IND vs SA: 5 Key Takeaways from Team India’s ODI Series Win over South Africa

Team India won the ODI series 2-1 against South Africa with a nine-wicket final victory, highlighting the form of veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the rise of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and a strong comeback by the Indian bowlers.

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India Bounce Back to Clinch the ODI Series

Team India made a brilliant comeback to clinch the 2-1 series win with a commanding nine-wicket over South Africa in the third and final ODI at the Dr YS Rajashekhara Reddy Stadium in Vishakhapatnam on Saturday, December 12.

With a 271-run target, Team India chased it down in 39.5 overs or 61 balls to spare, with Yash Jaiswal playing a brilliant unbeaten knock of 116 off 121 balls to help the Men in Blue secure the victory. Rohit Sharma (75) and Virat Kohli (65*) significantly contributed to the hosts’ run chase with crucial fifties.

On that note, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from India’s ODI series win over South Africa.

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1. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Far From Done

Indian batting stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, showed no signs of slowing down in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa, reaffirming their commitment to participating in the 2027 World Cup. Former India captains played their first home series since October last year, and the second post-Test retirement outing following the ODI series against Australia Down Under.

Kohli was the standout batter of the series with 302 runs, including two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 151.00. While Rohit has aggregated 146 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 48.67 in three matches. Their performances in the series showed that they remain key pillars of India’s batting line-up ahead of the 2027 World Cup.

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2. Rising to the Occasion in Key Absences

In the absence of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal were fielded in the playing XI, and the two grabbed opportunities in the ODI series against South Africa. Ruturaj did not have an ideal start to the series as he was dismissed for 11 in the first ODI, before making a comeback with a knock of 105 off 93 balls, and forming a 195-run partnership with Virat Kohli in the Ranchi ODI.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, on the other hand, had moderate returns in the first two ODIs (18 and 22), but the southpaw silenced the critics with his unbeaten 116-run knock in the series decider, cementing his place as a reliable top-order batter in ODIs moving forward. Jaiswal’s brilliant knock in the final ODI took his overall tally of the series to 156 runs at an average of 78.00 in three matches.

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3. India Bowlers Rediscover Their Edge

India’s bowling came under heavy scrutiny after the bowlers leaked runs in the crucial runs in the first two ODIs of the series, especially in the Raipur ODI, where South Africa chased down a 359-run target comfortably in 49.2 overs. Indian bowlers were slammed for a lack of intent and discipline in their performance. However, India's bowling attack staged a brilliant comeback in the series decider in Vizag.

Kuldeep Yadav led the attack with figures of 4/41 at an economy rate of 4.10 in his spell of four overs. Prasidh Krishna, who had a forgettable outing in the second ODI, picked four wickets while conceding 66 runs at an economy rate of 6.7 in 9.5 overs. Arshdeep Singh (1/36) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/50) took a wicket each. The rejuvenated bowling attack bundled out the Proteas for 270.

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4. Debate over Washington Sundar's Role

One of the major takeaways from India’s ODI series win over South Africa was the debate over the lack of clarity on the spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar’s role in the white-ball setup. Sundar was picked over Axar Patel for the ODI leg of the home series against the Proteas, but he neither bowled enough overs nor made significant contributions with the bat in the first two ODIs.

In the first two ODIs, Sundar bowled only seven overs combined without taking a wicket and had poor returns of 1 and 13. The left-handed all-rounder was replaced by Tilak Varma in the playing XI for the series decider. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin raised questions over Washington Sundar’s role in the team, arguing that he must be treated as a frontline bowling all-rounder.

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5. ODI Series Win Brings Timely Relief after Test Whitewash

India’s start to the home series against South Africa was far from ideal, suffering a 0-3 whitewash at the hands of the Proteas in the Tests. This was the second whitewash in the last three Test series at home, which was another setback for Team India in red-ball cricket under the head coach Gautam Gambhir, raising questions about the team’s preparation, selection calls, and overall direction in the longest format of the game.

However, the ODI series win over South Africa brought much-needed relief to Team India, who were looking to move from the Test whitewash. The return of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli was a major boost to the team, providing stability and experience, helping to finish the ODI leg of the series on a positive note.