India restrict Proteas to 204 in sixth ODI

Khayelihle Zondo ()

Centurion, Feb 16 - Khaya Zondo struck his maiden ODI fifty to steer South Africa to 204 even as the other batsmen failed to find an answer to the disciplined Indian bowling in the sixth and final One-day International (ODI) at the Supersport Park here on Friday.

Zondo top-scored for the Proteas with a 74-ball 54, laced with three boundaries and two sixes on a good batting track, where most of the other batsmen failed against rookie pacer Shardul Thakur (4/52) and the wrist spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal (2/38) and Kuldeep Yadav (1/51). Jasprit Bumrah also gave good support by taking two wickets.

Asked to bat, the Proteas could hardly recover from the early loss of openers Hashim Amla (10) and skipper Aiden Markram (24) even as No.3 AB de Villiers (30) wasted a start after adding 62 runs for the third wicket with Zondo.

Earlier, playing his first match of the series, Mumbai youngster Thakur was on fire in his first five overs, getting rid of Amla, caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and then the key wicket of Markram with a slow off-cutter, caught by Shreyas Iyer at cover.

Chahal soon joined the party, knocking off de Villiers' leg stick with a flipper to reduce the Proteas to 105/3, before wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klassen (22) joined Zondo for a brief 30-run fourth wicket stand.

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