Rahul scores unbeaten half-century as India beat WI by 7 wickets to clinch Test series 2-0
New Delhi (PTI): Opener KL Rahul struck an unbeaten half-century as India defeated the West Indies by seven wickets in the second Test on the fifth and final day to complete a clean sweep of the two-match series here on Tuesday.
Resuming at the overnight score of 63/1, India scored the remaining 58 runs to overhaul the 121-run target in 35.2 overs.
Rahul struck 58 not out off 108 balls and shared a 79-run second-wicket partnership with Sai Sudharsan (39 off 76 balls).
Sudharsan's dismissal brought in skipper Shubman Gill (13 off 15 balls), who too did not last long, with both the wickets being snared by off-spinner Roston Chase who returned figures of 2/36.
Rahul and wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel (6 not out) then guided India to an easy win.
This is the first Test in India against the West Indies to have gone into the fifth day since the Mumbai match in 2011.
Brief Scores:
India 518/5 declared and 124 for 3 in 35.2 overs (KL Rahul 58 not out, Sai Sudharsan 39; Roston Chase 2/36).
West Indies: 248 and 390 in 118.5 overs (John Campbell 115, Shai Hope 103; Kuldeep Yadav 3/104, Jasprit Bumrah 3/44).
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Prasidh, Kuldeep limit South Africa to 270 after De Kock's hundred
Visakhapatnam (PTI): India fought back gallantly through Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav after Quinton de Kock struck his 23rd hundred, keeping South Africa to a manageable 270 in the third and series-deciding final ODI, here Saturday.
India won the toss after judging the spin of the coin incorrectly 20 times in a row. They had little hesitation in inserting the Proteas into bat, a clear indication of dew factor dominating the thought.
After Arshdeep Singh sent back Ryan Rickelton early, De Kock (106, 89b, 8x4, 6x4) struck his seventh century against India and put on 113 runs off 124 balls with skipper Temba Bavuma (48, 67b) as the visitors moved to a healthy position.
De Kock was severe on Prasidh (4/66), who erred on length continuously in his first spell (2-0-27-0). The left-hander biffed the pacer for 6, 6, 4 in his second over to milk 18 runs.
The 32-year-old quickly pounced on anything that was short, and pacers Prasidh and Harshit offered him plenty of feed on his pet areas.
Bavuma was more sedate, and made runs through those typical dabs and jabs, occasionally unfurling a drive of elan.
De Kock moved to fifty in 42 balls, and never let the tempo down reaching his hundred in 79 balls.
India found temporary relief when Ravindra Jadeja induced a false slash from Bavuma to get caught by Virat Kohli at point.
The tourists got another move on through a 54-run partnership between De Kock and Matthew Breetzkle for the third wicket, and at 168 for two in 28 overs they were in a good position to press on.
But Breetzke's punishment of part-time spinner Tilak Varma forced a rethink in the Indian camp, as skipper KL Rahul brought back Prasidh for a second spell.
What a masterstroke it turned out to be! The Karnataka man broke the back of South Africa’s top and middle order in an exceptional second spell (4-0-11-3).
Breetzke was the first man to go, trapped plumb in front with a straight one and four balls later Aiden Markram uppishly chipped a fuller delivery to Kohli at short covers.
Prasidh soon castled De Kock, whose ugly cross-batted swipe failed to connect a full length delivery from the pacer.
All of a sudden, SA found themselves at a shaky 199 for five, losing three wickets in the space of three overs.
Once Prasidh was done away with the top and middle-order, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep (4/41) took over and mopped up the tail as SA fell short of even a par total on this track.
