South Africa beat India by five wickets

Live coverage of 4th ODI between India and South Africa

 

Heinrich Klaasen’s unbeaten 43 and David Miller’s 39 powered South Africa to victory in a rain-curtailed encounter at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. The Proteas emerged victorious with 5 wickets in hand and kept their hopes of saving the series.

However, India still have an unassailable 3-1 lead in the six-match rubber.

South Africa need 202 in 28 overs

#SAvIND: It's a 28-overs chase with a 202-run target. South Africa will need 159 more to win in 124 balls with 9 wickets in handhttps://t.co/2yczulDlVe pic.twitter.com/SphHlSHj03

— Wah Cricket (@ABPCricketHindi) February 10, 2018

Rain stops play, again!

Bumrah with the breakthrough 

The ball landed outside off, Markram walked across and then looked to heave. But missed the ball and got hit, just over the knee roll. It looked plumb and Aleem Dar agreed. Markram had a long look at Amla and then both these players signalled for the review. Hawk-Eye showed it to be hitting the stumps. Waste of a review.

Welcome back!

That's it!

South Africa restrict India to 289/7. South Africa will have to chase 290 on a tricky wicket to save the series.

Out!

Bhuvneshwar is run out but India will not mind. Dhoni is back on strike. A low full toss outside off, MSD hits it hard towards long on and calls for two. JP Duminy collects the ball calmly and returns a straightforward throw to Morris. Simple run out, which is not even referred upstairs.

What a catch!

Markram takes a one-handed blinder! The ball is full and outside off and Hardik bashes it with brute power. The ball goes over cover and seems like it has cleared the fielder. But no, Markram leaps full stretch, sticks out his right hand and takes a stinger!

Catch from Aiden Markram... #SA #SAvIND #ODI pic.twitter.com/YqQCnQp9fd

— 🌏🚶🏻Wayfarer ⌚️📷 (@CoolSky_) February 10, 2018

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Time to walk back!

Iyer couldn't make the most of the lifeline, goes for a shot over the long-on but fails to back his shot with enough power and hands an easy catch to Chris Morris.

Iyer survives!

Phehlukwayo had Shreyas Iyer caught behind, but Iyer has opted for a review immediately. There was some faint noise but no spikes on Ultraedge. Iyer survives!

Shreyas Iyer and MS Dhoni will have to take India out of tricky situation

Rahane follows Dhawan

In the air and taken! The Proteas look charged up after the rain break. A short delivery above the waist level, Rahane tries pull it and ends up finding a fielder in the deep. 210/4

Centurion departs

A wider delivery outside the off stump, Dhawan tries to chip but the ball hits the toe end of his bat. It goes low to AB de Villiers at mid-off who makes no mistake. 208/3

Match resumes in Johannesburg, no overs have been lost

Rain stops play

The covers are coming on, Imminent rain and lightning has stopped play in Johannesburg

100 in 100th ODI

Shikhar Dhawan becomes the first Indian to hit a century in 100th ODI. A memorable one for the southpaw

Kohli falls!

Change in bowling does the trick for the hosts, Kohli dances the track in an attempt to hit the ball over the cover fielder with flat-batted stroke but fails to find the elevation and finds Miller stationed there to perfection 

Dhawan-Kohli stitch 10-run stand

Successive 100-run stand between Dhawan and Kohli. In the previous encounter the stitched 140 runs. These two have also added 94 runs in the opening encounter.

Half century for Kohli

This man is from a different Planet! Another sensational half-century from the Indian skipper. He is going strong and will aim to convert this into another 100.

#SAvIND: Well composed half-century from @imVkohli, his 46th in the coloured outfit. #IND 127/1https://t.co/2yczulDlVe pic.twitter.com/p1pzXjT3E4

— Wah Cricket (@ABPCricketHindi) February 10, 2018

Classy half-ton from Dhawan

Successive ODI fifty for the Indian opener. Dhawan will be aiming to add a hundred to his name against South Africa. He came quiet closer in the previous encounter but was dismissed on 76.

50 comes up for Dhawan-Kohli

Another 50-run stand for the third wicket. The partnership between these two is one of the prime reasons why India have dominated in this series. 

50 up for India

After losing Rohit early, Dhawan and Kohli make the most of the powerplay and keep the scoreboard moving.

