Despite trailing in the five-ODI series by 0-2, South Africa staged a brilliant comeback to emerge victoriously in the decider with a 122-run win over Mitchell Marsh-led Australia. While Aiden Markram's 93-run knock set the tone for the hosts, Marco Jansen dazzled with a quickfire 47 followed by a maiden fifer at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on September 17.
Earlier, Marsh opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Bavuma got run out early in the innings. De Kock and Rassie van der Dussen got decent starts but departed before accelerating. In-form Heinrich Klaasen got out for a single-digit score as Adam Zampa exacted revenge on the beating he got in the previous game.
Markram and David Miller shared a 109-run partnership for the fifth wicket to lay a platform for lower-order batters. Tim David broke the partnership with the first delivery of his ODI career. Markram departed after scoring 93 runs from 87 balls including nine fours and three sixes. Jansen took on the Australian bowlers, clearing the boundary easily. Miller got out in the slog overs. The southpaw scored 63 runs from 65 balls.
Jansen missed his half-century as he lost his wicket to Cameron Green in the 47th over, Andile Phehlukwayo's unbeaten 19-ball 39 helped South Africa post 315/9 despite Zampa's double strike.
In the absence of injured Travis Head, Marsh opened the innings alongside David Warner. Jansen with the new ball got the wickets of Warner and Josh Inglis in the fourth over. Marsh did the bulk of scoring while Marnus Labuschagne played the anchor role.
Jansen was brought back into the attack and he got the prized wicket of Marsh with the short ball. He scored 71 runs from 56 balls including six fours and as many six sixes. Labuschagne missed his half-century as he was dismissed for a score of 44 in the next over. Jansen finished the over with wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey's wicket to complete his fifer.
After half the side returned to the dressing room in the 22nd over, the lower order could not put up a fight. Keshav Maharaj preyed on them and picked up a four-fer whereas Phehlukwayo got a wicket as well. Australia were bowled out for 193 in the 35th over as they lost the match by 122 runs.
“There's a not a lot of days where you cash in both with bat and ball but to do that today was fulfilling. These types of performances give you confidence as a players. The batting, I don't get much opportunities to bat much. Its different conditions and we have to adapt to the conditions and express ourselves as we did today,” ‘Player of the match’ Jansen said in the post-match presentation.
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