Kishan, Iyer partnership belts Proteas out of the park

A destructive 161-run partnership between Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer helped India chase down 279 to win by seven wickets against the Proteas and level the series in Ranchi on Sunday.

Career-best scores of 113 runs off 111 balls unbeaten from Iyer and 93 runs from Kishan saw India finish on 282/3, with 25 balls left.

Earlier, a run-a-ball 129-run partnership between Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks took SA to 278/8, after winning the toss and choosing to bat first at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.

India captain Shikhar Dhawan (13) was dismissed by Wayne Parnell and Kagiso Rabada caught Shubnam Gill for 28 off his own bowling, with India on 48/2 after nine overs.

Kishan batted responsibly to go past 50 before Iyer did the same for the fifth time in the last six innings as the duo brought up the 100-run partnership and India moved to 154/2 to end the 27th over.

As India went past 200, Kishan, who was earlier dropped by Rabada off his own bowling, hit four boundaries and seven sixes on his way to 93 before picking out Reeza Hendricks, who took a sharp catch off the bowling of Bjorn Fortuin.

Iyer, on 98, saw Rabada overstep the mark, giving him a free hit which he dispatched to the boundary to bring up his second ODI century to share an unbeaten 70 with Sanju Samson (9 not out) and taking his side home.

Parnell claimed 1/43 in eight overs while Fortuin finished with 1/52 in nine and Rabada 1/59 from 10 overs.

Markram and Hendricks both scored above 70 to put SA on course for a big score having lost Quinton de Kock for just five runs, bowled by seamer Mohammed Siraj.

Fellow opener Janneman Malan (25) and Hendricks took SA to 40 after 10 overs when Malan was trapped leg before wicket by slow left-arm orthodox spinner Shahbaz Ahmed. Ahmed reviewed the original not-out decision, which was overturned by the third umpire to hand him a wicket on his ODI debut.

Markram and Hendricks batted well, and took SA past 150 as Hendricks brought up his fourth ODI fifty and Markram his fifth two overs later. Hendricks was sharply caught by Shahbaz, after hitting nine boundaries and a six for his 74, as Siraj picked up his second wicket of the match.

Heinrich Klaasen shared 46 runs with Markram before being caught by Siraj off Kuldeep Yadav for 30. Markram reached 79, including seven fours and a six, before being dismissed two balls later to leave SA on 215/5.

With two new batters at the crease, the Indians put a stranglehold on SA’s free-scoring approach with David Miller ending unbeaten on 35, the visitors adding just 63 runs while losing two wickets, Parnell (16) and Maharaj (5),  in the final 11 overs.

Siraj finished with solid figures of 3/38 in his 10 overs, while fellow quick Shardul Thakur, as well as spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed and Washington Sundar, claimed one wicket apiece. ​