South Africa vs India 2018: 5th ODI, 5 things we learnt from the match

An uncharacteristic ton from Rohit Sharma and a good all-round display from the bowlers helped India seal the six match series 4-1, with one match to go. Opting to bowl first after winning the toss despite the threat of a slow wicket and India's spinners lurking, Aiden Markram got his call wrong as his bowlers failed to find the line and length to trouble India.

Rohit feasted on some ordinary bowling to change his record in the country but also ran out Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, exposing the lower middle-order, which made just 55 in the last 10 overs.

South Africa lost Aiden Markram after a fifty partnership for the opening wicket and then Hardik Pandya, the supposed weak-link in the attack, prized out JP Duminy and AB de Villiers to peg the hosts back. Miller and Amla revived the innings for a bit but once the partnership was broken, South Africa stood little chance, although Heinrich Klaasen impressed yet again.

Here are the 5 things we learnt from the match.

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#5 Rohit - Kohli mix-ups continue

The two have been involved in seven run-outs

Rohit sems to have offered South Africa a way to get rid of Kohli, as the Indian opener refused the offer for a single from his skipper and sold him down the river. South Africa, who have struggled to break past the sturdy Kohli, grabbed the opportunity with both hands and sent the Indian skipper on his way for his lowest score in the series.

This is the seventh time that Rohit and Kohli have been involved in a run-out when batting with each other. Kohli, though, has been at the wrong end on five of these occasions, most famously when Rohit slammed that maiden double ton against the Aussies at Bengaluru five years ago. The trend isn't stopping yet..

#4 Hitman reverses his South African hoodoo

Rohit Sharma managed to overcome his poor form in the country with a smashing ton

Rohit's worrying form in South Africa came to a halt as a flat Port Elizabeth wicket and some wide and short bowling from the Proteas gave the Mumbaikar some much needed break to construct a special knock. He was helped on the way by some lousy South African fielding and a generous dropped chance from Tabraiz Shamsi when on 97.

Rohit established his intention of taking the attack to the Proteas seamers early in the innings when he smoked Kagiso Rabada over long-on in an over where the South African seamer steamed in and bowled at 145kmph on an average.

From then, the Hitman took over and there was no stopping him (even though he stopped his teammates by running two of them out) as he raced to a 17th ODI hundred.

#3 Lungi Ngidi picks up two in two to halt India's progress

Ngidi snapped up two wickets to stop India's surge

His figures read 5-0-33-0 as he ran in for his sixth over in the 43rd over of India's innings. If Lungi Ngidi had to make an impact in the game, it had to be then and there against Rohit, who was quickly transforming into Hitman mode. Ngidi did.

He extracted life out of the Port Elizabeth surface, generated extra bounce and zip and forced out an inside edge from Rohit.

The blow came at a time India were hoping to up the ante and zoom past the 300 mark comfortably. However, they still had Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni to do the same. Ngidi had other ideas and followed up his wicket of Rohit with that of Pandya, the Indian all-rounder who was trying for an extravagant drive, only to edge to Heinrich Klaasen behind the stumps.

Ngidi's day shaped up a tad bit better with the twin strikes and he also added the wickets of Shreyas Iyer and Dhoni to finish with a four-fer.

#2 Hashim Amla - David Miller give South Africa hope

Amla and Markram and later Amla and Miller gave South Africa a bit of hope

Chasing 275 at Port Elizabeth was always going to be a challenge, particularly against India's meticulous wrist spinners. Hashim Amla and Aiden Markram got South Africa off to a powerful start with a half-century stand in quick time. Amla, who had been off radar in the first few games, appeared in better touch and stood unfazed even as wickets tumbled at the other end.

He was joined by David Miller, who seemed to have grown in confidence after his knock at the Wanderers. The southpaw took on Yuzvendra Chahal for a maximum and alongside Amla, stitched together a promising 62 run partnership but Chahal cleaned him up to have the last laugh.

#1 Kuldeep rips through Proteas' lower order

Kuldeep picked up four in the match

He opened up Andile Phehlukwayo with a wrong 'un before sending back Kagiso Rabada, Heinrich Klaasen and Tabraiz Shamsi in the same over to seal the game for India. His 4/57 broke Klaasen's attempt to rally together the tail and get close to the target.

While he had a rather poor day at the Wanderers, it took little time for him to get back into rhythm on a sluggish Port Elizabeth wicket. Amla and Miller handled him quite well but the wicket of Miller was the opening Kuldeep needed to stamp his mark in the game.