News: SA thrash depleted India by 90 runs

For South Africa it was not a tough task to pocket the final and inconsequential ODI at Ahmedabad, as India landed into the match with a depleted team and a bit of experimental names and lost the match by 90 runs.

India could not restrict the South African batsmen from posting a formidable 365 for 2 which is also the highest ever total scored by South Africa against India.

The Indian bowlers could claim only two wickets and struggled unsuccessfully to break the mammoth 173-run partnership between Jacques Kallis and AB de Villers which steered the huge total and led SA to a commanding position .

The stand-in skipper scored his 17th ODI ton as he scored an unbeaten 104 and de Villiers also assisted him with hi8s knock of 102 runs. De Villiers century came rather early on as he came to bat in the 33rd over and it took him just 59 balls to score his 6th ODI ton.

Earlier, 113-run partnership for the second wicket stand by openers Loots Bosman (68) and Hashim Amla (43) made all the difference for the visitors as they had a solid foundation to build their castle on.

However, India seemed troubled yet again as the bowling department could not claim more than two wickets which came from Ravindra Jadeja and Yousuf Pathan. Dhoni was seen making permutations and combinations throughout the SA innings but nothing really seemed to work for the home team as the fielding skills also failed the team.

Later, none of the inexperienced Indian batsmen could sustain the pressure on the crease for long except for Rohit Sharma – Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina -- Yousuf Pathan pairs who fought for longer time and scored 95 and 54 runs respectively in partnership.