RSA VS IND - 6th ODI, India tour of South Africa, 2017-18

India pose with the trophy, looking thrilled with their efforts. This team is something else, replete with all the weaponry to achieve special things in ODI cricket. Imagine beating South Africa 5-1 in their own backyard. It's incredible. And their captain? What is he doing to ODI batting? No one else can feel special anymore, because he is so unbelievable every time. Every time. That's it from us. This is Sagar Chawla signing off on behalf of Raju Peethala, Rishi Roy, Vineet Anantharaman, Srivathsa and our scorer Mukesh. Good night!

****

To cap off the day, here are a few numbers to crunch, courtesy our master statsman, Deepu:

Five wins in an away bilateral series for India:
5-0 in Zim, 2013
5-0 in SL, 2017
*5-1 in SA, 2018

Most 100s as ODI captains:
22 R Ponting (220 inngs)
*13 AB de Villiers (98)/ Virat Kohli (46)
11 S Ganguly (143)
10 S Jayasuriya (118)

Most runs in a bilateral series in SA:
*558 V KOHLI v SA, 2018 (6 inngs)
454 K Pietersen v SA, 2005 (6)
413 H Amla v WI, 2015 (4)
410 F du Plessis v SL, 2017 (5)

Most runs in a bilateral series:
*558 Virat Kohli v SA, 2018 (6)
491 Rohit Sharma v Aus, 2013 (6)
478 G Bailey v Ind, 2013 (6)
467 H Masakadza v Ken, 2009 (5)

Three 100s in a series for India:
Sourav Ganguly in SA, World Cup 2003
VVS Laxman in Australia, VB series 2004
Virat Kohli in SA, 2018 (The only man to do so in a bilateral series)

Most wkts in a bilateral series:
18 J Srinath v NZ, 2002/03 (7)
18 A Mishra v Zim, 2013 (5)
17 P Patterson v India, 1987 (6)
17 C Matthews v Australia, 1994 (7)
17 Kuldeep Yadav v SA, 2018 (6)*

Just 47 days in 2018 and Virat Kohli has crossed 500 runs - the earliest an Indian batsman has gone past 500 in a calendar year.
Previous Best: 69 days by Sachin Tendulkar in 2003 (on 10 March)

FYI, This is only the second time South Africa has lost five ODIs in a bilateral series at home after 5-1 loss against Australia in 2002 (Ponting's first series as skipper).

Virat Kohli, MoM and MoS: (1/2) It was a day where I felt really good. Last game I wasn't in the right mindset. Today I was feeling really good. Just decided to start timing the ball. Beautiful place to bat under lights. That was the whole idea of bowling first. They had to try something. I like setting up for the short ball as well. If I get into good positions, I feel like I can get boundaries off those short balls. It was a blessing to get so many short balls up front. They kept bowling short. In the day it was really slow. At night time the ball came on beautifully. It's been a roller-coaster tour till now. People who contribute off the field, they deserve a lot of credit as well. My wife who keeps me motivated deserves a lot of credit. She's been criticized a lot in the past. But she's one person who's kept me going throughout the tour. You want to lead from the front with your performances.

(2/2): It's a wonderful feeling. I got 8-9 years left in my career. I want to make the most of it. Want to train as hard as I can. It's a blessing from God that I'm healthy. I'm getting to play for my country. I get to captain my country. It's an honour. I just look at it that way. I just keep my head down so I can give 120% for the team. They've shown a lot of character. Especially those two young spinners. They deserve a lot of credit for the series win. They've been so brave and outstanding. They've come back from Johannesburg superbly. Really happy with the whole bunch. Three T20Is to go, tour is not over yet. The first two Tests we weren't happy with ourselves. Couldn't take the game to the opposition. Didn't take a backward step since Johannesburg. I was here, having lost the series, and speaking to you. And now I'm here, having won the series, and speaking to you. Been a great turnaround. Boys can be proud of their efforts.

Markram, SA captain: Quite a tough series. Something we have to look back at. Try find the reasoning of why we haven't been as good as we know we can be. Back to the drawing board now. Hopefully the team which is playing the T20Is can do the country proud. If you look at them, their players have cashed in. We can learn a lesson from them. It's been tough no doubt. But we wouldn't want it any other way. That's how you learn as a young captain. If there's a time to learn, now would be it. It's a couple of months away still. Nice break away from this format. It gives us time to dig in and find out where we're coming short. Not a bad thing we have a break from 50-over cricket.

Harsha Bhogle: Trying to think of another phase where a player has dominated so. Tendulkar in 1998? Any others?

Today's win was set up by an all-round bowling effort, with India's wrist-spinners allowing the others to get their say too. Shardul Thakur, given a chance in place of the rested Bhuvi, took a four-fer. The rest combined well and stifled South Africa who must be sick of finishing under-par on what have been pretty slow pitches towards the end of the summer. They've not been helped by the form of senior players like Amla and de Villiers. And then their bowling has looked toothless. What will also please India greatly today, are the runs which Ajinkya Rahane got. If they can get that chink in the middle order sorted, who knows what this team can achieve. Back shortly with the presentations.

Harsha Bhogle: This was South Africa. Where India has always stumbled. And it is 5-1. Who would have thought!

19:33 Local Time, 17:33 GMT, 23:03 IST: What a pasting for South Africa this. A 5-1 series defeat against India. And who better to seal it off than Virat Kohli. Three hundreds for the Indian captain in the series. He's the only player to score 500 runs in a bilateral series. The target was modest at best today, and he came out and demolished it. Take a good look world cricket. Kohli's not stopping anytime soon.

Tahir to Kohli, FOUR, just dismisses this off-drive past mid-off. Get out of here. And there's the series, done and dusted!

Lungi Ngidi to Rahane, FOUR, backs away to a short of length delivery, makes room for himself, and then frees his arms. Spanked for four through extra-cover. Just three more

Lungi Ngidi to Kohli, 1 run, back of a length delivery on leg, clipped to deep mid-wicket

Lungi Ngidi to Kohli, no run, wants to fetch the pull from well outside off, fails. This zipped through the pitch off a short of length and beat Kohli for pace

Lungi Ngidi to Rahane, 1 run, short at the body, pulls it away behind square for one

The number-crunching Deepu strikes again:
It just 47 days in 2018 and Virat Kohli has crossed 500 runs - the earliest an Indian batsman went past 500 in a calendar year. Previous best: 69 days by Sachin Tendulkar in 2003 (on 10 Mar). This is just plain ridiculous...

Lungi Ngidi to Rahane, no run, skiddy short of length delivery, rushes onto Rahane's pull and hits him high on the bat. Rolls limply to mid-on

Lungi Ngidi to Rahane, no run, overpitched around off, nails the drive to mid-off

Lungi Ngidi to Rahane, wide, slower ball down leg, rolls through to Klaasen who fumbles but it doesn't cost much apart from the wide

Tahir to Kohli, no run, flighted leg-break outside off, drills it to cover

Tahir to Kohli, SIX, twinkles down the track and launches it over long-on! He's sent it soaring into those grass banks. Kohli is bored of this ODI series. Get it over with

Tahir to Kohli, SIX, now the slog-sweep! He doesn't play this shot very often. But now that the hundred is done, and the win is secure, why not! And geez, how about this for execution for a shot he doesn't play. He's sent it rocketing over deep mid-wicket