The presentation is on.
Dhoni: "We were looking positive at the break. This was one of the best pitches for the batsmen. We exposed their middle order to some extent and we were able to capitalise with the new ball. Playing the ODIs before the tests is good to get used to the pace and bounce. If tall bowlers bowl the right lengths you can get wickets (Ishant). He worked hard with the bowling coach and played a few domestic games. He bowled brilliantly today. South Africa are blessed that they have so many seam bowling allrouders."
Quinton de Kock is the Man of the Series: "Just got to keep working hard to get a couple more (tons). I'm quite relaxed and happy on the inside. More happy that we won the series. I switched to another mode to try and survive and push on later. I'm not sure how this series will impact my career."
Strangely, they cut to the studio without showing AB's interview. I'm assuming there was one. Had to be one, surely. I'm sure you will read about what AB has to say about his team's series win in due course. Look out for our post-match stuff from Sidharth Monga and Firdose.
Thanks for your company. I'm sure it was frustrating for many after the innings break. Will the Test series be just as one-sided? Join us for that starting December 18 at the Wanderers. Cheers!
8.10pm: The match is called off. Just the one innings today. South Africa take the series 2-0.
We should have resumed at 5.45pm, but thanks to the (mostly) persistent rain over the last two and a half hours, the umpires decided enough is enough. Quinton de Kock made his third consecutive century and AB de Villiers joined him in taking SA to 300, a score that looked unlikely after they were 28 for 3. The records will count, despite the washout.
We're expecting a presentation to round off the series. I think we already know who the Man of the Series will be. Do stay on with us for a bit.
Jerome: "Indian Cricket Team(under Dhoni's captaincy) is like that kid who sings all poems by heart in front of his parents, but goes mute when asked to sing while visiting a relatives house!!.. We miss Dada :-("
karthik: "@Karandeep : It no denial that dhoni is a good captain, but the results does not tally to your comparison to pointing and ganguly. I am not saying this because of the loss to SA.Give me one series where in the team has performed outside india like the kapil devils or like the dada's gang .."
8pm: If we are to get any play, the rain needs to stop in the next 10-15 minutes.
Karandeep Nagpal: "@ Karthik- It was Kapil Dev who made the team believe that they can win. Ganguly added that X-factor of aggression. Dhoni is a composed man. A blend of Ponting (in a way that he stands for the team) , Ganguly (aggression when needed), Steve Waugh (The desire to win) and most importantly MSD when it comes to listening to instincts."
7.50pm: We should have had an inspection now but the rain's gotten heavier. The situation looks bleak, if it wasn't bad enough already.
Achilles: "Regarding Ishanth, pls dont go overboard with just one performance as it doesnt mask the numerous bad times he has had over the year. It is simple, for Ishant to gain form he needs to get his speed back, bowling in 130s would never help. Just look at Shami and what that extra pace has done to him. Ishant bowling in the high 140s would be a big bonus in Australia come 2015.."
karthik: "Situations like these remains us of Ganguly, the captain who taught us how to win abroad.I always wonder why Ganguly is so highly rated and the answer is so obvious now.The fighting spirit of the Indian team that was so evident in the dada era is absent now..." It's hard to forget 8-0.
Arvind Awasthi: "@al warming, I just think it has to do with the length Ishant bowls. He is good length kind of bowler and good length works well overseas. But in subcontinent that is a dangerous line to bowl as batsman hit you on the rise. I think he needs to be smarter when he bowls in sub-continent with his length and variation especially in death."
bhai: "By etymology I can say de Kock will score two more centuries - Quint Ton." His next ODI opposition is Zimbabwe, but that's a long while away.
7.40pm: And it has started drizzling again! This might change the inspection plans. The covers are back on.
Manu: "When Ishant was dropped from the Indian team, he went back to domestic cricket and picked up 9 wickets in a match for Delhi. Maybe he worked on something over the break, which is helping now. He seems fired up and determined. Let's hope he can carry that form into the test series. A good test series can do a world of good for his confidence and his future."
al warming: "Questions on Ishant Sharma: Why is he so different outside India ? Or, rather why is he so lackluster in India ? Just the bounce of the pitch doesn't seem to justify the difference in performances within 2 months."
7.25pm: There will be an inspection at 7.50pm. The latest the game can start is 8.55pm.
Even of the game is abandoned, the records will still count. Therefore de Kock's and AB's centuries will not be erased... as well as Ishant's 4 for 40.
7.15pm: Now it has stopped. The 5-minute updates continue. The covers are now coming off.
Karandeep Nagpal: "It had to rain today seeing how Ishant Sharma performed today! :D" The Ishant-jibes continue. No letting up. Poor chap
Srinivas Goud: "Actually, this stop, start, stop, start rain sequence has more drama and unpredictability than the boring collapse of Indian batting!"
