South Africa's chase for a record-breaking 359 runs to beat India in the second one-day international in Naya Raipur ended with a four-wicket win, as Aiden Markram hit an impressive 110 from the top of the order.
The tourists were put into bat by India, who lost the toss, and would have been confident of victory after Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad put on 195 for the third wicket.
Kohli extended his lead at the top of the ODI century scoring charts, making his 53rd hundred in the format having hit 135 in the first match of the series, while Gaikwad's 105 was his first three-figure score in 50-over internationals. Gaikwad was caught by Tony de Zorzi off Marco Jansen, and Kohli was taken by Markram of Lungi Ngidi for 102.
However, India finished their innings strongly with Rahul striking an unbeaten 66 to leave South Africa needing 358-8 runs.
South African captain Temba Bavuma (46) played a crucial role in the chase, while Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis both made half-centuries as they reached 362-6 with four balls to spare.
The series is now level at 1-1 after three matches, with the final encounter set for Saturday.
The tourists were put into bat by India, who lost the toss, and would have been confident of victory after Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad put on 195 for the third wicket.
Kohli extended his lead at the top of the ODI century scoring charts, making his 53rd hundred in the format having hit 135 in the first match of the series, while Gaikwad's 105 was his first three-figure score in 50-over internationals. Gaikwad was caught by Tony de Zorzi off Marco Jansen, and Kohli was taken by Markram of Lungi Ngidi for 102.
However, India finished their innings strongly with Rahul striking an unbeaten 66 to leave South Africa needing 358-8 runs.
South African captain Temba Bavuma (46) played a crucial role in the chase, while Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis both made half-centuries as they reached 362-6 with four balls to spare.
The series is now level at 1-1 after three matches, with the final encounter set for Saturday.
! He played some incredible shots and helped his team win by a four-wicket margin. And can we talk about Aiden Markram's 110? 
The guy is on fire! I also loved how India fought back with Rahul striking an unbeaten 66, but in the end, South Africa's batting lineup was just too strong 
. Bring on the final match this Saturday! 
anyway i was watching this match with my friends and we were all cheering for india at first but then south africa started to pull ahead and we were like "wait what's happening?!" 
. also, i'm loving temba's batting skills right now, he's such a clutch player. but seriously, how does south africa keep coming back from behind? they're like the underdog team everyone loves to hate 
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South Africa's thrilling win in this ODI match was a perfect display of adaptability and resilience. Aiden Markram's century from the top of the order really got their campaign back on track after India put up a strong fight. The way Rahul finished off the innings with that 66 was a testament to his skills, but South Africa's batting depth ultimately won them over. Temba Bavuma's crucial knock and Breetzke/Brevis' half-centuries showcased the team's ability to rotate the strike effectively. With this win, they've leveled the series at 1-1 heading into the final match on Saturday – it'll be interesting to see how India responds 
, and those middle-order guys are looking sharp too. Now it's all about Saturday - let's see how they keep the momentum going 
and now the series is level, so excited to see what happens next 
, and the way Temba Bavuma chipped in with a crucial 46 was just what they needed to keep hopes alive 
. And let's not forget those last four wickets, where the bowlers really stepped up their game 
, and Aiden Markram's 110 runs were pure magic 
. India was looking strong at one point, but Rahul's unbeaten 66 and those last four-ball power plays from Breetzke and Brevis just saved the day 
... on one hand they did a great job chasing down that big target with some solid batting from temba bavuma and the others. it's not every day you see them putting up that kind of total against india, so i gotta give 'em props for that 
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. I'm loving this series so far, it's been super close and competitive 
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they should've stuck with their normal plan and not gotten all caught up in trying to beat india's record 
markram's 110 was decent tho but come on india, how hard is it to lose a couple of wickets without taking ages? 
. Can't wait for the final match, it's going to be so intense! 
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