ODI Gqeberha/UNI: India were skittled out for a paltry 211 on a difficult wicket in the second ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at Saint George's Park here on Tuesday.
Seamers Nandre Burger (3/30) and Beuran Hendricks (2/34) shared five wickets between them.
For India, Sai Sudarshan and captain KL Rahul played meaningful innings by notching up the fifties.
The left-handed Sudarshan made 62 runs in the classical mould after cracking an unbeaten half-century in the first ODI. Rahul scored 56 from 64 balls. Other than them, no other batsmen made any sizable contributions.
India were ambling across at 114/2 but lost the remaining 8 wickets for 97 runs as South Africa exploited the sluggish nature of the pitch by putting brakes on the scoring rate and enforcing errors from them.
Put in to bat, India had a very poor start with South Africa seamers taking advantage of the new ball which was bouncing off the pitch.
Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was trapped leg-before for 4 off Burger's very second ball, but Sudarshan and Tilak Varma (10) soaked the initial pressure created by South African seamers.
While Tilak struggled to find his feet, Sudarshan exhibited his classical batsmanship with off drives and pulls, as India reached 46/1 in the first Powerplay.
The struggling Tilak was bounced out by Burger, bringing captain Rahul into the middle. The runs dried up as India could manage to score 10 from 11 to 16 overs.
Sudarshan also went into the shell until spinner Keshav Maharaj (2/51) was employed by Proteas captain Aiden Markram. He slog-swept the spinner for a six over midwicket.
Sudarshan completed his second half-century after taking a risky single in the 20th over.
After a sedate start, Rahul punished Wiaan Mulder, Lizaad Williams (1/49) and Markram (1/28) to take India past the 100 runs mark.
Williams broke the 68-run stand by removing Sudarshan who edged one to Heinrich Klassen behind the stumps off a snorter.
Sanju Samson squandered the opportunity as he chopped a shot onto his timbers off Hendricks, leaving India at 136/4.
Rahul reached his fifty from 60 balls by taking on Maharaj and soon was plucked by Burger to savour his third wicket. Debutant Rinku Singh was stumped off Maharaj after scoring 17 from 14 balls with 2 boundaries and a six, and suddenly India was reduced to 169/6.
Maharaj then removed Kuldeep Yadav (1) and Markram sent back Axar Patel for 7. Avesh Khan (9) and Arshdeep Singh (18) guided India past 200 runs mark.
In reply, South Africa were 39/0 in 10 overs with Reeza Hendricks and Tony de Zorzi batting on 12 and 25, respectively.
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