It was after winning six straight series that India landed into South Africa to play a three-match ODI series. Naturally the expectations were high, but the Indians were up against a South African side that has always been a formidable unit at home. Indian bowling had been below average for most of the year, but batting made up for bowlers’ incompetence more often than not. However, both Indian bowling and batting were left cruelly exposed on South Africa’s bouncy tracks. While the bowlers failed to deliver even in the helpful conditions; Indian batsmen came a cropper against the likes of Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Morne Morkel, Ryan McLaren and Vernon Philander.
India lost the first
one-dayer at Johannesburg by 141 runs and followed it up with a 134-run defeat
at Durban. They were saved by weather gods in the third one-dayer at Centurion
chasing a target in excess of 300. Never before a side ranked number one in ODIs
had suffered the ignominy of losing two consecutive matches by a margin of more
than hundred runs.
In the first one-dayer at
Johannesburg, Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock put on 152 runs for the first
wicket after South Africa were put in to bat by India. This was South Africa's
first century stand for the opening wicket in 68 ODIs. Interestingly the last
century opening stand for South Africa had also come against India when Loots
Bosman and Hashim Amla put on 113 at Ahmedabad in 2010. Quinton de Kock went on to score his second
ODI hundred and his highest score in ODIs and became youngest South African and
fifth youngest player overall to score a ODI hundred against India.
Indian bowling was put to
sword by AB de Villiers and JP Duminy towards the end. South Africa scored 135
runs in the last 10 overs. Duminy raced to his fifty off just 25 balls- fastest
by a South Africa batsman against India and also the fastest by any batsman
against India outside the sub-continent. Incidentally this was the fourth instance
this year alone when India conceded 100 or more runs in the last 10 overs. South
Africa ended with 358 for four - their second highest against India after 365
for two they made at Ahmedabad in 2010.
When Shikhar Dhawan hit
Tsotsobe for a boundary at mid-off, India became the highest run-scoring team in ODI history, surpassing
Australia’s tally of 1,82,881 runs. However, the batting soon fell apart and
India were handed a crushing 141-run defeat – their second biggest defeat against
South Africa after 157-run drubbing at
Durban in 2006. Only MS Dhoni showed some resolve with 65 off 71 balls,
becoming India's highest run-scoring captain in ODIs, surpassing Mohammad
Azharuddin’s record.
The pair of Quinton de
Kock and Hashim Amla went even further in the second ODI at Durban, adding 194
runs for the first wicket- South Africa’s highest opening stand at home, obliterating
190-run partnership between Gary Kirsten and Mike Rindel against Pakistan at
Johannesburg in 1995. The pair provided only the second instance of an opening
pair putting on 150-plus partnerships in successive matches. Pakistan’s Taufeeq
Umar and Salim Elahi had added 159 and 154 against Zimbabwe in 2002. The pair also
became the fifth pair to put on successive 150-plus partnerships for any wicket in ODIs.
Both de Kock and Amla
completed their hundreds. Amla completed his 4,000 ODI runs during the course
of his innings of 100. By taking just 81 innings, Amla became the quickest to
accomplish this feat, wresting the record from Viv Richards who did so in 88
innings. Incidentally Amla is also the quickest to 2,000 runs (41 innings) and
also 3,000 runs (57 innings). Amla also became the quickest to score 12 ODI
hundreds, breaking Virat Kohli’s record who reached this mark in 83 innings.
Two of India’s most
successful batsmen in 2013 - Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli- were dismissed for
ducks and India were never in the game thereafter and lost the game by 134
runs. The last time India suffered defeat by 100-plus runs in back to back
matches was in 2006 –also against South Africa! India were dismissed for 146 in
35.1 overs. South Africa had lost their first wicket after exactly 35.1 overs! The defeat meant India have not yet beaten
South Africa in a one-day international at Durban. Out of seven ODIs they
played here, India lost six while one match did not produce any result.
The
defeat also meant India kept their record of never winning a bilateral series
in South Africa intact. In fact South Africa have lost to a
sub-continent side only once at home. That was recently when Pakistan beat them
2-1.
