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Rain ends series on sour note

Pretoria - Rain had the final say in the much-anticipated One Day International series between South Africa and India, with the final game abandoned due to rain after the first innings in Centurion on Wednesday.

South Africa held on to win the three match series 2-0.

India's next assignment is a two-day warm-up game against a South African invitation XI in Benoni on Thursday, ahead of the Test series which begins on December 18.

South Africa, led by Quinton de Kock -- with his third century in a row -- lifted the Proteas to 301 for 8 in their 50 overs, but as India were due to start their chase, the heavens opened.

The rain eased up at points, but intermittent downpours meant the contest was abandoned at 8pm.

South Africa came into the match looking to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.

De Kock became the third South African to score three consecutive ODI centuries, after Herschelle Gibbs and AB De Villiers.

De Kock (101 runs, 120 balls, 9x4, 2x6) was forced to play a more sedate innings as South Africa were in heaps of trouble at 28 for 3 in the eighth over.

Though not a chanceless innings -- De Kock was dropped twice -- the 20-year-old pushed on to score his fourth ODI century of his brief career.

Together with captain AB de Villiers (109 runs, 101 balls, 6x4,5x6) the pair put on a partnership of 171 from 184 balls.

De Kock worked the singles, but opened-up towards the end of his innings where he picked up two sixes, including when his score was on 92.

After De Kock fell, clean-bowled by Ishant Sharma, de Villiers turned up the scoring rate.

De Villiers cleared the boundary on five occasions and also struck six fours.

The Proteas batsman was out attempting to turn a Umesh Yadav ball off his legs, but was trapped in front for 101.

De Villiers had featured in a quick-fire stand of 53 from 34 balls with David Miller before the captain departed.

Miller was left unbeaten on 54 from 34 balls, smashing three sixes and five fours and was instrumental in getting the Proteas over the 300 run mark.

Earlier, centurion from the previous match, Hashim Amla (9 runs, 16b, 3x4) fell early to the bowling of Mohammed Shami.

Amla was surprised by a full-toss, and whipped it straight into the hands of a grateful Yuvraj Singh at square leg.

Henry Davids (1 run, 6 balls) strolled to the middle with the score on 22 for 1 in the fifth over.

Davids did not last long and was outdone by an Ishant Sharma delivery, and caught in the slips by Suresh Raina.

Three balls later, and new batsman JP Duminy (0 runs, 3 balls) was out in identical fashion --bowled Ishant Sharma and caught Raina -- as the Proteas fell to 28 for three inside the first ten overs.

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