Rilee Rossouw's 48-ball ton fashions SA's 49-run win in dead rubber
INDORE: In a city supposed to be a heaven for foodies, South Africa, powered by Rilee Rossouw's murderous 48-ball unbeaten 100-his maiden century in T20Is 'feasted' on a listless India to record a morale-boosting 49-run win in the third and final T20I at the Holkar Stadium here on Tuesday night.
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Even though it was a dead rubber with India having already bagged the series, the convincing defeat in what was the hosts' final T20I going into the T20 World Cup in Australia, will leave the Men in Blue sweating over their pacers' pathetic form. How badly India's seam bowling department is grappling with injuries and consistency at the moment was evident at the toss when skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that Arshdeep, who had been 'recuperating' at the National Cricket Academy during the Australia series, had a slight niggle in the back and missed the game.
Though India won the series 2-1, they would be jittery when they take on South Africa- who now move onto the ODI series against the hosts -on October 30 in a league match of the T20 World Cup at Perth.
Making merry on a featherbed on a small ground, the Proteas plundered 16 sixes and 15 fours, going all guns blazing to make a mockery of India's average, clueless bowling attack to race away to 227 for 3. While Rossouw was the 'damager-in chief,' the back-in-touch Quinton de Kock (68, 43b, 6x4, 4x6) and Tristian Stubbs (23, 18b,2x4, 1x6) played the support act well, before David Miller (19 not out, 5b, 3x6) played the role of a destructive finisher in some style, smoking a clueless Deepak Chahar for three consecutive sixes in the final over. One of those sixes, off a full toss landed on the roof of the Holkar Stadium.
1/10:Rossouw ton helps South Africa beat India
AFP
2/10:Rilee Rossouw
<p>Rilee Rossouw hit his maiden T20I century to set up a 49-run consolation win for South Africa in the third match against India on Tuesday.</p>AP
3/10:Maiden unbeaten ton
<p>Rossouw made an unbeaten 100 to steer South Africa to 227-3 after being invited to bat first in Indore.</p>AP
4/10:India win series
<p>South African bowlers then combined to bowl out India for 178 in 18.3 overs, but the hosts took the three-match series 2-1.</p>Getty Images
5/10:Rossouw and De Kock
<p>Quinton de Kock (68) and Rossouw put on 89 for the second wicket after skipper Temba Bavuma fell for three.</p>Getty Images
6/10:Quinton de Kock
<p>The pair hit eight sixes between them before the partnership ended with De Kock's run out in his attempt to steal a second run.</p>AP
7/10:100 off 48 balls
<p>Rossouw hit 8 sixes, added 87 with Tristan Stubbs and surpassed his previous best of 96* to reach his hundred off 48 balls.</p>AFP
8/10:Rossouw and Miller
<p>Rossouw finished unbeaten and David Miller smacked three straight sixes in the final over to score an unbeaten 19 off 5 balls.</p>AP
9/10:Rohit Sharma
<p>In reply, India lost skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck after the opener got an inside edge on to his stumps from Kagiso Rabada.</p>AP
10/10:Rishabh Pant
<p>Rishabh Pant (27) and Dinesh Karthik (46) attempted to revive the chase in an attacking partnership of 41 off 20 balls.</p>PTIPlaying a batsman short after deciding to 'rest' both Virat Kohli and KL Rahul for this match, India were never in the hunt once skipper Rohit Sharma inside-edged Kagiso Rabada onto his stumps to be out for a rare two-ball duck.
After the returning Shreyas Iyer (1) was trapped lbw by Wayne Parnell, Dinesh Karthik (46, 21b, 4x6, 4x4) and Rishabh Pant (27, 14b, 3x4, 2x6) and later Deepak Chahar (31, 17b, 2x4, 3x6) provided some entertainment, but the Proteas had little trouble in bowling India out for 178 in 18.3 overs.
Asked to bat first, the visitors lost their out-of-form skipper Temba Bavuma (3) early, but Rossouw and de Kock (68, 43b, 6x4, 4x6) added 90 in just 48 balls for the second wicket to give the SA innings momentum.
In an intelligent bid to give more game time to the young and exciting Stubbs, South Africa sent him ahead of Miller. With Rossouw batting in fourth gear, the left-hander and Stubbs put on 87 in just 43 balls for the third wicket.
Miller then took 24 off the final over of the innings bowled by Chahar, which had the sight of Rohit Sharma almost 'pleading' with his bowler to stop bowling forgettable deliveries.