Quinton de Kock made four
dismissals to complete a grand allround performance. He thus became the first
wicketkeeper to score a hundred and effect four dismissals in a match against
India. Quinton de Kock also became only the second South African wicketkeeper
to perform the allround feat of scoring a hundred and making four dismissals in
the same match, after AB de Villiers who made 101* and took four catches
against Zimbabwe at Potchefstroom in 2010.
In the third match at
Centurion, Quinton de Kock equalled a world record by scoring yet another
hundred – his third on the trot. He became sixth batsman to score three
consecutive hundreds in the ODIs. He, however, is the only one to do so in a
three-match series. Quinton de Kock’s tally of 342 runs in the series is also
the highest for a batsman in a three-match series. He also became the quickest
to score four ODI hundreds. Interestingly de Kock has now scored four hundreds
in his ODI career without ever recording a score between 50 and 99. Quinton de Kock is only the second batsman –
after Ireland’s Paul Stirling- to score four hundreds before turning 21.
For a change India managed
to break the opening partnership quite early. They had South Africa in some
sort of bother at 28 for three, but again let them off the hook. South Africa ended
with 301 for 8 riding on de Kock and AB de Villiers’ knocks. They scored 167
runs in the last 20 overs after making just 134 in the first 30 overs. This was
the tenth time India conceded a 300-plus total in 2013. They now hold the
dubious distinction of conceding most 300-plus totals in a calendar year in ODI
history.
Sides
conceding most 300+ totals in a calendar year
|
Team
|
300+ totals
|
Year
|
|
India
|
10
|
2013
|
|
India
|
9
|
2009
|
|
India
|
8
|
2007
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
8
|
2009
|
|
England
|
7
|
2011
|
|
Zimbabwe
|
6
|
2002
|
|
West Indies
|
6
|
2007
|
|
Bangladesh
|
6
|
2008
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
6
|
2012
|
India
losing consecutive ODIs by 100+ runs
|
Date
|
Opponents
|
Venue
|
Result
|
Batted 1st
|
Batted 2nd
|
|
04 Apr 1999
|
Pakistan
|
Bangalore
|
Pak won by 123 runs
|
Pak-291-8 (50)
|
Ind-168 (42.1)
|
|
08 Apr 1999
|
Pakistan
|
Sharjah
|
Pak won by 116 runs
|
Pak-279-8 (50)
|
Ind-163-6 (50)
|
|
|
|||||
|
26 Jan 2000
|
Australia
|
Adelaide
|
Aus won by 152 runs
|
Aus 329-5 (50)
|
Ind 177 (46.5)
|
|
28 Jan 2000
|
Pakistan
|
Perth
|
Pak won by 104 runs
|
Pak 261-8 (50)
|
Ind 157 (46)
|
|
|
|||||
|
22 Nov 2006
|
South Africa
|
Durban
|
SA won by 157 runs
|
SA 248-8 (50)
|
Ind 91 (29.1)
|
|
26 Nov 2006
|
South Africa
|
Cape Town
|
SA won by 106 runs
|
SA 274-7 (50)
|
Ind 168 (41.3)
|
|
|
|||||
|
05 Dec 2013
|
South Africa
|
Johannesburg
|
SA won by 157 runs
|
SA 358-4 (50)
|
Ind 217 (41)
|
|
08 Dec 2013
|
South Africa
|
Durban
|
SA won by 134 runs
|
SA 280-6 (49)
