Ind vs SA ,5th ODI: Centurion Rohit Sharma guides India to 274

NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma roared back to form and scored his 17th ODI hundred to help India post 274/7 in the fifth one-day international against South Africa at the St George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.

After a series of dismal performances in the series, scoring just 40 runs in first four ODIs, Rohit smacked 11 fours and four sixes to score a classy 115 off 126 balls. Rohit lead the India innings and added three crucial partnerships - 48 with Shikhar Dhawan, 105 with Virat Kohli and 60 with Shreyas Iyer. But his untimely wicket in the 43rd over stopped India from reaching 300-mark in the match.

Pacer Lungi Nigidi triggered a late collapse for India as he took four wickets, including back-to-back wickets in the 43rd. India lost those wickets for just two runs and in 12 balls, all caught behind by wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen. Ngidi finished with figures of four for 51 in nine overs, with MS Dhoni (13) becoming his fourth victim in the penultimate over.

Rohit and Kohli then maintained the early momentum and scored runs in a good rate as they took India to 100-mark in 17.1 overs. After a cautious start, Rohit opened up by hitting two sixes, one each off Rabada and Ngidi, as he scored his first fifty, off 50 balls, of the series. Rohit also hit six fours as the fifty-run partnership betweem him and Kohli came in 53 balls.

While Rohit was scoring in good speed, Kohli was playing a second fiddle to his partner and was uncharacteristically slow hitting just one four in his first 52 balls. And the introduction of spinners, JP Duminy and Tabraiz Shamsi, also slowed down India's scoring rate in the



middle overs and the run rate went down below six.

Kohli was not in his elements and his second boundary, at third man, came in the 26th over. But soon, while trying to steal a quick run, a miscommunication cropped up between him and Rohit and a direct hit by Duminy sent India skipper back to the pavilion. Kohli scored 36 off 54 balls, which included just two boundaries, but added 105 for the second wicket with Rohit in 18.1 overs. It was the seventh time, Kohli and Rohit are involved in a run out with the current skipper becoming the victim in five occasions.

India lost another wicket to run out when Ajinkya Rahane (8) was sent back by Rohit while going for a quick single. With that, India lost two wickets for 23 runs in 6.2 overs.

Along with young Iyer, Rohit stabilised the innings and reached his 17th hundred off 107 balls, hitting ten fours and four sixes. The duo added a valuable 60 runs for the fourth wicket in 10.3 overs and guided India towards a big total. 

Then Ngidi scalped centurion Rohit and allrounder Hardik Pandya in consecutive balls, a maiden 43rd over, to put a brake on India's run charge. Both Indian batsmen were caught behind by Klaasen. Ngidi then removed Iyer in his next over to trigger a mini collapse. Iyer contributed 30 off 37 balls, with the help of two fours. Ngidi took his fourth wicket by dismissing Dhoni in the penultimate over. 

South Africa brought in Tabraiz Shamsi in place of Chris Morris, who has a stiff back, while India started unchanged. 

Brief scores: India 274/7 (Rohit Sharma 115, Virat Kohli 36; Lungi Ngidi 4/51) vs South Africa