AIDEN MARKRAM scored a century as South Africa chased down 359 to beat India in the second one-day international on Wednesday and level the three-match series.
Virat Kohli hit his second consecutive hundred, but South Africa reached the target with four balls and four wickets remaining in Raipur.
Number eight Corbin Bosch finished the chase with the winning boundary in his unbeaten 29 to make it 1-1 in the series before Saturday’s decider in Visakhapatnam.
Kohli made 102 for his 53rd ODI hundred and added 195 for the third wicket with Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 105, as India posted 358-5.
Markram struck 110 in South Africa’s reply and shared a 101-run stand with captain Temba Bavuma, who made 46, for the second wicket. The total matched the joint-highest target chased against India, after Australia reached 359 in Mohali in 2019.
Markram was dropped on 53 by Yashasvi Jaiswal but went on to complete his fourth ODI hundred off 88 balls before falling to pace bowler Harshit Rana. The dismissal lifted the noise inside the 60,000-capacity stadium.
Dewald Brevis made 54 off 34 balls and added 92 for the fourth wicket with Matthew Breetzke, who hit 68, to keep the chase moving. Brevis reached his maiden ODI fifty with a six off Kuldeep Yadav, but the spinner dismissed him the next ball, caught at long-on.
Breetzke was lbw to Prasidh Krishna, and Arshdeep Singh removed Marco Jansen for 2 soon after. Tony de Zorzi retired hurt on 17 with a hamstring issue, but Bosch and Keshav Maharaj, who made 10 not out, completed the chase.
Earlier, Kohli began aggressively after India lost Rohit Sharma for 14, starting his scoring with a six off Lungi Ngidi. Jaiswal made 22 before falling, and Kohli and Gaikwad then consolidated and increased the scoring rate. Gaikwad reached his maiden ODI century with a boundary.
Gaikwad departed, but Kohli carried on to reach his 84th international hundred across formats. Kohli was eventually dismissed by Ngidi and received a standing ovation as he walked back. Captain KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 66.
Kohli, 37, now only plays the 50-over format after he and Rohit, 38, retired from T20 and Test cricket.
(With inputs from agencies)