7.10pm: .... and it has started drizzling again! Put that rain jacket back in the cupboard.
Bongwe: "It's raining again in Tembisa which is around 20 km's south of Centurion. So the rain is still coming."
Suresh Babu: "I see the issue of india's non performance as lack of proper planning, Can't they send few players to SA in advance, I mean they come 3 days before their 1st game and expect to chase down 350 plus after playing months on flat wickets, Its absolutely ridiculous to expect, Pakistan did surprise though." There was an A tour some months back but the pitches were as flat as snooker tables, or so we heard. Ideal practice? Maybe not.
7.05pm: The covers are coming off the pitch and there will be an inspection in the next ten minutes. Further rain will change all that, of course.
Anuj: "Should I bother staying up and hope for the rain to relent to see another batting collapse or go to bed now?" Know anyone at the clouds?
7.00pm: I can assure you we are not fooling around with you. It has stopped now....until the next update. The groundsmen are at work, drying the covers.
6.55pm: It has started raining again! You saw that coming, didn't you?
Mohandas Menon tweets the revised targets, should it come down to any of these: 167 in 20 ov, 197 in 25 ov, 223 in 30 ov, 247 in 35 ov, 267 in 40 ov, 286 in 45 ov
Danny: "Don't blame young batsmen for the failure, First to be blamed is selectors, Zaheer and Pujara should have been in ODI squad. Second is lack of preparation by Team India Bowling in the form of studying the opposition players, conditions and grounds. We need to have specific strategy for specific batsmen. Pakistan was in SA few days ago and they won the series against hosts purely by bowling well."
6.45pm: The rain has stopped again, but plenty of water still on the covers. Looks okay in the distance.
Abhishek: "Come on guys!! don't be so harsh on these young guys... we were thrashed in SA even when we had the Tendulkar's the Dravid's..... Let give some time to these young guns..."
SID: "So is it gonna be 22 runs in 1 ball according to DWL?? would be irony then wouldn't it?"
6.35pm: They turned the tap on again. Rain has resumed but it's not as cloudy as it was before. If it stops raining by 7:15, the umpires will make an inspection.
6.20pm: Better news now. It has stopped raining. This ground drains well and according to Sidharth Monga, we could be back in 40 minutes.
Leehar: "It's back to raining heavily in Jo'burg, so even if it's cleared up for a bit in Centurion, I wouldn't be optimistic for an uninterrupted match! Lets keep those DWL calculators handy!"
6.10pm: Still raining at Centurion. There's still the one-hour window before they start reducing overs (6.45pm). It's getting heavier and heavier and some spectators are making their way out already.
There is of course another live match in progress, in Dubai. You may catch up on that in the meantime.
jay: "Watching atrocious Indian performance, even the heavens have closed their ranks and want no part of this farce."
5.50pm: The tap's on in full force. It's pouring down at Centurion.
cris: "Looks like even the Gods are tired of watching India's feeble performances this week. Crossing my fingers for a thunderstorm at the WACA on Friday:)"
Vinoj: "The top SA batsmen, H Amla, de Kock and AB have scored 709 in the three matches. If India wins this match, scoring 302, then all Indian batsmen in all the three games will have scored only 665....still those three ahead"
5.45pm: Update from the ground is that it has indeed started raining. The covers were on early as precaution. The chase should have started by now. I guess those at the ground can head back to the snack counter or bar for another drink, or five.
But the reassuring thing about Centurion is the drainage. Re-plugging Monga's diary on that here.
5.35pm: Welcome back. Just saw a tweet saying that the covers are on in Centurion. It looks like we will certainly have a delay. Will let you know once I get more details.
END OF OVER:50 | 10 Runs 2 Wkts | SA: 301/8 | RR: 6.02
- David Miller56 (34b)
- Lonwabo Tsotsobe1 (1b)
- Mohammed Shami10-0-69-3
- Umesh Yadav9-0-57-1
5pm: Familiar story for India as they concede yet another 300-plus score. India failed to drive the advantage after having SA at an unfamiliar 28 for 3 in 8 overs. De Kock and AB scored centuries and now the Indian batsmen once again will have to try and clean up the mess. They haven't been able to do so so far. Ishant was the surprise package with a four-wicket haul.
The comforting thought for India is that Steyn and Morkel are not playing so this is their best chance yet. Join us at 5.45 for the chase.
And here's a dubious stat the Indian bowlers should not read. This is the tenth instance of conceding a score of 300 or more in ODIs in a calendar year, a world record. They eclipsed their own record of 9 in 2009.
Mark Kidger: "Given the rate at which South Africa were scoring in mid-innings, 301 is a disappointing total. India know that they could have been facing 350."
VD Philander b Mohammed Shami 0 (3m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00