Oh yes!
India bowled South Africa out for just 118. © BCCI
2-0
It took India nine balls to get the job done. Special mentions to the small gathering that still stayed back to see India come out and finish off the formalities. What a top performance this has been. They absolutely decimated the South Africans today as their wrist spinners stepped up once again. They shared eight wickets between them. Chasing 119 was always going to be a walk in the park for the Indians. Dhawan and Kohli finished it off after Rohit fell for 15.
Fair point!!
Joke!!
Yes, that's what it is. It's an absolute joke. India need just two more runs but the umpires have called for lunch much to the dismay of the players. Yes, the rules are there to be followed but common sense should have prevailed. It's a matter of two runs. The players will come back after 40 minutes.
Session extended
So the players should have headed for lunch but the session has been extended by four more overs giving India time to finish off this chase.
India cruising
The boundaries are flowing regularly from the bat of Kohli and Dhawan and India have already made 57 in the first ten overs. This is a cakewalk.
Champion wants a 6-0 result
And now he falls
There are no doubts about this one. With Dhawan striking a couple of delightful shots, Rohit doesn't want to be left behind. He first clips one on the leg side for a boundary and guides one towards the third man region where there is no fielder. But he is playing one shot too many as he pulls a short ball and mistimes it to be caught by Morkel at fine leg. Rabada is giving Rohit a send-off for the second time.
Rohit survives
He struck a superb six off Morkel but is then squared up by Rabada in the following over. It seemed he had edged one behind but Rohit challenges the umpire's decision. This is a very tough one. The bat has definitely brushed the pad as the ball goes past the bat but there is a big spike at the same time. There is clearly no conclusive evidence to overturn this decision but the third umpire still rules this in favour of Rohit.
118 all out
Chahal gets a five-fer. It's his first in ODI cricket. Even he wouldn't have anticipated it to have come in South Africa. Well done India. They have been excellent. They were the overwhelming favourites going into this contest but bowling out SA for 118 is something they wouldn't have expected. An absolutely shambolic performance from the hosts and there is going to be no lunch break now. India will come out to bat for the chase.
Sums it up
This is finishing early
Wow, South Africa are crumbling. The lower order are struggling to read the two wrist spinners and it is totally understandable. Here, Morkel fails to read the wrong un and is trapped lbw plumb. It's four for Chahal now. Kuldeep has three. Will one of them finish with a five-wicket haul?
Number 7 goes down
Zondo's dismissal hasn't helped matters. South Africa have lost two more and by the 30th over, they are reeling. Rabada isn't expected to pick Kuldeep when the main batsmen fail in their job and as expected, he gets trapped lbw after failing to read him.
Three for Chahal
Duminy goes for the sweep but misses the ball completely. He is rapped on the pads and the umpire says 'OUT'. Duminy wants to review it but Morris and the umpires remind him that there aren't left. Wouldn't have mattered anyway as the ball would have crashed onto the leg stump.
Shambles!!
Halfway through
Zondo has surprised a few here. He has looked assured and watchful against the spinners. He has added 44 off 67 balls with Duminy to lead South Africa's recovery. At the halfway mark, South Africa are 95 for 4. These two need to carry on though. In fact, they have plenty of ground to make up.
Kedar comes on
With Bumrah getting injured, Kohli senses the need to get in some overs from this sixth bowling option as a precautionary measure. Not a bad option with a left-hander still out in the middle.
Shambles!
We have seen this in the past. Miller does struggle against quality spin. He is their finisher. He is supposed to come in and bat in the last 15 overs but the top order has made life difficult for him. Kuldeep has made life difficult for him as well as the left-hander cluelessly edges one to slip. Three wickets in six balls and Zondo comes in. How is he going to fare against these two? Tough times ahead.
What's happening here??
That's not how you lead by example, boy. You are going to regret that shot for a long long time so you better not watch the replay. India have picked two wickets off two balls. And once again, it is the spinners who are doing the damage but in all honesty, these two wickets have been gifted. Kuldeep comes into the attack and bowls a long hop first up and Markram's eyes light up immediately. He isn't able to control his instinct, he times it well but doesn't get enough elevation. Bhuvneshwar takes the catch at the deep midwicket boundary.
