I am ecstatic, says Shreyas Iyer after match-winning ton against South Africa

A second-string Indian team outclassed South Africa for a thumping seven-wicket victory in the second one-day international on Sunday and keep the three-match series alive.

Shreyas Iyer hit a century and Ishan Kishan made 93 to power India to a resounding win.

Chasing 279 for victory, the hosts depended on a 161-run third-wicket partnership between the left-handed Kishan and Iyer, unbeaten on 113, to achieve their target with 25 balls to spare in Ranchi.

"I am ecstatic, to be honest. When I went in to bat, I spoke to Ishan and he was in the mindset to take on the bowlers. So we decided to play the ball on merit and see how it goes," Iyer said,

While Iyer secured the man-of-the series award for his match-winning hundred, his second in one-day international cricket, it was pace bowler Mohammed Siraj (10-1-38-3) who set up victory after they choked the opposition runs in the final overs and kept South Africa down to 278-7 despite a 129-run stand between Reeza Hendricks (74) and Aiden Markram (79).

The three-match series remains level at 1-1 with the decider on Tuesday in New Delhi.

India lost their openers including skipper Shikhar Dhawan for 13 after getting starts but Kishan and Iyer stood firm to revive the chase and take the attack to the opposition.

"I must say that Ishan and Shreyas, the way they created that partnership was great to watch," said Dhawan.

"The ball was coming on nicely but it was keeping low. So our plan was to take on the bowlers in the first ten overs. But once the dew came into the picture, it was skidding on."

Kishan took on Anrich Nortje in one over to smash the pace bowler for a four and two sixes, but missed out on a maiden international hundred when he fell to Bjorn Fortuin.

Iyer, who reached his second ODI ton with a boundary, kept up the attack despite struggling with cramps midway through the innings and stood unbeaten with Sanju Samson, who made 30, to steer the team home.

Iyer and Samson put on an unbroken stand of 73 for a team whose big guns, including regular captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, were missing after their Twenty20 side left for the World Cup in Australia.

"I think we didn't expect the dew to play such a big part, that's why we opted to bat after we won the toss," South Africa's stand-in-skipper Keshav Maharaj said.

"But credit to Shreyas and Sanju. We expected it to get slower and lower but after 20 overs the pitch got better."

Earlier Siraj returned figures of 3-38 from his pace bowling as South Africa, without unwell captain Temba Bavuma, managed just 57 runs in the final 10 overs.

Series: Three-match series level at 1-1