Talking points: Jaiswal's audition, the redemption act and Rickelton's future

India won the toss in the final ODI, a crucial advantage that contributed to their comprehensive victory over South Africa. After struggling with dew in the first two matches, India's bowlers dismissed South Africa for 270, and the chase was completed with over 10 overs to spare.

Here are the talking points from the game:

Jaiswal's all-format century
With Shubman Gill unavailable, Yashasvi Jaiswal received a run of games in the ODI side. After failing in the first two matches, he seized his chance in the decider. In a chase of 271, he overcame a slow start to score a century, becoming just the sixth Indian to score an international hundred in all three formats. With Ruturaj Gaikwad impressing in the previous game, this innings was a timely reminder of Jaiswal's quality.

The clock is ticking for Ryan Rickelton
Quinton de Kock's return has put pressure on Ryan Rickelton, who occupies the same batting position. Rickelton, already out of the T20I setup, saw his stocks fall further in this series. Playing as a reserve, he featured in the first and final ODIs due to injuries to other players but registered ducks in both innings. To accommodate him, South Africa moved centurion Aiden Markram down to No. 5, a move that failed as Markram scored only 1.

Pant goes further down in the pecking order
India made one change to their batting lineup for the final ODI, leaving out Washington Sundar. It was notable that they chose Tilak Varma over Rishabh Pant, despite Tilak not being part of India's recent ODI squads. This suggests the management currently views Pant primarily as a backup to KL Rahul.

Prasidh Krishna's redemption
After the second ODI, Prasidh Krishna's economy rate in the series was 8.48. He began poorly in the final match, conceding 27 runs from his first two overs. However, brought back with South Africa well-placed at 158/2, he turned the game. He took three key wickets—Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, and Quinton de Kock—in a spell of 4-0-11-3, and added a fourth later, finishing the series on a high.

Kuldeep Yadav tightens his grip
In South African conditions, there is room for only one wrist-spinner in the ODI side, and Kuldeep Yadav has strengthened his claim. After a four-wicket haul in the series opener, he took another four-wicket haul in the decider. With the next World Cup two years away, Kuldeep has established himself as the undisputed first-choice spinner.