Aiden Markram and Reeza Hendricks slammed impressive fifties, but a late fightback from India meant South Africa were restricted to posting 278\/7 in their 50 overs in the second ODI at the JSCA International Stadium on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Electing to bat first, Markram (79 off 89 balls) and Hendricks (74 off 76 balls) stitched a run-a-ball 129-run stand for the third wicket. But after the duo fell, India's bowlers, led by Mohammed Siraj's 3\/38, executed slower balls and straighter lines to perfection to keep South Africa to two runs below 280.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Quinton de Kock began the innings with a glorious straight drive off Siraj for four. But Siraj had the last laugh in the third over as de Kock dragged a full and wide delivery to his stumps. Janneman Malan and Hendricks hit five eye-pleasing boundaries between themselves in the next three overs, before the former was trapped lbw by debutant Shahbaz Ahmed to become the first international wicket of the left-arm spinner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Hendricks and Markram took time to settle in before the duo took a four each off Siraj through the leg-side in a ten-run 16th over. Markram, who survived an lbw shout off Kuldeep, scooped and brought out the drive twice to get three fours in as many overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Hendricks, on the other hand, lofted Washington Sundar over mid-off before whipping Shardul Thakur through mid-wicket to collect a brace of fours. After a magnificent inside-out drive over extra-cover off Kuldeep Yadav, Hendricks brought up his fourth ODI fifty.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Markram, meanwhile, grew in confidence by driving through the gaps consistently to get his half-century as well. The duo continued to hit fluent boundaries, rotating the strike and using their feet well before Siraj took out Hendricks on a length ball which he pulled straight to deep square leg.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Markram continued to find boundaries with his pristine timing while Heinrich Klaasen teed off with a four off Washington through backward square leg. He then pulled Shahbaz for a six over mid-wicket and took another four off Avesh Khan through the same shot. Klaasen danced down the pitch to smack Kuldeep over long-off before he holed out to running long-on off the left-arm wrist-spinner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the next over, Markram chipped a low delivery straight to extra cover off Washington. From there, India managed to make a comeback in the match as David Miller and Wayne Parnell were kept quiet though the left-hander lapped and hit Washington and Kuldeep to pick two fours.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With India drying up boundaries as 22 runs came from overs 43-46, Parnell was forced to go for the big hits but holed out to long-off off Shardul in the 47th over. Miller broke the 41-run boundary drought by smacking back-to-back fours -- lofting over the bowler's head and heaving through the square leg in the penultimate over. Siraj uprooted stand-in Keshav Maharaj's off-stump in the final over as India conceded only 57 runs in the last ten overs for the loss of two wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n