RANCHI: Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 113 and forged a 161-run stand with Ishan Kishan to secure India’s series-levelling seven-wicket victory in the second One-day International in Ranchi on Sunday.

Chasing 279 for victory, India lost both openers including skipper Shikhar Dhawan inside nine overs but Kishan struck 93 and Iyer produced a career-best knock to help the hosts romp home with 25 balls to spare.

“I must say that Ishan and Shreyas, the way they created that partnership was great to watch,” said Dhawan. “The ball was coming on nicely but it was keeping low. So our plan was to take on the bowlers in the first ten overs. But once the dew came into the picture, it was skidding on.”

Electing to bat first, South Africa were 40-2 when Reeza Hendricks (74) and Aiden Markram (79) combined in a run-a-ball partnership of 129 as a 300-plus total looked well within their grasp.

After they departed, Heinrich Klaasen (30) and David Miller, who made 35 not out, scored briskly but the Indian bowlers conceded only 57 runs in the last 10 overs to restrict South Africa to 278-7.

Mohammed Siraj was pick of the India attack claiming 3-38 in his 10 overs.

“I think we didn’t expect the dew to play such a big part, that’s why we opted to bat after we won the toss,” South Africa’s stand-in-skipper Keshav Maharaj said. “But credit to Shreyas and Sanju. We expected it to get slower and lower but after 20 overs the pitch got better.”

New Delhi hosts the decider on Tuesday.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA:Q. de Kock b Siraj 5J. Malan lbw Shahbaz 25R. Hendricks c Shahbaz b Siraj 74A. Markram c Dhawan b Sundar 79H. Klaasen c Siraj b Yadav 30D. Miller not out 35W. Parnell c Iyer b Thakur 16K. Maharaj b Siraj 5B. Fortuin not out 0EXTRAS (B-4, LB-2, W-3) 9TOTAL (for seven wickets, 50 overs) 278FALL OF WICKETS: 1-7 (de Kock), 2-40 (Malan), 3-169 (Hendricks), 4-215 (Klaasen), 5-215 (Markram), 6-256 (Parnell), 7-277 (Maharaj)DID NOT BAT: Rabada, NortjeBOWLING: Siraj 10-1-38-3 (2w), Sundar 9-0-60-1, Shahbaz 10-0-54-1, Avesh 7-0-35-0 (1w), Yadav 9-0-49-1, Thakur 5-0-36-1

INDIA:S. Dhawan b Parnell 13S. Gill c&b Rabada 28I. Kishan c Hendricks b Fortuin 93S. Iyer not out 113S. Samson not out 30EXTRAS (NB-2, W-3) 5TOTAL (for three wickets, 45.5 overs) 282FALL OF WICKETS: 1-28 (Dhawan), 2-48 (Gill), 3-209 (Kishan)DID NOT BAT: Thakur, Sundar, Shahbaz, Yadav, Avesh, SirajBOWLING: Fortuin 9-1-52-1, Parnell 8-0-44-1 (1w), Rabada 10-1-59-1 (2nb), Nortje 8.5-0-60-0, Maharaj 7-0-45-0, Markram 3-0-22-0 (1w)RESULT: India won by seven wickets.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2022