India vs South Africa: 4th ODI at New Wanderers, Johannesburg

India still leads the six-game series 3-1 but South Africa's victory in the rain-shortened game at the Wanderers gave it a glimpse of hope that it could avoid a first-ever ODI series loss at home to the Indians. For India, which won the toss and batted first, Shikhar Dhawan made a century and Virat Kohli pummeled South Africa's bowlers again but the tourists lost momentum after those two departed to post 289/7 in 50 overs. India was flying and on course for a score well over 300 when Dhawan and Kohli put together a 158-run stand for the second wicket off just 163 balls. Dhawan made 109, celebrating his 100th ODI with a 13th career century. His century came off just 99 balls.

Lightning and light rain had first intervened during the Indian innings, and it came again early during the South African innings. 113 minutes were lost and South Africa received a 202-run target from 28 overs. Until then, chasing 290 originally, Hashim Amla (33) and Aiden Markram (22) had given an attacking start. Markram was out lbw in the 8th over in what turned out to be the last ball before rain came. The hosts were placed at 43/1 at that stage. After the rain delay, the Proteas needed 159 more off 124 overs, effectively turning this into a T20 game. It didn't help that Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0-27) and Jasprit Bumrah (1-21) had already bowled 4 overs each by then.

Amla was joined by JP Duminy 10, but they could only manage to add 24 runs for the 2nd wicket. AB de Villiers 26 off 18 balls arrived at the crease as the roof came down at the Wanderers and made his intentions clear as he smacked Yuzvendra Chahal 1-68 for two sixes over midwicket. He looked good for many more, but shockingly holed out at fine leg off Hardik Pandya 1-37 in the 17th over as the game turned on its head. At the other end, Amla was caught by Bhuvneshwar off Kuldeep Yadav, the fielder taking an acrobatic catch at the boundary rope.

Heinrich Klaasen smashed 43 not out off 27 balls 5 fours, 1 six and led the Proteas' assault on the Indian spinners after rain intervened twice to reduce the game to a 28-over contest. But it was Klaasen who proved to be the real difference as he punished the spinners, Chahal in particular. He unleashed a plethora of inventive shots, including the switch hit and chased umpteen wide deliveries, hitting them in an unorthodox manner to garner more boundaries. Runs came thick and fast as the spinners thanks to a true batting pitch and dewy conditions due to rain were unable to contain the Proteas for once, going for 119 runs in 11.3 overs.

India's aura of invincibility in recent times took a hit as South Africa pulled off a spectacular chase to emerge victorious by five wickets in the rain-curtailed fourth one-day international which keeps them alive in the series. The stunning turnaround under the Duckworth/Lewis method meant South Africa maintained their unbeaten record in pink and make it 3-1 in the six-match series.