Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
50 | 4 Runs | SA: 264/9 (36 runs required, RR: 5.28)

  • Imran Tahir4 (10b)
  • Kagiso Rabada8 (9b)
  • Mohit Sharma10-0-48-1
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar10-0-68-3

AB de Villiers: We had a great opportunity to clinch the series and the fans will be happy in Mumbai after 2-2. No, the toss didn't decide the fate, a lot of people tried to get that out of me but that's not true. It was a hard-fought game and I loved the way the boys fought till the end. It was a pretty tough wicket to play on and Virat assessed the conditions very well early on. The ball was turning quite a bit and I got a few away at the end, I worked hard and hopefully we'll take some positives to Mumbai.

MS Dhoni: As a total team we did well, bowled well and batted well. They (batsmen) need to give themselves a bit more time and that was the reason to promote Raina and after he gets going he can play the big shots. Everyone has scored runs in the series now so that's good going into the last match. Virat batted exceedingly well and after this. I think it is (short ball is a weapon in the death overs), especially the grounds are bigger and the ball gets scuffed up. It gets difficult to clear the ball from an awkward height to go for the big shots and the bowlers are the ones evolve better than the batsmen, with the fifth fielder they think it's heaven for them now. It was important that bowlers took the responsibility, so I shuffled them up and the three spinners were good. The fast bowlers also have to do their job and finish their quote of 10, or at least nine overs so I decided not to use a part-time bowler.

Kohli is the Man of the Match: The cramps are fine now and the physio told me not to take a chance because I might tear a muscle or two if I sprint or something and the fifth match is still left. It was pretty difficult because there wasn't much breeze during the day when it was hot. If AB starts cramping then you know how hard it is because he is one of the fittest people around. They were bowling in good areas and was tough to get the boundaries so we had to get the single and twos. It always feels good when you get a century and the team wins and while chasing I like it because you get a chance to finish the game. Any century in a winning cause is always special. I told him (de Villiers) in the dressing room my heart was in my mouth when he was batting, he plays unbelievable shots. He's a very modest man too, never praises himself so I'll do that for him. The credit goes to him, he fought it out.

That's all from us then, neutral fans will be loving it as the series heads to Mumbai after 2-2. Two top teams fighting it out so do join us for that, and until then enjoy the other international matches too because whichever spot you choose on the map these days, there's a match going on there. Time for me, Vishal Dikshit, to signoff, ta ta!

Vallathol: "For once, nice to see Dhoni bowl out all his bowlers without banking on part-timers. If only there was better sting in the pace battery !"

Kanav: "This series seems like a well scripted theatre act."

ANAY Loya: "Which ever team wins the toss in final match is going to win the series."

9.26pm So that makes it 2-2 and the series is alive. India did several things right today after winning the toss - Kohli's fluent and quick hundred kept them on course throughout the innings for a big total. Rahane worked at No. 4 and Raina chipped in with a fifty too. 300 was going to be tough on this turning track but AB tried whatever he could to take his team close. He particularly targeted the leg side, played all kind of shots that would get you runs but didn't get enough support from the middle order as the spinners strangled SA. Harbhajan bowled beautifully in his first spell of six overs with turn, flight, and dip to beat the batsmen often.

Harbhajan: "I enjoy it whenever i get the opportunity to play and bowl and really enjoying the series. I think I've done that a lot (aggressive celebrations) so I'm just keeping my energy. We bowled really well, especially the spinners, and the seamers came back strongly towards the end."

49.6
1
MM Sharma to Imran Tahir, 1 run, the last ball is lofted over the covers by Tahir and sweeper cover cuts it in
49.5
0
MM Sharma to Imran Tahir, no run, that was another run out chance missed, by Axar, as Tahir worked the ball to midwicket and Rabada wa sway out the crease but Axar missed at the bowler's end
49.4
1
MM Sharma to Rabada, 1 run, tries a yorker and it's a low full toss on off stump, Rabada guides it to point for one
49.3
0
MM Sharma to Rabada, no run, slow and wide outside off, Rabada pulls to leg and misses
49.2
1
MM Sharma to Imran Tahir, 1 run, slower ball at 105.8kph around middle and leg, Tahir waits and waits and then helps it to leg awkwardly for one
49.1
1
MM Sharma to Rabada, 1 run, short ball angled in and he manages to get some bat while pulling it

Mohit for the last over now, around the wicket

END OF OVER:
49 | 3 Runs | SA: 260/9 (40 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 5.30, RRR: 40.00)

  • Imran Tahir2 (7b)
  • Kagiso Rabada6 (6b)
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar10-0-68-3
  • Mohit Sharma9-0-44-1
48.6
0
Kumar to Imran Tahir, no run, 134kph, bouncer again and Tahir swings and misses

Rattled by spin

33/3

South Africa's score in 11 overs between the 10th and 20th overs. From 62 for 1 after 9, they slumped to 95 for 4 after 20

Amla = Dhawan

66

Runs for Hashim Amla in the series, which is exactly as many as Shikhar Dhawan's series tally

Amla searching for runs

26.35

Hashim Amla's average in his last 14 ODI innings. He has only one 50-plus score during this period

Poor chasers

2-11

South Africa's win-loss record when chasing targets between 280 and 320 since the beginning of 2006

Struggle in the last five

7.00

India's run rate in the last five overs in this series - they've scored 140 runs in 120 balls, including 29 in 30 balls today

Awesome Rabada

4/40

Kagiso Rabada's figures in the last five overs in this series. In seven overs he has conceded 40 runs and taken four wickets

Raina's back

122

Runs scored by Suresh Raina in his last seven ODI innings before today. He returned to form with a 52-ball 53 in Chennai

Champion at No. 3

16

ODI centuries for Virat Kohli at No. 3. Only Ricky Ponting (29) and Kumar Sangakkara (18) have more.

The Kohli-Rahane stand

2

Century partnerships between Kohli and Rahane in ODIs. Their previous one was worth 213, v Bangladesh in Fatullah last year.

Momentum shift

74

Runs scored by India between the 12th and 22nd overs, at a run rate of 6.7. In the first 11 overs they scored 47 (run rate 4.3).