removed Bavuma, and after a 54-run stand between de Kock and Matthew Breetzke, KL Rahul turned to Prasidh again. The move paid off immediately. In a superb second spell (4 overs, 11 runs, 3 wickets), Prasidh removed Breetzke, Aiden Markram, and then de Kock, triggering a collapse. From 168/2, South Africa slumped to 199/5.
Kuldeep then cleaned up the lower order to wrap up the innings, leaving India with a manageable target on a good batting surface. In the end, India’s blend of sharp bowling and clinical batting delivered a dominant series-deciding victory.
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