NEW DELHI: All-rounder Marco Jansen played a pivotal role as South Africa secured a come-from-behind series victory against Australia, in a thrilling fifth and final one-day international (ODI) at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, winning by a commanding margin of 122 runs.
South Africa's convincing victory in this match sealed a 3-2 series win, showcasing their ability to bounce back after losing the opening two matches. This win served as a morale booster for South Africa as they prepared for the upcoming World Cup in India.
Batting first after being sent in, South Africa initially struggled but managed to set a formidable target of 315-9. Marco Jansen made a significant contribution with the bat, scoring 47 runs off just 23 balls.
Aiden Markram and David Miller also played crucial innings, with a partnership of 109 runs for the fifth wicket. This partnership was broken by Tim David, who took his first ODI wicket, dismissing Markram seven runs short of his century. Late fireworks from Andile Phehlukwayo pushed South Africa past the 300-run mark.
In response, Australia started aggressively but faced a setback when Marco Jansen claimed two wickets in the fourth over, dismissing David Warner and Josh Inglis. Captain Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne added 90 runs for the third wicket to keep Australia ahead in the run chase.
However, Jansen's crucial wicket of Marsh for 71 turned the tide in South Africa's favor.
Jansen continued to shine, taking a career-best ODI haul of 5-39 off eight overs. Spinner Keshav Maharaj also played a key role, securing three wickets at the end to dismantle Australia's resistance.
"These type of performances give you confidence," said Jansen afterwards. "I'd like to play like this more often, which is not easy."
(With Reuters inputs)
