SA vs IND: Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh guide India to their 2nd bilateral ODI series win in South Africa

Sanju Samson’s hundred and a collective bowling effort, led by Arshdeep Singh, helped India dominate South Africa in an ODI series decider at Boland Park in Paarl on Thursday, December 21.

India posted 296 on the board and successfully defended the total to win the ODI series 2-1, only the second time the Asian side has managed to emerge triumphant in a bilateral series in the 50-over format in the Rainbow Nation.

KL Rahul became only the second Indian captain after Virat Kohli in 2018 to lead India to a bilateral ODI series victory in South Africa. It was redemption for Rahul as he was handed a 3-0 defeat in his maiden assignment as ODI captain during India’s last tour of South Africa in 2022.

India, under Virat Kohli, had dominated South Africa in a 6-match ODI series, winning it 5-1 with a star-studded squad. However, KL Rahul got the job done with a second-string side as young guns like Arshdeep Singh and Sai Sudharsan stepped up over the course of three matches. Arshdeep finished the series with 10 wickets while Sai Sudharasn hit 2 fifties in his maiden ODI series as the youngsters rose to the challenge in South Africa.

it was a test of character for the young side in the ODI series decider, especially after they were handed a humbling defeat in the 2nd ODI in Gqeberha. However, India put behind the negative result and focused on the job in hand with a clinical show at Boland Park. India were sent into bat on a hot day in Paarl and they had a new opening pair as debutant Rajat Patidar opened with Sai after an injury to Ruturaj Gaikwad.

SAMSON’S ‘CAREER-CHANGING’ TON
Rajat looked solid on his ODI debut, hitting 22 off 16, but he was undone by young Nandre Burger. Just when it looked like the impressive left-arm pacer, who got a Rajasthan Royals contract in the IPL 2024 Auction, would run through the Indian batting unit again, Sanju Samson put the brakes and played a matured knock even as India lost Sai soon after to Bueran Hendricks, who picked up a 3-wicket haul.

Samson played a ‘çareer-defining’ knock of 108 off 114 balls as he took the responsibility of a senior campaigner on a difficult pitch. It was the first international hundred for Samson in his 40th match and he could not have timed it better as India needed a senior batter to play a long innings on a pitch where new batters found it hard to come and get going from the word go.

Samson curbed his natural instincts as he took his time to get going and allowed his partners to keep the scoreboard moving. He stitched a 50-plus stand with KL Rahul,who looked good for another big knock but was undone by Wiaan Mulder.

Samson and Tilak Varma then stitched a defining partnership of 116 runs for the 4th wicket. Samson played the role of the experienced batter wonderfully well as he never allowed Tilak to take pressure even as the young left-hander took time to get going. Tilak caught up with it and hit his maiden ODI fifty.

Samson carried on and accelerated after he got into the 60s and played the long knock that India needed before Rinku Singh came up with another impressive cameo that lifted India’s total from what looked like a 275 to 296.

ARSHDEEP, SUNDAR SHINE
In reply, South Africa lost Reeza Hendricks early but Tony de Zorzi, who hit a match-winning hundred in the 2nd ODI, once again took the attack to the Indian pacers.

South Africa lost Rassie van der Dussen for 2, but the De Zorzi and captain Markram stitched a fine stand of 66 runs for the 3rd wicket. It looked like both the batters were in complete control of the proceedings in the chase, but Markram played a needless reverse sweep to throw his wicket away to Washington Sundar.

South Africa went from 141 for 2 to 192 for 7, losing 5 wickets for just 51 runs as Sundar and Arshdeep ran through the middle-order. Mukesh Kumar got the big wicket of David Miller for 10 to bury South Africa’s hopes and the hosts crumbled soon after.

The Proteas were bundled out for 218 in the 46th over.

The two teams will meet in a 2-match Test series from December 26. Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian side which will also see the return of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.