Kohli walks in

Rabada draws first blood!

India lose their first wicket, Rohit's poor form continues. That was terrific return catch from Rabada, he got his fingers underneath the ball, making a tough catch look incredibly easy. IND 20/1

Toss Report

India have won the toss at the Wanderers and opted to bat first. 

The visitors have made only one change to their squad with batting all-rounder Kedar Jadhav missing out due to a hamstring injury. The 32-year-old will be replaced by batsman Shreyas Iyer.

With an aim to save the series, the hosts have brought back Morne Morkel to their playing XI and dynamic AB de Villiers returns after missing out from first three ODIs due to a finger injury. Leggie Imran Tahir and middle-order batsman Khaya Zondo have been left out of the Protea squad.

Match Preview

India's indomitable cricket team looks set for a landmark series triumph but an injury-ravaged South Africa would hope for some AB de Villiers magic to halt the visitors' charge in the fourth one-dayer on Saturday.

With an unassailable 3-0 lead in hand, India need just one more win to claim their maiden ODI series triumph on the South African soil.

The closest they came was in 2010-11 when under Mahendra  Singh Dhoni, they shot into a 2-1 lead only to lose the five-match series 3-2.

India had previously broken into unchartered territory at Newlands when, for the first time since they began touring here in 1992-93, they won three matches in a bilateral ODI engagement in South Africa.

A fourth consecutive win will also cement their spot as the no.1 side in ICC ODI Rankings.

Before the third ODI, Shikhar Dhawan had highlighted that the team wants to win every game ahead of them, building on victory in the third Test here, and there would be no complacency in the dressing room.

Indeed then, Virat Kohli lifted his side to another dominant win with an immaculate 34th ODI century and later spoke of replicating the same intensity to wrap up the series with two matches remaining.

The fact that Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have now accounted for 21 out of 30 available wickets is also a driving force behind this confidence.

Despite practising with at least five different local wrist spinners at Newlands, the Proteas' batting line-up still couldn't contend with India's first-choice spin duo.

Whether this will change on Saturday remains to be seen. South Africa may have slight cause for optimism as de Villiers was, on Thursday, added to their ODI squad for the remainder three matches.

The star batsman was ruled out of the first three ODIs owing to a finger injury he had sustained during the third Test.

However, the hosts are still circumspect about his chances of playing and as such Cricket South Africa didn't send out any official media information ahead of this game.

De Villiers will be assessed today afternoon -- 24 hours before the game -- and a call will then be made on his availability for the match.

If he is fit and available, it is expected that de Villiers will bat at no.3 with JP Duminy dropping down to no.4 thus. One of David Miller or Khaya Zondo will make way for him in the playing eleven.

Unsurprisingly, despite the downturn, Aiden Markram will continue leading the side.

This match is of vital importance for South Africa in their home season. It is the 'Pink ODI', played for the awareness against breast cancer and for the benefit of those suffering from the disease.

It was first held in 2011, and this will be the sixth such occasion. In fact, the Proteas have never lost when playing in their unique pink jersey.

De Villiers has a handsome record on Pink Days. In 2015, he had smashed 149 off just 44 balls against the West Indies. In 2013, when India were first part of this Pink Day celebration, de Villiers had scored 77 off 47 balls.

South Africa had amassed 358/4 on a Wanderers' wicket full of pace and bounce, and India had lost by 141 runs.

That day Rohit Sharma had struggled against the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, scoring just 18 off 43 balls. The opener's travails have extended to this tour as well.

In 11 ODIs now in South Africa, the three-time double centurion averages a paltry 12.10. His form is the only pressing concern for the Indian team, yet not so much that he will be left out of the playing eleven.

With the Men in Blue looking to wrap up the series, Kohli is expected to field an unchanged line-up once again.

India have an average record at this ground. In seven ODIs here, they have won three and lost four, including the infamous 2003 World Cup final against Australia.

Also, as opposed to their unbeaten Test record against South Africa here, India have lost 3 out of 4 ODIs they have played against the hosts at Wanderers.

Their only cause for cheer against the Proteas here came in January 2011, when Munaf Patel took 4-29 to lead India to a thrilling one-run win.

Thanks to Kohli's imperious consistency and the terrorising form of their wrist spinners, that lopsided record might just be about to change.