Samson century and four wickets from Arshdeep propel India to series win over Proteas

Tony de Zorzi of South Africa on his way to scoring 81 off 87 deliveries the series-deciding third One-Day International against India at Boland Park in Paarl on 21 December 2023. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)

By Craig Ray

21 Dec 2023

India beat South Africa by 78 runs in the third and final One-Day International at Boland Park in Paarl to seal a 2-1 series win.

A superb maiden century from Sanju Samson set up a convincing 78-run win for India over South Africa in the third and deciding One-Day International at a sweltering Paarl on Thursday.

Samson, who made his ODI debut in 2011 but only amassed 16 caps in the ensuing 12 years, made the most of his opportunity, scoring 108 off 114 balls with six boundaries and three sixes.

A solid 52 from Tilak Verma, who shared a 116-run fourth wicket stand with Samson, helped India reach a formidable total of 296 for eight after Proteas captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to field.

india odi series win Tony de Zorzi of South Africa on his way to scoring 81 off 87 deliveries in the third One-Day International against India at Boland Park in Paarl on 21 December 2023. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)

In reply, South Africa fell apart after a solid start from openers Tony de Zorzi and Reeza Hendricks, who put on 59 for the first wicket in 8.2 overs. The Proteas failed to make the most of the good start and were dismissed for a disappointing 218 with 4.1 overs of their innings remaining.

At 131 for three, the Proteas were in the match but collapsed to 192 for seven as Arshdeep Singh and the spin of Washington Sundar ended the home team’s hopes.

India exacted some revenge with their 2-1 ODI series win, having lost the corresponding series in South Africa two years ago, 3-0.

De Zorzi was the only South African batter to make an impression, scoring 81 from 87 balls, following a century in the second match. But it wasn’t enough. No one else managed to offer support after Hendricks (19) was caught behind by India skipper KL Rahul off the left-arm seam of Arshdeep.

Arshdeep ended with impressive figures of four for 30 in nine overs while Avesh Khan and Sundar took two wickets each.

But the foundation of India’s win was laid by Samson, who came in at No 3 and held the innings together with a mixture of patience and aggression.

“I’m really proud of it [the innings], especially considering the result as well,” Samson said after the match.

“I’ve been working hard. This format gives you some extra time to understand the wicket and the bowler’s mindset. Batting at the top of the order gives you those 10 to 20 extra deliveries.”

Captain Rahul praised Samson for his continued excellence at club level, where he has excelled in the Indian Premier League (IPL), despite limited chances with the national team because he plays in the same position as Virat Kohli.

“I’m really pleased for Sanju, he’s been a phenomenal performer in the IPL over the years,” Rahul said. “Unfortunately we haven’t been able to give him the chance at No 3, because obviously there are stalwarts in the ODIs who occupy those key spots.

“I’m glad he was able to grab his chances here. We will celebrate with the boys and then switch back to focusing on the Test series in a day or two.”

Arshdeep was named player of the series for his 10 wickets over the three matches. His accurate bowling, with the occasional bouncer or yorker thrown in, proved decisive in the series, which saw India win the first ODI by eight wickets before succumbing by eight wickets in the second match.

“The plan was simple, it was to bowl wicket-to-wicket and get lbws and bowled,” Arshdeep explained afterwards.

“The IPL has been a very good platform for us youngsters. There isn’t a big gap between IPL and international cricket. You understand the mindset of international cricketers and it helps. We are all loving the chances we’ve got. We’d love to give our all in the future as well and do well.”

As for South Africa, they need to regroup for the two-match Test series starting at Centurion on 26 December. India have never won a Test series in South Africa, which is one barrier they are aiming to scale on this tour. DM

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