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[Saba Sports News] India triumphed over South Africa by 78 runs in the third and final ODI at Boland Park, Paarl, on December 21. Batting first, India set a solid target of 296/8, thanks to Sanju Samson’s impressive century. When South Africa was at 177/6 in their chase, Keshav Maharaj came to bat at number 8.
Interestingly, each time Maharaj entered, the Hindu devotional song ‘Ram Siya Ram’ played in the stadium. KL Rahul, India’s captain, remarked to Maharaj about this recurring musical choice, as overheard on the stump microphone.
South Africa’s chase fell short, as they were all out for 218 in 45.5 overs, giving India a 2-1 series victory. Maharaj contributed 14 runs and took 1/37 with the ball, but it was Arshdeep Singh’s 4/30 that shone for India, along with contributions from Avesh Khan and Washington Sundar.
Sanju Samson was the standout performer with the bat for India, scoring his first ODI century with 108 off 114 balls. He received ample support from Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh, driving India to their competitive total.