De Kock falls
India right on top of this contest already after 13 overs. South Africa badly needed the openers to bat the first twenty overs. They haven't scored quickly and they are both back in the pavilion as well. De Kock has had enough and wants to break the shackles. This was bowled at a shortish length and should have been put away but he mistimes it and finds the fielder at the deep. Poor shot!
Haha
Worrying stat for SA
Amla is a goner
Big big wicket for India. Hashim Amla is gone and he takes the review him back to the dressing room. He was the key here in this innings and he had to be out there in the middle overs against the two spinners but Bhuvneshwar gets rid of him in the final over of the powerplay. After cracking the best shot of the day so far, Amla falls in the same over when Bhuvneshwar pulled the length back a touch and brought the ball back in after pitching. He gets an inside edge through to the keeper and it looks like he didn't hear it. Amla takes the review and the replays confirm the inside edge. Markram is in at number three. What a huge test this is for the youngster!
Sedate start
Amla and de Kock aren't at their fluent best. These two love to set the tone early innings, something they are renowned for but Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah are keeping them quiet. Perhaps, the inexperienced middle order is holding them back as well. South Africa have made just 14 in the first six overs and will want some boundaries to round off the powerplay.
Lucky leftie
While Amla hit a cracking boundary in the first over, the nervy de Kock gets lucky first up against Bumrah. Defending on the backfoot, the ball bounced past him and he wants to kick it away to ensure it doesn't hit the stumps. Unfortunately, he misses the kick and anxiously sees the ball spin back towards the stumps and in fact, it goes on to hit it but luckily, the bail doesn't fall off. Is that the luck that he needs to break his recent duck? He is also hit on the glove immediately and is in discomfort. He is ok to continue but Bumrah has clearly rattled him in that over. A maiden to begin with from the other end.
Exciting!!
SA need these two to fire
New skipper
South Africa sprung a surprise by naming Aiden Markram as the skipper for the rest of the series. Now that is one big call indeed. And the general consensus is that it isn't the right call. He has played only two ODIs and n the second, he struggled big time against India's wrist spinners. He doesn't have a permanent spot in the South African XI and one would assume that he would make for du Plessis and de Villiers when the dynamic duo eventually return. Are South Africa looking for the next Graeme Smith? Perhaps, yes! But can Markram inspire his side by leading from the front? We will wait and watch.
Toss - India opt to field
Virat Kohli wants to follow the same template. Unleash the spinners first up and restrict the opposition and then come back to chase it down. India as expected, are unchanged. South Africa have replaced Faf du Plessis with Khaya Zondo and Andile Phehlukwayo with Tabraiz Shamsi. Interesting call that. South Africa want to attack with spin as well.
South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Hashim Amla, Aiden Markram(c), Jean-Paul Duminy, Khaya Zondo, David Miller, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni(w), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
Build up
While the entire nation rejoiced on Saturday following India's triumph in the Under 19 World Cup, they will look for a reason to rejoice on a Sunday as well. The focus shifts from India's next gen to India's current gen. But the last thing you need in a six-match ODI series is to see one team being at their best and the other, losing two of their key players owing to injuries. A South African side without AB de Villiers took the field in the first game and in his absence, the middle order crumbled against India's new spin twins. Skipper Faf du Plessis was the only one who stood tall amidst the ruins and despite his heroic century, the target proved to be a walk in the park for Virat Kohli and India's latest no.4 Ajinkya Rahane.
And now, to make matter worse for the Proteas, they have lost du Plessis for the entire series due to a freakish injury. How will South Africa's inexperienced middle order handle Kuldeep and Chahal is the big question. This brings someone like JP Duminy into the equation as the senior batsman will have to step up big time and bat deep into the innings. South Africa will also want fluidity at the top of the order from both Amla and de Kock.
For India, they don't look like contemplating any changes. They were efficient and won in an easy manner, perhaps someone like a Bhuvneshwar Kumar would want to fare better than he did in the first game.Welcome to the live blog for the second ODI. Tweet in your opinions to @Narbavi and have them featured on the blog.