PORT ELIZABETH – Part-time spinner Yuvraj Singh took three wickets and sparked a top order batting collapse before JP Duminy led a recovery by South Africa in the fourth ODI against India at St George’s Park on Friday.
South Africa scored 265 for six after winning the toss. Duminy anchored the innings after four wickets fell in four overs to make an unbeaten 71 off 72 balls.
Needing a win to level the five-match series, which India lead 2-1, South Africa made a good start, reaching 106 for one in the 20th over on a slow pitch in windy conditions.
But Dhoni brought Yuvraj into the attack to bowl his slow left-armers and he made a breakthrough when he had Morne van Wyk caught at slip for 15.
In the next over Hashim Amla was needlessly run out attempting an unlikely second run after scoring a fluent 64. Yuvraj then had AB de Villiers caught behind before Faf du Plessis became a second run out victim.
Duminy and Johan Botha (44) put on 70 for the sixth wicket before Duminy found another useful partner in Robin Peterson, who made 31 in a seventh wicket stand of 54.
Yuvraj, who had bowled only 13 overs in the previous three matches, conceding 65 runs, followed up with the wicket of Botha and finished with three for 34 in eight overs.
Three of the South African batsmen fell to run outs as India gave another good fielding performance.
