“All class”: Hardik Pandya praises Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan master class in Ranchi as India defeat South Africa in 2nd ODI

Hardik Pandya praises Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan as the duo help team India clinch the second ODI versus South Africa.

Continuing with his dominant run of form in the ODI format this year, Shreyas Iyer, smashed his second international century in the format, during the second of the three-match ODI series against South Africa, at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.

En route the target of 279 runs, team India yet again lost their openers in skipper Shikhar Dhawan (13 off 20) and Shubman Gill (28 off 26) early.

However, the pair of Iyer and Ishan Kishan (93 off 84) stitched together a mammoth 161-run partnership for the third wicket, to help team India draw level the series 1-1, and clinch the contest by 7 wickets.

Kishan, in particular was severe on the Proteas bowlers, but missed out on a well-deserved maiden ODI ton, that too in front of his home crowd, but not before smashing 4 Fours and 7 mammoth Sixes in the process.

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Iyer, on the other hand, for the fifth time in the past six ODI innings, scored in excess of the 50-run mark, having smashed a fifty during the first ODI of the series in Lucknow as well.

He ended his innings on an unbeaten 113 off 111 deliveries, with the help of 15 Fours, at a strike rate of 101.8, and took his side over the line, with a winning boundary during the 46th Over of the chase.

Hardik Pandya praises Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan

Allrounder Hardik Pandya, who is presently with the team India squad in Australia for the imminent T20 World Cup, took to his social media handle right away post the victory tonight, to appreciate the team in general, and the duo of Iyer and Ishan in particular, for winning the contest with a stamp of authority.

Earlier, a top-class effort by the bowling department led by Mohammad Siraj (10-1-38-3), helped restrict the Proteas to 278/7, despite them being well on course to a total over the 300-run mark at the 40-Over mark.