India, Dec. 6 -- The Vizag lights were glowing at their brightest when Yashasvi Jaiswal nudged a single and broke into celebration with raised hands for a heartbeat. In that brief pause, with the ACA-VDCA crowd on its feet and the dressing room balcony roaring, India's chase of 271 against South Africa started looking like a bookmark innings in a young career.

Rohit Sharma had given India the early burst; Jaiswal gave them the backbone. On a surface where South Africa's 270 always felt a touch light but never trivial, the left-handed batter's temperament stood out more than his stroke play. Notably, with the century he became the sixth Indian batter to have a century in all three international formats.

He began watchfully against Lungi ...