Innings break India 287 for 6 (Pant Pant 85, Rahul 55, Shamsi 2-57) vs South Africa

Rishabh Pant struck a swashbuckling half-century, South Africa's bowlers fought back in the middle overs again, and India's lower order collected some useful boundaries towards the end to give India a respectable score of 287 in extremely hot conditions in Paarl. Pant scored a boundary-laden 85 off 71 deliveries, and had set India's sights on a 300-plus total with his century partnership with KL Rahul, but it didn't quite go as per plan.

India were cruising at 179 for 2 after 31 overs, before South Africa dismissed the two well-set batters Rahul and Pant in successive overs to snatch the momentum back from India.

Rahul, on 55 off 79 balls, flicked a catch to midwicket to become Sisanda Magala's maiden ODI wicket, and Pant holed out to long-on off Tabraiz Shamsi, which squandered the position India were in. Shreyas Iyer was soon trapped lbw by Shamsi for 11 - with the help of a review - before Shardul Thakur and R Ashwin struck a few elegant strokes in their unbeaten stand of 48 off 38 at the end.

India opted to bat to stay alive in the series, and saw a brisk opening stand between Shikhar Dhawan and Rahul. Dhawan was more attacking of the two, and Rahul more circumspect. Dhawan got off the mark with a flick off his pads for four, and punished both Magala and Lungi Ngidi whenever they strayed with their lines and lengths. But he fell when he tried attacking Aiden Markram for a second four in the 12th over, not able to clear deep midwicket with his slog sweep.

Rahul enjoyed more luck at the other end, getting as many as three lives - on 8, 27 and 42. He was first put down by Janneman Malan at gully in the fifth over, then survived a run-out chance at the end of the 15th, and was dropped again by Markram in the 27th. Around these chances, he played anchor as Pant went for his shots after Virat Kohli handed a straightforward catch to cover for a five-ball duck in the over after Dhawan's wicket.

Pant joined Rahul when Keshav Maharaj and Markram had choked India's scoring and conceded only nine runs in 26 balls after Dhawan fell. That period also saw Rahul get his second life when Pant nudged a ball from Maharaj to midwicket and didn't commit for a run despite coming well out of the crease, but Rahul went ahead for it. Maharaj, however, failed to collect the throw at the bowler's end, which gave Rahul the time to come back after coming face to face with Pant at the striker's end.

And Pant cut loose soon after. After scoring at a run-a-ball for 22 deliveries, Pant exhibited his usual array of shots - the powerful slog sweeps, the fierce cuts, and the unorthodox slaps on the leg side to collect boundaries at regular intervals - and even overtook Rahul in the 24th over, in which Pant collected three fours off Shamsi. Pant first sent a top-edged boundary to the deep midwicket rope, followed it next ball with a sweep behind square, and sliced the fourth delivery of the over to third man.

Pant had already smashed Maharaj for a six over wide long-on soon after arriving at the crease, and he went after Shamsi again after his fifty off 43 balls. Post the halfway mark, Pant dispatched Shamsi to long-off, midwicket and over long-on, as the century partnership came up soon.

Shamsi had the last laugh though. After leaking 33 in his first three, he had Pant caught at long-on for 85. Shamsi also removed Shreyas four overs later, while Venkatesh Iyer was stumped down the leg side off Andile Phehlukwayo - the way Pant was in the first ODI - with India running out of batters at 239 or 6 with over six overs left.

Thakur then unleashed some elegant strikes in his unbeaten 40 off 38. He first hit a six against the run of play off Phehlukwayo to the midwicket boundary in the 42nd over, thumped him to the straight boundary for four just before Venkatesh got out, and then went after Shamsi and Maharaj in the end overs.

Ashwin too swept Maharaj for six in the 47th, and capped the innings off with a drive over the covers to make sure India collected 48 in the last seven overs.