Visakhapatnam: A sparkling maiden ODI century from Yashasvi Jaiswal carried India to a commanding nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the series decider here on Friday, sealing the three-match contest 2-1 and offering another glimpse of the country’s next-generation batting firepower.
Chasing 271 under the ACA–VDCA Stadium lights, the 23-year-old left-hander didn’t just score a hundred — he owned the moment. Calm early and clinical later, Jaiswal finished unbeaten on 116 off 121 deliveries, ensuring India crossed the target with 61 balls remaining. His innings featured maturity beyond his years, pacing the chase through two major partnerships that deflated South Africa’s hopes of forcing a thriller.
Ex-captain and opening partner Rohit Sharma set the tone from the top with an assured 75 off 73 balls, peppering the powerplay with clean strikes before handing over the baton. Virat Kohli then added urgency to the pursuit, smashing 65 off just 45 deliveries as the hosts sliced through the required runs without any panic. Their 116-run stand alongside Jaiswal’s opening partnership of 155 laid the path to a convincing win.
Earlier in the afternoon, South Africa appeared well placed at 168 for two after Quinton de Kock unleashed a fluent century (106 off 89 balls) in what felt like a classic rebuild for a challenging total at this venue. But India’s bowlers turned the innings on its head. Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav teamed up to dismantle the middle and lower order, picking four wickets each and sparking a collapse that saw the visitors lose their last eight wickets for just 102 runs, finishing at 270 all out.
India, for the first time since the 2023 World Cup semi-final (after losing 20 consecutive times), won the toss and backed their bowlers on a surface offering enough grip for spin and bounce for the pacers. That decision paid off once Kuldeep’s variations and Prasidh’s hit-the-deck aggression kicked in. Tilak Varma also returned to the playing XI, while the Proteas made changes to bolster their top order and seam options, but the hosts ensured those tweaks had little impact.
The night, however, belonged to Jaiswal. Known for audacity in the powerplay and patience in Tests, he blended both qualities to produce an innings that felt like an arrival statement in ODI cricket. He became the sixth Indian to score centuries in all three international formats — a sign of how rapidly his reputation is growing.
For India, the emphatic win not only clinches the series but also strengthens confidence as the team shapes its future batting core beyond its decorated senior icons.
Next, India and South Africa will engage in fice T-20 matches starting from December 9 in Cuttak, Odisha. The 2ns T20 will be played in New Chandigarh on December 11, followed by Dharamsala on December 14, Lucknow on December 17, and the final encounter in Ahmedabad on December 19.
