Yashasvi Jaiswal scored an unbeaten maiden ODI hundred, carrying India to a nine-wicket victory in the third and final one-dayer and a 2-1 series win against South Africa here on Saturday.

It was always a case of the margin of victory once Jaiswal (116 not out, 121 balls) and his senior opening partner Rohit Sharma (75, 73 balls) stitched 155 runs in 25.5 overs, and it turned precisely so as India finished with 271 for one in 39.5 overs, chasing 271. Virat Kohli contributed a classy 65 not out off just 45 balls.

Quinton de Kock made a fine 106 off 89 balls, his 23rd ton in ODIs, but it remained a shiny footnote as Indian batsmen dictated the course. Jaiswal was not comfortable initially in his innings, but the assured presence of Rohit at the other end was a blessing for him. Rohit guided Jaiswal, who was playing only his fourth ODI, through some early turbulent phases, and also did the bulk of the scoring.

The 38-year-old reached his fifty in 54 balls, tranquil by his standards but those patented, magical swivel pull shots, three of which sailed for sixes, lent the innings a touch of aggression. It enabled Jaiswal to collect runs unhurriedly, and walked to fifty in 75 balls. But once he reached his fifty, the left-hander grew in confidence and opened a lot more, unbuckling some of those drives and cuts that he carefully avoided in the early phase of his innings.

Rohit, who became the fourth Indian batsman to reach 20,000 international runs during his knock after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Kohli, looked set for another hundred. But an ill-timed sweep off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj cut short his stay. But that didn’t deter Jaiswal, who, accompanied by Kohli, kept India’s innings moving.

The 23-year-old reached the three-figure mark in 111 balls with a single off pacer Corbin Bosch and immediately tore his helmet away to slip into an energetic celebration, a combination of sprint, jump, roar and punch in the air. Jaiswal and a typically assertive Kohli added 156 runs for the second wicket as India calmly went past the target.

Earlier, a largely disciplined bowling effort also played its part in keeping South Africa to a manageable total, an effort led by pacer Prasidh Krishna (4/66) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/41). After Arshdeep Singh sent back Ryan Rickelton early, De Kock (106, 89 balls, 8×4, 6×4) struck his seventh century against India and put on 113 runs off 124 balls with skipper Temba Bavuma (48, 67 balls). De Kock was severe on Prasidh (4/66), who erred on length continuously in his first spell (2-0-27-0). The left-hander hit the pacer for 6, 6, 4 in his second over to milk 18 runs.

After part-time spinner Tilak Varma went for runs, skipper KL Rahul brought back Prasidh for a second spell, and the Karnataka pacer broke the back of South Africa’s top and middle-order in an exceptional second spell (4-0-11-3).

Brief scores:

South Africa 270 in 47.5 overs (Quinton de Kock 106, Temba Bavuma 48; Prasidh Krishna 4/66, Kuldeep Yadav 4/41) India 271/1 in 39.5 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 116 not out, Rohit Sharma 75, Virat Kohli 65 not out.

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