Cricket Update from the iSport Cricket Paddock: JP Duminy's 71 not out and Hashim Amla's 64 helped the home side beat India by 48 runs (Duckworth/Lewis method) in a rain-affected fourth ODI at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth and level the five-match series 2-2.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first and got off to a good start as the openers Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith added 57 runs for the first wicket in just eleven overs.
Smith then fell to Ashish Nehra for 18 as he tried to play a flat-batted shot only to find Harbhajan Singh at mid-off.
Amla and Morne Van Wyk then added 49 runs for the second wicket as Amla reached his 12th ODI half-century off 53 deliveries.
The next four wickets fell in quick succession as Van Wyk was caught by Virat Kohli at slip off Yuvraj Singh for 15.
Seven deliveries later Amla was run out for 64 by a combination of Kohli and Dhoni as the former tried to attempt a needless second.
Yuvraj then picked up his second wicket as he had AB de Villiers (3) stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
India's superb day in the field continued as Kohli then combined with Dhoni to run out Faf du Plessis for one to reduce the home side to 118 for 5.
JP Duminy and Johan Botha then took the home side past 150 in the 30th over as they added 70 runs for the sixth wicket in just 14 overs.
Yuvraj again struck as he had Botha (44) stumped with the total on 188.
Duminy and Peterson then added crucial 54 runs for the seventh wicket as Duminy brought up his half-century off 61 deliveries.
Duminy and Dale Steyn added 23 unbeaten runs to guide the home side to a challenging total of 265 with Duminy remaining not out on 71 off 72 deliveries.
In reply, the Indians started badly as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Rohit Sharma (1) was the first to go as he slashed one straight to backward point off Tsotsobe in just the second over of the innings.
Patel (11) and Virat Kohli then added 31 runs for the second wicket before Patel was trapped leg before wicket by Tsotsobe. Yuvraj (12) was then brilliantly caught by Smith as he mistimed a sweep shot off Botha. The visitors were reduced to 49 for 3 in the 15th over.
Kohli and Suresh Raina then added 63 crucial runs for the fourth wicket in 11.5 overs and took India to 112 in 27 overs before the latter was stumped off Peterson by AB de Villiers for 20. Meanwhile Kohli brought up his half-century off 67.
Two overs later Peterson removed Dhoni for 2 and five runs later Morne Morkel had the big fish, Yusuf Pathan, caught behind for 2 to reduce the visitors to 128 for 6 in 30 overs.
When the score was on 137-6 rain interrupted play and as the play resumed the visitors were given a revised target of 260 runs with four overs deducted, but only eight deliveries later rain again interrupted the proceedings and with the Indian total on 142 for 6 in the 33rd over. This prompted the officials to call off the match and the hosts were declared winners by Duckworth/Lewis method.
J P Duminy was named the man of the match for his crucial innings of 71 off 72 deliveries with two hits to the fence and one over it.
Result: South Africa won by 48 runs (D/L method)
Scores: South Africa: 265/7
India: 142/6
Man of the Match: JP Duminy
Series: 5-match series level 2-2
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