|
Ind 146 (35.1)
|
|
Batsmen
|
Runs
|
Wkt
|
Opponents
|
Venue
|
Date
|
|
AP Gurusinha & PA de Silva (SL)
|
172
|
3rd
|
Zimbabwe
|
Colombo SSC
|
21-02-1996
|
|
184
|
3rd
|
Kenya
|
Kandy
|
06-03-1996
|
|
|
Saeed Anwar & Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)
|
157*
|
3rd
|
New Zealand
|
Sharjah
|
12-04-2001
|
|
172
|
3rd
|
Sri Lanka
|
Sharjah
|
13-04-2001
|
|
|
Mohammad Yousuf & Younis Khan (Pak)
|
155
|
5th
|
Sri Lanka
|
Sharjah
|
17-04-2002
|
|
161
|
4th
|
New Zealand
|
Karachi
|
21-04-2002
|
|
|
Taufeeq Umar & Saleem Elahi (Pak)
|
159
|
1st
|
Zimbabwe
|
Bulawayo
|
24-11-2002
|
|
154
|
1st
|
Zimbabwe
|
Harare
|
27-11-2002
|
|
|
Hashim Amla & Quinton de Kock (SA)
|
152
|
1st
|
India
|
Johannesburg
|
05-12-2013
|
|
194
|
1st
|
India
|
Durban
|
08-12-2013
|
Batsmen
scoring three consecutive ODI hundreds
|
Batsman
|
Runs
|
Vs
|
Venue
|
Date
|
|
Zaheer Abbas (Pak)
|
118
|
Ind
|
Multan
|
17-12-1982
|
|
105
|
Ind
|
Lahore
|
31-12-1982
|
|
|
113
|
Ind
|
Karachi
|
21-01-1983
|
|
|
Saeed Anwar (Pak)
|
107
|
SL
|
Sharjah
|
30-10-1993
|
|
131
|
WI
|
Sharjah
|
01-11-1993
|
|
|
111
|
SL
|
Sharjah
|
02-11-1993
|
|
|
Herschelle Gibbs (SA)
|
116
|
Ken
|
Colombo RPS
|
20-09-2002
|
|
116*
|
Ind
|
Colombo RPS
|
25-09-2002
|
|
|
153
|
Ban
|
Potchefstroom
|
03-10-2002
|
|
|
AB de Villiers (SA)
|
114*
|
Ind
|
Gwalior
|
24-02-2010
|
|
102*
|
Ind
|
Ahmedabad
|
27-02-2010
|
|
|
102
|
WI
|
North Sound
|
22-05-2010
|
|
|
Quinton de Kock (SA)
|
134
|
Ind
|
Johannesburg
|
05-12-2013
|
|
106
|
Ind
|
Durban
|
08-12-2013
|
|
|
101
|
Ind
|
Centurion
|
11-12-2013
|
Most hundreds before
scoring a fifty in ODIs
|
100s
|
Batsman
|
Years
|
Scores
|
|
4*
|
Quinton de Kock (SA)
|
2013
|
112, 135, 106, 101
|
|
3
|
Dennis Amiss (Eng)
|
1972-1975
|
103, 100, 137
|
|
3
|
Kamran Akmal (Pak)
|
2002-2005
|
124, 102, 109
|
Most
runs in a three-match series
|
Runs
|
For
|
Opponents
|
Host
|
Year
|
|
342
|
Quinton de Kock (SA)
|
India
|
South Africa
|
2013
|
|
330
|
Martin Guptill (NZ)
|
England
|
England
|
2013
|
|
310
|
Brendan Taylor (Zim)
|
New Zealand
|
Zimbabwe
|
2011
|
|
294
|
Shane Watson (Aus)
|
Bangladesh
|
Bangladesh
|
2011
|
|
289
|
Graham Gooch (Eng)
|
Australia
|
England
|
1984
|
|
276
|
Viv Richards (WI)
|
England
|
England
|
1984
|
|
Age
|
Player
|
For
|
Score
|
Venue
|
Year
|
|
18 Yrs 202 Days
|
Shahid Afridi
|
Pak
|
109
|
Toronto
|
1998
|
|
20 Yrs 37 Days
|
Salman Butt
|
Pak
|
108*
|
Kolkata
|
2004
|
|
20 Yrs 199 Days
|
Dinesh Chandimal
|
SL
|
111
|
Harare
|
2010
|
|
20 Yrs 266 Days
|
Ricardo Powell
|
WI
|
124
|
Singapore
|
1999
|
|
20 Yrs 353 Days
|
Quinton de Kock
|
SA
|
135
|
Johannesburg
|
2013
|
Note: Quiinton de Kock now holds the record of being the youngest South
African to score an ODI hundred both at home and outside South Africa. He had
made 112 against Pakistan at the age of 20 years 326 days at Abu Dhabi last
month.
