Quinton de Kock stars as South Africa beat India in third ODI

Rajkot: South Africa defeated India by 18 runs in the third One Day International in Rajkot on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series

The Proteas powered to 270-7 on the back of Quinton de Kock’s 103 and then restricted the hosts to 252-6, despite half-centuries from Rohit Sharma (65) and Virat Kohli (77). Fast bowler Morne Morkel claimed four wickets.

The 22-year-old opener-wicketkeeper took advantage of a flat pitch, after South Africa won the toss and elected to bat, to notch up his seventh one-day century — the fourth against India — with the help of 11 boundaries and a six.

Faf du Plessis (60) shared a third-wicket stand of 118 with de Kock to lift the tourists to 205-2 in the 39th over when India hit back with three quick wickets to make it 210-5 in the 41st.

Du Plessis, who was caught off a Mohit Sharma no-ball when on 16, was dismissed by the same bowler to a catch at third-man, triggering the slide.

De Kock was run out in the 40th over after a misunderstanding with his skipper AB de Villiers, who was himself given leg-before in left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s next over.

Farhaan Behardien smashed a last-ball six off Bhuvneshwar Kumar to return unbeaten on 33.

David Miller, promoted to open the innings with de Kock, scored 33 in a first-wicket partnership of 72 to give the Proteas a sound start, but the Indians kept the run-rate under check.

The Proteas retained the same team for the third successive match, while India brought in leg-spinner Amit Mishra in place of fast bowler Umesh Yadav.

The tourists had won the first match in Kanpur by five runs and India drew level in Indore with a 22-run victory.

The fourth match will be played in Chennai on Thursday.

The one-day series will be followed by four Test matches.