South Africa vs India 2018, 5th ODI: Hits and Misses

The Indian Cricket Team created history with their 73-run win over South Africa in at Saint George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday (February 13). With this victory, Virat Kohli and Co. took an unassailable lead of 4-1 in the bilateral series, becoming the first Indian team to do so on the South African soil.

After being put in to bat first, India rode on the back of a gutsy century from Rohit Sharma to set a target of 275 for the hosts. In the second innings, the South Africans failed to stitch meaningful partnerships in the middle, which led to the downfall of their batting order. They capitulated in less than 43 overs to hand the match, and the series, to the Men in Blue.

With the series in their kitty already, the hosts will now look to experiment with their starting line-up in the last game, which will be held at the Centurion on February 16.

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#5 Hit: Hardik Pandya

The 24-year-old bowled well and fielded even better!

While the Indian all-rounder could only manage a golden duck with the bat, he had a terrific day in the field. He picked up two massive wickets, that of AB de Villiers and JP Duminy, and also affected a terrific run-out to dismiss Hashim Amla, who was looking in control at 71.

It is worth a mention that this was twice in two games that Pandya has managed to get the better of De Villiers. He hasn't been able to fire as a batsman so far in the ODI series but has done his job effectively when called on to bowl by the Indian skipper.

As if he had not done enough already, the youngster avoided an ugly collision with Shikhar Dhawan to take a one-handed catch in the deep to send the 9th Proteas batsman packing in 42nd over of the innings.

#4 Miss: AB de Villiers

South Africa desperately needed AB de Villiers to shine with the bat

The Proteas batsman's return to the team in the last game made them look visibly more relaxed and self-assured on the day. His presence on the field is enough to infuse optimism in South African fans.

Hence, when he is dismissed for a poor score, it puts a big dent in the team's chances of putting the game to bed. Today, De Villiers took guard with his team in a spot of bother at 55-2 in the initial phase of the innings.

However, he could add just six runs to the total before he edged Pandya to MS Dhoni. He did not hit a single boundary during his short stay at the crease and was dismissed before he could even get his eye in properly.

#3 Hit: Lungi Ngidi

The youngster has impressed in his debut ODI series

When Kohli and Rohit Sharma were batting in the middle, 300 looked highly accessible for the visitors. However, once Rahane was forced to return to the hut after a run-out, this 21-year-old took charge of the situation.

He was directly responsible for the next four wickets and his terrific spell in the middle overs crippled the Indian innings, thereby making the Men in Blue settle for a total of 274/7 at the end of fifty overs. He dismissed Sharma and Pandya on consecutive deliveries in the 43rd over of the innings.

His figures for the day read 4 for 51 in 9 overs, which is nothing short of splendid in this format of the game. The seamer now has two back-to-back impressive performances in the series and has made a big statement for himself in the past couple of months.

#2 Miss: MS Dhoni

The right-hander hasn't been performing to his standards in the series

The former Indian skipper has split opinions about his place in the Indian set-up for a year now. His batting position, his ability to finish the innings and his strike rate are always up for discussion among cricket aficionados.

MS Dhoni's meek innings in this game and inability to take his team to a strong total provided fodder to his critics on the day. He came in at 236-5, following the dismissal of Pandya, and was expected to propel India to a score in excess of 300.

However, the 35-year-old couldn't live up to those expectations and perished in the second-last over, having contributed just 13 runs off 17 deliveries.

#1 Hit: Rohit Sharma

After a series of failures, he finally found his moment of glory

The Indian opener's terrifying and testing times in the Rainbow Nation finally came to a close in Port Elizabeth. Rohit Sharma failed repeatedly on the tour but found his form when it mattered the most.

His knock of 115 off 126 deliveries started off tentatively but gained momentum in the latter stages of the innings. Some of the sixes that he hit on the day were characterized by his sublime timing with the willow.

The dismissals of Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane sprouted from their miscommunication with Sharma while running between the wickets. However, the right-handed batsman made sure that he made up for the scalps of his partners.

Sharma finally has a credible score to his name in South Africa and the 30-year-old will be glad that he found a way to make a real contribution on the tour eventually. He also took a quick catch in the slips to dismiss JP Duminy.