India vs South Africa, 2nd ODI Highlights: Quinton de Kock, Janneman Malan guide SA to a famous series win

Paarl, January 21: South Africa proved the naysayers wrong as they defeated India by 7 wickets in the 2nd ODI and took an unassailable 2-nil lead in the three-match series on Friday (January 21) at Boland Park, in Paarl.

Chasing a target of 288, the hosts cruised home in dominant fashion, courtesy sublime fifties from openers Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan. The middle-order once again rose to the occasion after the platform was set by De Kock and Malan.

India, on the other hand, would be licking their wounds as they were outplayed by the hosts in every department of the game for the fourth game (two Tests, two ODIs) on the trot.

De Kock continued his good form with the bat in the ODIs against India and gave the hosts a sensational start in the run chase on a good batting surface. He cleared his intentions from the outset of the run chase and attacked India's strike bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar from the word go. The left-handed batsman - who had a reprieve early in the innings - made India pay for the Rishabh Pant's folly of missing the stumping off R Ashwin.

De Kock's aggressive knock allowed Janneman Malan to notched up a composed fifty. Shardul Thakur broke the massive 132-run opening stand by trapping dangerous QDK LBW for 78.

Malan then forged a fifty-run stand with captain Temba Bavuma and kept the asking rate under check. Indian bowlers looked clueless against the duo as they rotated the strike at ease and also hit those boundaries at regular intervals.

The Indian bowlers' inability to pick up wickets at crucial stages and their failure to choke the flow of runs rendered the bowling toothless. As Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah couldn't get the early breakthroughs in the powerplay, the captain was forced to introduce Ashwin early but the move didn't pay off.

Even wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal looked a mere shadow of himself in the second match on the trot. The Indians missed the wicket-taking instincts and the hosts kept milking runs without much trouble.

Captain Rahul introduced Bumrah in the attack after the drinks break and the senior pacer provided a much-needed breakthrough. Bumrah dismissed Malan for 91 but the batsman had already done the damage and ensured South Africa were in control of the game.

The right-handed batsman was looking poised for a well-deserved century but he was outfoxed by the slower one from the pacer and chopped it onto the stumps at 212 in 35th over. But he had stitched a partnership of 90 runs for the second wicket with captain Bavuma - who started from where he left in the first ODI.

In the very next over Chahal dismissed set Bavuma by taking a simple return catch off his bowling and ended the Protea captain's innings for 35. It was also the wrist-spinner's first wicket on the tour.

But Rassie van der Dussen - who slammed a sensational ton in the opening ODI - and Aiden Markram - who had been a man with the golden arm for South Africa in the series - played some good hands with the bat took their team home without any trouble and gave South Africa another famous win.

Earlier in the day, opting to bat first in a must-win game, the visitors posted a decent total on the board, courtesy of Pant's career-best 85. Team India were off to a fine start as openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan added 63 runs for the 1st wicket before part-time spinner Aiden Markram dismissed Dhawan for 29.

Indians suffered their next big jolt soon when Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck by spinner Keshav Maharaj. With Pant at number four, captain Rahul then steadied the ship as the duo forged a partnership of 115 runs. In that century-stand, it was Pant the aggressor who dominated hosts while the skipper played a second fiddle.

The hosts were poised for a 300-plus finish but Rahul (57) and Pant (85) were dismissed in quick succession. The duo of Shreyas and Venkatesh Iyer disappointed once again but Shardul Thakur (40*) and R Ashwin (25*) helped India get to 287.

The visitors are now left with more questions than answers as they've hit rock-bottom by losing the Test and ODI series despite arriving on the South African shores as favourites. The team is going through a transition phase and it will be interesting to see what changes the team will make for the third ODI.