India defeated South Africa in the third and final ODI match of the series on Thursday, December 21 at Boland Park, Paarl, to win the three-match series. India scored a whopping 296/8 in their allocated 50 overs after being allowed to bat first, thanks in large part to a century from Sanju Samson (108 off 114).
India won by 78 runs after South Africa was bowled out for 218 in response After 32 overs, the Proteas were on 170/4 with Heinrich Klaasen (17* off 20) and David Miller (4* off 5) at the crease, meaning they were in the match. But in the 33rd over, Sai Sudharsan made a superb catch, leaping forward after Klaasen chipped the ball in the air towards midfield. That shifted the tide of the match. The dismissal caused a breakdown, which threw South Africa’s pursuit off course.
As a result of his outstanding performance on the field, Sudharsan was also given the title of “Impact Fielder of the Series.” The young player, who was in a fierce rivalry with KL Rahul, was shown receiving the award from fielding coach Ajay Ratra in a video that the BCCI posted on social media.
Throughout the series, a few noteworthy catches were made. Throughout the match, we had a total of 12 catches, of which KL Rahul had six. Samson took one while playing fielding and one as a wicketkeeper. Sai also made a fantastic catch today. The choice between KL and Sai was close. Ratra stated in the video, “I am usually tempted to present the honor to a wicketkeeper, but KL was kind enough to give the trophy to Sai.
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A full length dive and Sai sends Paarl into the wave of silence.#SouthAfrica in trouble.
Tune-in to the 3rd #SAvIND ODI
LIVE NOW | Star Sports Network#Cricket pic.twitter.com/vJ99KIdqh8— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 21, 2023
The series’ second-highest run scorer was Sai Sudharsan.
In addition to his outstanding defensive performance, the 22-year-old had a fantastic series at bat, finishing as the second-highest run scorer in his debut for his country. With two half-centuries to his credit, the southpaw scored 127 runs in three innings at an average of 63.50 and a strike rate of 89.43.
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