Yuzvendra Chahal’s Five-Wicket Haul Sinks South Africa as India Win 2nd ODI by 9 Wickets, Take 2-0 Lead in The Series

Wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were the star performers for the side after they shared eight wickets between them to bundle out South Africa for a mere 118 runs.

New Delhi: India took a 2-0 lead in the six-match One-Day International (ODI) series after defeating South Africa by nine wickets in the second game in Centurion. Wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, who scalped a five-wicket haul, and Kuldeep Yadav were the star performers for their side after they shared eight wickets between them to bundle out South Africa for a mere 118 runs.

India then chased the target in 20.3 overs with Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli scoring 51 and 46 respectively. While chasing the modest target, India lost Rohit Sharma (15) early on, but then Dhawan and Kohli added a match-winning unbeaten partnership of 93 runs. 

Earlier, Chahal returned figures of 5/22 while Yadav notched up 3/20 to justify skipper Kohli’s decision to field first on winning the toss. Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar bagged a wicket each.

Jean-Paul Duminy and Khaya Zondo were the highest scorers for the Proteas with 25 runs each.

Such was the domination of the Indian bowlers that only five South African batsmen managed to reach double figures.

Asked to bat, South Africa were off to a slow start with Hashim Amla (23) and Quinton de Kock (20) producing an opening stand of 39 runs before the former nicked one from Bhuvneshwar to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.

The hosts then suffered a double blow when de Kock and Aiden Markram were sent back off successive deliveries.

Chahal dismissed de Kock when the left-hander miscued an attempted pull off the last ball of the 13th over, only to find Hardik Pandya at the deep square leg.

Markram played another poor shot off the opening ball of the very next over to hand Kuldeep his first wicket of the day.

Kuldeep dismissed David Miller later in the same over to leave the hosts struggling at 51/3. Duminy and Zondo tried to steady the innings but both fell prey to Chahal who was proving to be unplayable at times.

The South African lower order could not put up much of a resistance as the hosts folded up their innings in just 32.2 overs. (With IANS inputs).