India delivered a commanding performance in the third and deciding one-day international against South Africa at the VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December 6, 2025, clinching the series 2-1 with a nine-wicket victory that left fans buzzing. This match wasn’t just about the result—it was a showcase of rising stars, veteran brilliance, and a bowling unit that found its groove at just the right moment.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, the young left-hander, stole the limelight with his maiden ODI century, finishing unbeaten on 116 and anchoring India’s chase of 271 with composure and flair. His knock was the backbone of a 155-run opening partnership with captain Rohit Sharma, who contributed a fluent 75 off 73 balls, peppered with seven boundaries and three trademark sixes. Together, they set the tone for what would become a stroll under the lights for the home side.
The chase, though, was anything but dull. India’s openers were in cruise control from the outset, with Jaiswal reaching his half-century in style and then shifting gears to bring up his century with a flick to fine leg. Rohit, meanwhile, was all class, dispatching the South African bowlers with authority before finally falling to a well-flighted delivery from Keshav Maharaj, caught in the deep by Matthew Breetzke. But the wicket did little to slow India’s momentum—if anything, it only brought Virat Kohli to the crease, and the crowd to its feet.
Kohli, who had already made the VDCA Stadium his happy hunting ground with three centuries and a 99 in previous outings, continued his love affair with the venue. He blazed an unbeaten 65 off just 45 balls, peppering the boundary with six fours and three sixes. His form through the series was so impressive that he was named Player of the Series. Reflecting on his performance, Kohli said, "Honestly, playing the way I have in the series is the most satisfying thing for me. I feel really free in my mind. I haven't played like this in 2-3 years... When I play freely, I know I can hit sixes. There's always levels you can always unlock."
The chase was wrapped up with more than 10 overs to spare, Kohli and Jaiswal exchanging smiles as they saw India home at 271-1, a testament to their dominance and the ease with which they handled the South African attack under challenging dew-laden conditions.
Earlier in the day, South Africa’s innings was a tale of promise unfulfilled. Asked to bat first after KL Rahul won a rare toss, the visitors looked set for a big total when they reached 168-2, thanks to a composed partnership between Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma. De Kock, in particular, was in sublime touch, smashing his seventh ODI century against India—106 off 109 balls, laced with eight fours and six sixes. His innings saw him equal Sanath Jayasuriya’s record for the fastest to seven hundreds against India, and tie AB de Villiers for the most centuries by a visiting batter in India.
Bavuma, the South African skipper, provided steady support with 48 from 67 deliveries. But once he fell to a wide delivery from Ravindra Jadeja, the South African innings began to unravel. Matthew Breetzke’s lively 24 briefly kept the scoreboard ticking, but the middle order faltered as Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav turned the screws.
Krishna, who had a tough start to his spell, bounced back in style to claim 4-66, including the crucial wickets of Breetzke, Aiden Markram, and de Kock in quick succession. His approach was simple yet effective: "All that I thought was, bring the stumps in play, try and make sure I don't give them any room or length to get under and it kind of worked out," Krishna explained after the match. He credited his teammates for keeping the pressure on, especially the early spells from Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
Kuldeep Yadav was equally impressive, finishing with 4-41 and dismantling the lower middle order with his trademark guile and flight. He removed Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, and Lungi Ngidi, ensuring South Africa never regained momentum. Keshav Maharaj’s resilient unbeaten 20 at the end pushed the Proteas to 270, but it was always going to be a challenging total to defend in the wet outfield and under the lights.
South Africa’s captain, Temba Bavuma, acknowledged the challenge, saying, "We would have wanted to make it a lot more exciting today. From a batting point of view, we didn't have enough runs. It tends to get easier under lights. Probably should have been smarter as we gifted wickets. The Indian team showed their quality – kudos to them." He also praised his team’s growth but admitted that India’s quality spin attack was tough to handle.
For India, the series win was a perfect follow-up to their recent Test series triumph. KL Rahul, the captain, was pleased with how his side held their nerve in key moments: "The way he [de Kock] was batting, when he got out it was 180 or something and he was already on 120. That was a key wicket. That's the most pleasing thing about the series, is how we hold our nerve." Rahul also highlighted the importance of winning the toss and giving the bowlers first use of the conditions, which proved decisive.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, named Player of the Match for his match-winning hundred, was all smiles after the game. "I really enjoyed and I'm really grateful and blessed. We have been chatting a lot about how we can play, set the tempo. Last two games I couldn't convert and I was thinking how I can balance the innings. Sometimes I was thinking of attacking, then run the singles. I have to control my thoughts on what shots I can play. If it requires, I need to go after the bowlers. Of course Virat paaji came and he played a lot of shots. He keeps giving me small targets and I really enjoyed," Jaiswal said, reflecting on his approach and the mentorship from Kohli.
With this emphatic victory, India not only sealed the ODI series 2-1 but also sent a strong message ahead of the upcoming five-match T20 series, set to begin on Tuesday. The same core of players will be in action, and if this contest was anything to go by, the fans can expect fireworks as the two sides renew their rivalry in the shortest format.
The night in Visakhapatnam belonged to India’s young guns, seasoned stars, and a bowling attack that rose to the occasion. For South Africa, the lessons are clear—but with the T20s just around the corner, redemption could be just a game away.
