Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

AK Markram
AK Markram
110(98) 10x4 - 4x6
Control %82%
  • Productive Shot
  • off drive
  • 16 runs
  • 2x4 - 0x6
5 13 1 20 9 24 26 12
RD Gaikwad
RD Gaikwad
105(83) 12x4 - 2x6
Control %90%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 23 runs
  • 4x4 - 1x6
8 17 8 2 25 5 16 24

Best performances - Bowlers

Arshdeep Singh
Arshdeep Singh
O10
M0
R54
W2
Eco5.4
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
M Jansen
M Jansen
O10
M0
R63
W2
Eco6.3
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W

Match Details

Toss

South Africa , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Series result

3-match series level 1-1

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

13:30 start, First Session 13.30-17.00, Interval 17.00-17.30, Second Session 17.30-21.00

Match days

03 December 2025 - day/night match (50-over match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Scorer: K Vairavan | Commentator: Abhimanyu Bose

10.40pm Well, then. We are set for a thrilling series decider in Vizag on Saturday. These two teams have played two exciting games of cricket, and the decider should be a cracker as well. That's all from us tonight. We have plenty of reading for you - Al Muthu has written on Gaikwad's sterling century, and a detailed look at all the interesting stats from the game, apart from Deiva's report. There's all this and more for your reading pleasures. For now, on behalf of Ekanth, Vairavan and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo, it's Abhimanyu signing off. Good night!

10.30pm Time for the presentation ceremony.

Aiden Markram is the player of the match: "[Different approach?] Yeah you always take learnings form your previous game. We expected it to swing and be a challenge up front but we had to get through that challenge. We saw what our middle order could do in the last game so we knew we came shot in the top order. Very similar tonight under the lights. We had to get in first and then you find your rhythm, you increase the pressure. We decided that Temba and myself will play our shots and if one got out, we'd build a partnership with the new batter. Proud of the boys to get the job done under pressure. You've got eight really good batters and Keshav who can do his thing as well. We also want to play a brand that takes the bowlers on and bat with freedom. The boys have been putting their hands up throughout and now just the top order needs to start firing. [On his position] Hard to say. Everyone says opening is great because there's pace on the ball and fielding restrictions, but the ball's also nipping around but I am sure I will fall in love with [opening] again."

SA captain, Temba Bavuma: "Happy to have crossed the line. I think coming into this game we were thinking how we can get better with the ball. With the bat we had to put a stand up up front. The partnership with Aiden and Breetzke carrying on his form and Bosch showing a lot of maturity finishing it off. Unbelievable game and I think it was a record chase and it showed how tough it is to play against this Indian side. I came into the crease with Aiden, he was hitting the ball and I was trying to build a partnership with him. Wanted to take the game deep, although that's not the thing anymore in modern cricket. But it was about the partnership. A lot of confidence we can take from this and set up an enthralling series. [Is this SA's best XI?] The guys here are your best players, definitely. There is a high level of competition between the guys. Batters are scrambling for their positions and Quinton is back. And similarly for bowlers. Performances like this hold us in good stead. [De Zorzi and Burger] Did not look good, Nandre not being able to finish his spell and Tony walking out. If need be we have two guys waiting in the wings to do the job come Saturday."

India captain, KL Rahul: "Not really a [tough one to swallow] given how much dew there is and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings. Thought we did well in the last game. Today the umpires were nice to change the ball. Toss plays a big role so I'm kicking myself (laughs). There is always things we could have done better. With the bat, I know that 350 looks good, but that has been the chat in the dressing room even after the last game about how we can get the extra 20-25 runs to give bowlers a cushion with the wet ball. [Kohli and Gaikwad] It was beautiful to watch Rutu and the way he batted. Virat, we have seen him do it 55 times, or 53. He just goes about doing his job. It was beautiful watching Rutu bat, the way he picked up the tempo after reaching his fifty. [On his entry point] Today is the first time that I've been slotted at 6 and walked in at 5. Otherwise it's always a decision before the game. But the way the partnership was going on, they set the tempo, so GG bhai and me felt that would be the right time for me to walk in and keep the tempo going. I got a fifty in the last game so someone who is high on confidence was probably the right person to walk in. We decided when we got past the 30-35 over mark."

