India vs South Africa 2015 3rd ODI: Player Ratings

Morne Morkel turned out to be the game-changer with a commendable display of pace bowling

It seemed that an unexplainable pattern was starting to develop in the ODI series between India and South Africa with the chasing team choking in pursuit of moderate totals on batting friendly surfaces as there was yet another botched chase, this time at Rajkot.

Upon winning the toss, South Africa reached a competitive total thanks to Quinton De Kock’s impressive century. For the home team, Amit Mishra and Harbhajan Singh were the stand-out bowlers with their guile and control.

India began their chase with Rohit Sharma leading the way by dominating the visiting bowlers. Even though, Virat Kohli compiled a half-century, his untimely dismissal proved to be a massive setback as India lost the 3rd ODI by 18 runs.

Let us take a look at the player ratings for the engrossing encounter. All players are rated through a maximum of 10 points.

India

Rohit Sharma – 7.5

Rapidly becoming India’s trump-card in ODIs, Rohit Sharma kick-started India’s chase with authority. He reserved special treatment for the dangerous Dale Steyn as he charged down the track and smashed him into the confectionery stall. Even though he was dismissed on 65, Rohit forged a vital partnership with Virat Kohli to ensure that there were no mishaps following Dhawan’s early dismissal.

Shikhar Dhawan – 3

Clearly short of confidence and runs, Dhawan’s stay at the crease was an uncomfortable one. Scratching out and looking for gaps, Dhawan was under immense pressure after a sequence of dot balls. Eventually it led to his dismissal as he drove away from his body and gave Morne Morkel his 1st wicket.

Virat Kohli – 7.5

Coming into the match on the back of a low string of scores, Kohli began in his customary style by piercing the gaps and stealing runs by exerting pressure on the fielders. However when he looked like seizing control of the match, he was strangled by the accuracy of the South African bowlers. In the turning point of the tussle, he was dismissed by Morne Morkel’s incisive bouncer.

MS Dhoni – 7

After a sterling innings in the previous ODI, MS Dhoni promoted himself up the order. He seemed to form a significant partnership with Virat Kohli but was negated while trying an unconventional stroke.

Suresh Raina – 2.5

A disappointing match for Suresh Raina in which he was sent back to the dressing room without disturbing the scorers. After sending down 2 uneventful overs, he came into bat with India needing 65 runs from 40 balls. In an attempt to slog Imran Tahir straight down the ground, he perished to the googly after failing to connect with the shot properly.

Ajinkya Rahane – 2.5

It was a poor ODI performance from Rahane who looked completely out of sorts at number 6. Immediately after Kohli’s dismissal, he attempted an ungainly pull shot only to find David Miller in mid-wicket.

Axar Patel – 7

Axar Patel snared the prized wicket of AB De Villiers with an effective slider. It was a crucial moment in the match as the last 10 overs had just begun. He ended with figures of 9-0-51-1.

Harbhajan Singh – 7

Employing gracious flight and loop on the ball, Harbhajan backed up the selectors decision to name him as the replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin. He restricted the flow of runs as he brought his experience into play. Harbhajan provided the first break-through when he sent back David Miller with an inviting delivery outside the off-stump.

Amit Mishra – 8

The best bowler on show for the home team, Amit Mishra looked particularly threatening with every ball. Imparting vicious revolutions, he scalped the vital wicket of Hashim Amla who is a steady run-accumulator in the middle-overs. On a batting strip, he finished with impressive figures of 10-0-38-1.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 6

Even though he began his spell with a maiden over, he started to leak runs in the death overs. He struggled to contain the Protea batsmen on a surface which did not suit his style of bowling.

Mohit Sharma – 6.5

Mohit picked up Faf Du Plessis and JP Duminy with his canny change of pace. He was expensive in his 1st spell as he ran into a red-hot Quinton De Kock. However, he came back to confound the batsmen with his slower one. Aside from missing out an early wicket due to his overstepping, his usual death bowling worries continued as he was unable to stem the flow of runs in the end.

South Africa

Quinton De Kock – 9

A brilliant hundred from the diminutive opening batsman laid the platform for South Africa. On a searing day in Rajkot, De Kock treated both seam and spin with disdain and slammed his 7th ODI hundred. His wicket-keeping was undeniably faultless.

David Miller – 6.5

In a surprising decision, Miller was asked to open the batting and make use of the mandatory powerplay. He seemed to respond to the team management’s call as he formed a steady partnership with De Kock. He also proved to be a safe pair of hands by latching on to 3 important catches.

Hashim Amla – 3

Amla struggled against the wrist-spin of Mishra. Sucked into the drive by a slower delivery, he was stumped by Dhoni.

Faf Du Plessis – 7.5

Though he enjoyed a reprieve on 16 by a close no-ball call from the 3rd umpire, he made it count by timing the ball with ease and using his feet against the spinners. His useful 60 came off just 63 balls.

AB De Villiers – 5

He could not make any impact on the match with the bat. But, his clever use of the pace bowlers and ingenious field placements resulted in a victory for his team.

JP Duminy – 6

Duminy was lacklustre during South Africa’s innings. However, he redeemed himself by picking up the key wicket of an established Rohit Sharma.

Farhaan Behardien – 6.5

Behardien’s improving finishing skills proved to be handy for the tourists. His 36-ball 33 which came towards the end of the innings ensured that India would be chasing a challenging total.

Dale Steyn – 4

In a bowling display not befitting his menacing reputation, Steyn conceded plenty of runs and was handled without any discomfort by the Indian batsmen.

Kagiso Rabada – 7.5

Rabada’s powerful pace and impeccable control surprised the Indians as he stifled the likes of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni to sustain the pressure on the home team.

Morne Morkel – 9

A thoroughly dominating performance with the ball, Morkel unsettled the Indian batting unit with his steep bounce and pinpoint accuracy. He dented the Indian top-order with his 4-wicket haul and delivered the match for his team.

Imran Tahir – 6

Tahir had a rather mediocre day as he was unable to restrain the opposition batsmen. But, he snaffled Suresh Raina who was once again unable to pick his googly.