Centuries from de Kock, du Plessis and de Villiers give the visitors the series 3-2.

South Africa’s mountain of runs proved too steep a climb for India, which slid down the slope to lose the fifth and final ODI by 214 runs.
A.B. de Villiers’s brutal 119, Faf du Plessis’s classy 133 and Quinton de Kock’s controlled 109 propelled the visitors to 438 for four in 50 overs.
The Wankhede stadium had not seen a team chase down such a daunting total; the fans cheered India’s spirited 224 in 36 overs, but the result never seemed in doubt.
Ajinkya Rahane offered a glimpse of the strides taken as a batsman groomed to man India’s frontline for the seasons ahead, relishing the pace off the track during a sparkling 87 off 58 balls at number four.
He tackled pace, swing and spin with the assurance credited to a performer in form.
But de Villiers’s knock was the main course; no one could match that.
Asked about the Indian plan to counter the damage to the bowlers’ psyche when de Villiers is busy at the crease, Virat Kohli had expressed relief that he does not have to bowl to the South African maverick.
He did turn his right arm over briefly before being taken out of the firing line. But for six teammates in the bowling department, a day at work turned into a massacre in broad daylight.
de Villiers reacted at the crease as if programmed by a divine hand, leaving 11 Indians on the field with arched eyebrows and numerous Indians in the stands with expressions alternating between shock and delight.
He smashed eight sixes and three fours in reaching three-figures (off 57 balls), and cleared the ropes three more times in a 61-ball knock packed with pure entertainment. It was his third century of the series. Bhuvneshwar Kumar received the most punishment, leaking 106 in 10 overs.
Mohit Sharma’s seam-up stuff was fodder for the South Africa captain, whose early judgement of length, eyesight and footwork were astonishing. Spinners Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra and Axar Patel went through the routine as ordered by M.S. Dhoni, but it appeared as if their minds were numbed by the onslaught.
South Africa certainly raised the bar for big-hitting at the Wankhede. The world-record ODI score (Sri Lanka’s 443 vs. The Netherlands) was under threat before the visitors finished with the highest-ever score in India.
The hosts were in trouble at the start as the South African openers hit the ball on the rise. Hashim Amla left after a quick-fire 23 off 13 balls with five fours, giving his wicket away by chasing a Mohit delivery. After a few cautious overs against the slow bowlers, de Kock flexed his arms to swat a Harbhajan delivery past mid-wicket, his tenth boundary in a 42-ball half-century.
He and partner du Plessis were put through the spin test till the 20th over when Dhoni shuffled his bowling cards.
The Wankhede track turned into a comfort zone for the batsmen.