Quickest to score hundreds 1-
49 in one-day internationals
|
100 #
|
Batsman
|
Innings taken
|
|
1
|
Dennis Amiss (Eng), Desmond Haynes (WI), Andy Flower (Zim),
Salim Elahi (Pak), Shahid Afridi (Pak), Martin Guptill (NZ), Colin Ingram
(SA), Rob Nicol (NZ), Phil Hughes (Aus)
|
1
|
|
2
|
Nick Knight (Eng) & Mohammad Shahzad (Afg)
|
3
|
|
3
|
Dennis Amiss (Eng) & Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
|
9
|
|
4
|
Quinton de Kock
(SA)
|
16
|
|
5
|
Upul Tharanga (SL)
|
28
|
|
6
|
Upul Tharanga (SL)
|
29
|
|
7
|
Hashim Amla (SA)
|
41
|
|
8
|
Hashim Amla (SA)
|
43
|
|
9
|
Hashim Amla (SA)
|
52
|
|
10
|
Hashim Amla (SA)
|
57
|
|
11
|
Hashim Amla (SA)
|
64
|
|
12
|
Hashim Amla (SA)
|
81
|
|
13
|
Virat Kohli (Ind)
|
86
|
|
14
|
Virat Kohli (Ind)
|
103
|
|
15
|
Virat Kohli (Ind)
|
106
|
|
16
|
Virat Kohli (Ind)
|
110
|
|
17
|
Virat Kohli (Ind)
|
112
|
|
18
|
Sourav Ganguly (Ind)
|
174
|
|
19
|
Chris Gayle (WI)
|
189
|
|
20-49
|
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
|
197-451
|
Quickest
to 4,000 runs in ODIs
|
Inns
|
Player
|
Avg
|
100s
|
50s
|
Age
|
Days since debut
|
|
81
|
Hashim Amla (SA)
|
53.88
|
12
|
23
|
30 Yrs 252 Days
|
2100
|
|
88
|
Viv Richards (WI)
|
54.57
|
8
|
27
|
33 Yrs 38 Days
|
3599
|
|
93
|
Virat Kohli (Ind)
|
50.35
|
13
|
22
|
24 Yrs 75 Days
|
1615
|
|
96
|
Gordon Greenidge (WI)
|
46.08
|
9
|
24
|
37 Yrs 20 Days
|
4728
|
|
100
|
Brian Lara (WI)
|
45.49
|
8
|
28
|
26 Yrs 333 Days
|
1968
|
|
102
|
Dean Jones (Aus)
|
49.37
|
6
|
30
|
29 Yrs 262 Days
|
2507
|
|
105
|
AB de Villiers (SA)
|
45.07
|
9
|
24
|
26 Yrs 264 Days
|
2105
|
|
105
|
Sourav Ganguly (Ind)
|
41.24
|
7
|
27
|
27 Yrs 52 Days
|
2787
|
|
106
|
Geoff Marsh (Aus)
|
40.75
|
9
|
20
|
32 Yrs 352 Days
|
2164
|
|
107
|
Graeme Smith (SA)
|
39.75
|
6
|
26
|
26 Yrs 61 Days
|
1830
|
|
108
|
Graham Gooch (Eng)
|
39.47
|
8
|
23
|
39 Yrs 28 Days
|
5838
|
|
109
|
Navjot Sidhu (Ind)
|
39.82
|
6
|
32
|
34 Yrs 55 Days
|
3719
|
Most
runs conceded by India in last 10 overs (41-50)
|
Runs-wkts
|
For
|
Venue
|
Year
|
|
135-2
|
South Africa
|
Johannesburg
|
2013
|
|
124-0
|
Sri Lanka
|
Kingston
|
2013
|
|
122-0
|
South Africa
|
Ahmedabad
|
2010
|
|
122-2
|
Australia
|
Jaipur
|
2013
|
|
121-4
|
New Zealand
|
Christchurch
|
1999
|
|
120-2
|
West Indies
|
Vijaywada
|
2002
|
