Earlier, India’s bowlers restricted South Africa to 270, with Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav taking four wickets each. Prasidh, bouncing back from a quiet start, dismantled South Africa’s middle order, proving his captain KL Rahul and coach Gautam Gambhir’s faith in him was well-placed. Quinton de Kock was the lone standout for the visitors, scoring a brilliant 106.

The victory completed an entertaining ODI series, marked by fluctuating conditions and decisive tosses. KL Rahul, the stand-in captain, made a smart call to bowl first on a dry pitch in Visakhapatnam, unlike the dew-affected second ODI in Raipur where India’s 358 went in vain. India’s bowlers executed the plan perfectly, keeping South Africa under control despite de Kock’s century.

In the chase, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s maiden century and half-centuries from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli guided India to a comfortable victory. Kohli’s consistent brilliance once again reinforced his status as one of the series’ standout performers.

Virat Kohli wraps the chase in style!

A commanding 9⃣-wicket victory in Vizag

With that, #TeamIndia clinch the ODI series by 2⃣-1⃣

Scorecard https://t.co/HM6zm9o7bm#INDvSA | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/tgxKHGpB3O

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 6, 2025

With the series sealed 2-1, India now looks forward to the upcoming T20I series, starting on 9 November.

সিরিজ বাঁচানোর লড়াইয়ে আক্রমণাত্মক ভারত পেল সহজ টার্গেট

India’s bowling attack was effective from the start. The decision of captain KL Rahul, who won the toss and chose to field, proved correct. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Ryan Rickelton in the very first over. The opening partnership between South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma came to an end at 113 runs. After Bavuma was dismissed for 48 by Ravindra Jadeja, the team had to rebuild the innings.

The major turning point of the match came in the last ball of the 33rd over. After scoring a century, de Kock misjudged a perfect delivery from Prasidh Krishna and was bowled. From that point, South Africa’s scoring rate slowed significantly. The lower-middle order failed to accelerate, with only Dewald Brevis scoring 29 runs off 29 balls.

Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling figures were impressive—4 wickets for just 41 runs in 10 overs. Prasidh Krishna also took 4 wickets. With this excellent bowling performance, Indian bowlers took complete control of the match.

After South Africa’s innings of 270, India needs 271 runs to win. This match is crucial for India in their fight to save the series. The team’s excitement was evident, especially after winning the toss, with bowling coach Morne Morkel congratulating Rahul.

South Africa are all out for 2⃣7⃣0⃣ in Vizag

Prasidh Krishna with the final wicket of the innings

He finishes with a four-wicket haul

Scorecard https://t.co/HM6zm9o7bm#TeamIndia | #INDvSA | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/5mays2y5uS

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 6, 2025

In this Visakhapatnam match, the aggressive mindset of Indian bowlers and the magic of Chinaman spin seem to have brought a new twist to the series.

কুলদীপ ঝলকে থমকাল দক্ষিণ আফ্রিকা! পন্থের নেতৃত্বে ঘুরে দাঁড়াল ভারত

South Africa finished the day at 247/6. Just as they were approaching 250, India’s bowlers tightened the screws and slowed the Proteas’ progress. Tristan Stubbs top-scored with 49, while skipper Temba Bavuma contributed 41.

After the Eden Gardens defeat, India made two changes due to injuries: Shubman Gill and Axar Patel were ruled out. Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy came into the side. Most notably, Rishabh Pant made his debut as India’s Test captain.

In the morning session, some early swing troubled Markram and Rickelton as they faced Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Markram survived a dropped catch but was eventually bowled by Bumrah. India’s second breakthrough came just before lunch—Kuldeep dismissed Rickelton, with captain Pant taking a sharp catch behind the stumps.

However, young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy struggled, often losing his line and length, which piled additional pressure on Pant and the bowlers. Meanwhile, Stubbs and Bavuma settled in and built a steady partnership. Ravindra Jadeja was introduced late, but the move paid off—Yashasvi Jaiswal pouched a brilliant diving catch to remove Bavuma.

Kuldeep Yadav struck again to dismiss Stubbs for 49, with KL Rahul safely taking the catch at slip. Siraj then removed Tony de Zorzi (28) with the new ball just before bad light, as the batter edged to Pant.

At stumps, Senuran Muthusamy and Kyle Verreynne remained unbeaten at the crease.

India Seek Redemption After ODI Series Defeat

Team India, led by Shubman Gill, will look to bounce back after a disappointing ODI series loss to Australia. The hosts clinched the first two matches by seven and two wickets, respectively, before sealing a nine-wicket win in the final game. With the T20I series beginning, India aim to regain momentum and confidence ahead of the next ICC events.

Pathan’s Top Order: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill Lead the Charge

Pathan picked Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill as openers. Gill, who struggled in the Asia Cup, will hope to find form on Australian pitches. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav (captain) are slotted at No.3 and No.4, respectively. Both youngsters were standout performers during the Asia Cup 2025, with Abhishek scoring 314 runs at a strike rate of 200 and Tilak contributing 213 runs in six innings.

Middle Order and All-Round Options

Sanju Samson was named as the wicketkeeper-batter, while Axar Patel and Shivam Dube were included as the team’s all-rounders. Pathan emphasized that both can provide balance to the lineup with bat and ball.

Varun Chakaravarthy Over Kuldeep Yadav

With Hardik Pandya sidelined by injury, Pathan opted for a pace-dominated attack comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana. For the lone specialist spinner slot, he chose Varun Chakaravarthy over Kuldeep Yadav, citing the former’s ability to bowl in the powerplay and add a “mystery element” to India’s bowling unit.

Pathan on Team Balance

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan said Harshit Rana’s cameo in the second ODI gave the management confidence in his batting abilities lower down the order.

“If Harshit plays at No.8, India’s order till No.7 looks strong with two all-rounders—Dube and Axar—who can together deliver six overs,” Pathan noted. “Then you can play two frontline pacers in Arshdeep and Jasprit. As for the spinner, I’m leaning toward Chakaravarthy because he can bowl in the powerplay. But if the team management prefers Kuldeep, that’s also not a big issue.”

Irfan Pathan’s Predicted India XI for 1st T20I vs Australia

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

India will hope this combination helps them start the T20I series on a winning note against a confident Australian side.