Four-ton Quinton de Kock sets the tone
It was a muggy August day in Chennai when Quinton de Kock had turned up to meet the press after scoring the second of the three hundreds against India A. Someone asked whether he or his family had any Indian connection considering his love affair with this country. de Kock just smiled and replied with a monosyllabic “No”. The way he continues to pile on the runs against India, he might be asked that question at least a few more times in the future.
Out of his seven international hundreds, four have come against India in just seven innings. The seventh that came on Sunday was also his first of the year and it was yet another free-flowing affair but India managed to rally back through their spinners to restrict South Africa to 270 when 300-plus looked on cards. MS Dhoni had gone in with three spinners on a helpful pitch and having Mishra in place of Umesh Yadav helped the hosts to have more variety in these conditions.
Quinton de Kock's form a concern for South Africa
World Cup 2015: Against India, Quinton de Kock stands out among stars
I have grown up a lot during these three knocks against India: Quinton de Kock
The Quin-ton that mattered: Rain forces abandonment of 3rd ODI but not before he hits third century
South Africa's opening act,the show's headliners
Can't compare Indian bowlers with Steyn and Morkel,says Quinton de Kock
It was de Kock’s run out that helped India turn the tide decisively in the 40th over. Faf du Plessis had just fallen in the 38th over after a well-made 60, trying to repeat a paddle-scoop off Mohit Sharma, and de Kock’s dismissal couldn’t have been worse timed. He was late to respond to de Villiers’s call and Shikhar Dhawan, diving to his left at short midwicket, found him short of the crease. The big wicket of de Villiers came a ball later, in the first ball of the new over. de Villiers shaped to cut an arm-ball from Axar Patel and though he eventually made contact with the cut, the ball had first rapped the pads in front of middle stump. Three wickets had fallen quickly and South Africa slipped to 210 for 5, and it allowed India to apply the squeeze. Three crucial wickets in quick succession meant the visitors were forced to rotate strike instead of indulging in big hitting.
The final ten overs cost India just 54 runs. This on a Rajkot pitch that is generally considered as a graveyard for the bowlers. It’s not always the case that Indian bowlers bowl well in the death overs. In fact their captain has often been critical of them. However, they have sparkled in the last two games. In Indore, it was the bowlers who followed up on the good work done by Dhoni with the bat to help India get the win, and now in Rajkot they have handed the batsman a great platform to achieve a win. With figures of 10-0-41-1 from Harbhajan, and 10-0-38-1 from Mishra, the Indian spinners certainly turned things back in India’s favour.
Severe pressure
Until the spinners started to strangle the South Africans, it was de Kock who was threatening to put India under severe pressure. He had a 72-run stand in 13 overs with David Miller, the out-of-form batsman who was promoted, before Harbhajan provided India the breakthrough by removing Miller. Soon, Mishra induced Hashim Amla into a drive but the ball rapidly dipped and broke away from the intended drive. Amla had dragged his back foot outside the crease and as ever, Dhoni was very quick with the stumping.
It seemed India, with their three spinners, held the upper hand at that stage but de Kock and du Plessis, who was caught in the deep off a no ball from Mohit Shamra when he was on 16, had other ideas. It was only in the end that India forged a comeback through their spinners with a little bit of fielding magic from Dhawan, and bit of help from de Kock himself who was guilty of responding a touch late to the call for a single.
