out of state moving companiesbusiness opportunityAmla ton helps South Africa beat India to win series
Fifth one-day international, Port Elizabeth:
South Africa 250-9 (46 ovs) beat India 234 (40.2 ovs) by 33 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)
Match scorecard
Hashim Amla
Amla's century was the first by a batsman in this series
Hashim Amla hit his seventh one-day century as South Africa beat India by 33 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method to win the five-match series 3-2.
Amla struck 116 not out in a match reduced to 46 overs per side after rain affected the match at Centurion.
Proteas bowler Morne Morkel finished with 4-52 and ended a dangerous 100-run ninth-wicket partnership between Yusuf Pathan and Zaheer Khan.
Pathan had struck 105 from 70 balls to give India hope of victory.
The all-rounder's performance came in with his side struggling on 119-8 after some ruthless bowling by Morkel and Dale Steyn (2-32) and chasing a revised victory target of 268.
After Pathan reached 50 in 47 balls, it took him only 21 more deliveries to reach his ton but his innings, which included eight fours and eight sixes, was eventually ended with a top-edge off Morkel that was caught by Faf du Plessis inside the circle.
India still required 50 runs from 64 balls, but by then too many wickets had fallen and Zaheer was last man out.
Earlier, the tourists made a bold move after winning the toss with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni electing to field under the cloud cover hovering around Centurion.
606: DEBATE
Take a bow Yusuf Pathan
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The decision paid early dividends with Zaheer sending Graeme Smith (seven) on his way in the third over but Morne van Wyk, one of the form players from the domestic season, and Amla then shared in a 97-run partnership to put their side back on top.
Van Wyk passed his 50 from 53 balls along the way, but was then excellently caught one-handed by Yuvraj Singh (2-45) off his own bowling with the score on 113.
Amla reached his century from 113 balls, but rain then halted play for more than an hour with South Africa in the ascendancy after 42 overs played.
With the revised playing conditions in effect after the resumption, JP Duminy (35), who shared a 102-run stand with Amla, fell quickly.
Munaf Patel grabbed 3-50 during a late-order collapse when just 19 were added for the loss of six wickets in four overs as the home sided ended on 250-9.
India's Yusuf Pathan
Pathan celebrates his blistering 68-ball century
Graeme Smith was pleased with the character his side had shown during his final home series as captain having trailed 2-1 after the first three games.
"I think it was great, obviously for me to finish off with the guys playing so well here in South Africa was a very nice feeling," said Smith, who will step down as captain after the World Cup.
"I think we learnt some important lessons in this series. We easily could have been 4-0 up coming into this game.
"We arrived in Port Elizabeth 2-1 down and we wanted to put in two good performances, we were the team under pressure and we needed to play well under that pressure.
"[Apart from the lack of intensity when Yusuf and Zaheer were going] we were pretty good. We have a really good chance at the World Cup."
India captain Dhoni felt the failure of his batsmen during the past five games was what cost them the series.
Apart from Virat Kohli and Pathan, who averaged 48 and 55 respectively, the next best was Suresh Raina with 22.
"I think the whole tour was good for us, but the batting department didn't really do well for us in the ODIs," said Dhoni.
"That was the main reason why we lost the ODI series.
"But the biggest positive out of this game is when we go to the World Cup we will know that the last 10 overs, we can chase anything."