Mathi: "The stat showed for Ruturaj Gaikwad is also applicable in IPL also" - Great spot! (and thanks for the URL)

10.20pm Markram's century set the tone for South Africa. Then it was Breetzke and Brevis who carried the flag. When it looked like they had a hiccup, Corbin Bosch came in and blitzed his first few balls to bring the required rate under run-a-ball before coasting to victory largely with the help of singles. Keshav Maharaj was also calm and composed in what could have turned into a tense finish. Excellently executed chase. India meanwhile will rue the slowdown that followed the dismissals of Kohli and Gaikwad after their marvelous centuries, despite KL Rahul scoring a quickfire half-century. Anyway, presentation ceremony coming up soon.

Corbin Bosch: "[When de Zorzi got injured] We just wanted to run hard. We knew we'd be able to pick up the runs. There's always a belief in this team that we can always chase anything. And we showed that. The game was set perfectly, the guys at the top order set it up nicely for the lower order. The dew made it tough for the bowlers and made it a bit easier for us to score the runs. [Would Burger have batted?] I had full belief that if needed they would have come in to bat. I told Keshav to take it easy and the runs would come. I am very happy batting at No. 8 and just happy to contribute."

Sampath with another nugget: All three instances of two Indian batters scoring hundreds in a men's ODI against South Africa ended up in defeat.. [37 in wins and 4 in losses against other teams]

10.10pm South Africa had to fight back after those centuries from Kohli and Gaikwad. They had to fight back after losing Markram for 110. They had to fight back after a cluster of wickets following a key stand between Breetzke and Brevis. They had to fight two hamstring injuries. And in the end, they have completed a massive chase with ease. Yes, dew was on their side, and India's fielding was sloppy, but it doesn't take away from a comprehensive performance from the Proteas.

A slightly unwanted stat nugget for Ruturaj Gaikwad: His maiden T20I century ended up on the losing side with the highest chase ever against India in T20Is. And now, his maiden ODI century has also ended up on the losing side with the joint-highest chase ever against India in ODIs. This is also the first time that Virat Kohli has ended up on the losing side against South Africa after scoring an ODI century against them. India had won on all six previous occasions where he had tonned up. This is also Kohli's first century in a losing cause since Ranchi 2019 against Australia.

Karthik: "The Ruturaj unfortunate stat - in both matches Prasidh econ rate was the worst of bowlers." -- Yikes, good observation!

49.2
4
Prasidh Krishna to Bosch, FOUR, Full around off, and there it is! Bosch works it down to long-on and South Africa level the series at 1-1, setting up a decider in Vizag. Bosch punches the air and lets out a grunt in celebration after sealing a stunning win, chasing down 359
49.1
2
Prasidh Krishna to Bosch, 2 runs, Starts with a yorker and Bosch manages to get his bat down and gets an inside edge through fine leg. They run two to level the scores!

Prasidh krishna will bowl the final over

END OF OVER:
49 | 5 Runs | SA: 356/6 (3 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.26, RRR: 3.00)

  • Corbin Bosch23 (13b)
  • Keshav Maharaj10 (14b)
  • Arshdeep Singh10-0-54-2
  • Harshit Rana10-0-70-1
48.6
1
Arshdeep Singh to Bosch, 1 run, Full on the leg, clipped away to deep midwicket. Bosch keeps strike with South Africa needing three runs off the final over

Sandeep: "Does ODI have super over ? " -- Yes they do. But don't have such devious thoughts please. Spare a thought for us commentators.

48.5
1
Arshdeep Singh to Maharaj, 1 run, Full outside off, driven to long-off's left and they milk another single
48.4
0
Arshdeep Singh to Maharaj, no run, Bouncer outside off, Maharaj is beaten by the bounce as he tries to pull. Second bouncer of the over called

Arsh goes around the wicket

Safeer : "Slow over rate?" Yes

48.3
2
Arshdeep Singh to Maharaj, 2 runs, Short ball pulled away in front of deep midwicket for a brace. South Africa edge closer!

South Africa 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st26Q de KockAK Markram
2nd101T BavumaAK Markram
3rd70MP BreetzkeAK Markram
4th92MP BreetzkeD Brevis
5th28MP BreetzkeT de Zorzi
6th5M JansenT de Zorzi
7th10C BoschT de Zorzi
7th30KA MaharajC Bosch