(REUTERS) – INDIA’S Virat Kohli set a new batting record as he put on another master class with an unbeaten century against hosts South Africa on Friday to secure an easy eight-wicket victory and win the one-day international series 5-1.

India strode to a comfortable win at Centurion as they reached their victory target with 107 balls to spare after putting South Africa into bat and bowling them out for 204.

India, who have taken over from South Africa as the world’s top-ranked ODI team, were 206 for two wickets in reply in another dominant performance with captain Kohli again leading from the front.

He scored 129 not out to set a new record for the most runs in a six-match ODI series.

Kohli reached his 35th ODI ton in just 82 balls, was dropped on 103 and finished the six-matches with a total of 558 runs at an average of 198, easily eclipsing the previous mark of 491 runs achieved by team mate Rohit Sharma against Australia in the 2013-14 season.

South Africa had been hoping for a consolation win at the end of the series, but were again in trouble early in their innings as talisman AB de Villiers (30 runs) struggled once more with the bat and wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals.

Khaya Zondo, in only his third ODI, top scored with 54 as Shardul Thakur took 4-52.

South Africa were all out with 19 balls still to face, setting India a modest target that Kohli comfortably reeled in with a flourish of stroke play.

India, who lost the three-match test series 2-1, now plays South Africa in three Twenty20 internationals at end of their two-month tour.

Scorecard
South Africa 1st innings
Aiden Markram c Shreyas Iyer b Shardul Thakur 24
Hashim Amla c MS Dhoni b Shardul Thakur 10
AB de Villiers b Yuzvendra Chahal 30
Khaya Zondo c Hardik Pandya b Yuzvendra Chahal 54
Heinrich Klaasen c Virat Kohli b Jasprit Bumrah 22
Farhaan Behardien c Jasprit Bumrah b Shardul Thakur 1
Chris Morris c Shikhar Dhawan b Kuldeep Yadav 4
Andile Phehlukwayo c&b Shardul Thakur 34
Morne Morkel c Shreyas Iyer b Hardik Pandya 20
Imran Tahir c Virat Kohli b Jasprit Bumrah 2
Lungi Ngidi Not Out 0
Extras 0b 0lb 0nb 0pen 3w 3
Total (46.5 overs) 204 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-23 Amla, 2-43 Markram, 3-105 de Villiers, 4-135 Klaasen, 5-136 Behardien, 6-142 Morris, 7-151 Zondo, 8-187 Morkel, 9-192 Tahir, 10-204 Phehlukwayo

Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Shardul Thakur 8.5 0 52 4 5.89 3w
Jasprit Bumrah 8 1 24 2 3.00
Hardik Pandya 10 0 39 1 3.90
Kuldeep Yadav 10 0 51 1 5.10
Yuzvendra Chahal 10 0 38 2 3.80

……………………………………………….
India 1st innings
Shikhar Dhawan c Khaya Zondo b Lungi Ngidi 18
Rohit Sharma c Heinrich Klaasen b Lungi Ngidi 15
Virat Kohli Not Out 129
Ajinkya Rahane Not Out 34
Extras 4b 1lb 0nb 0pen 5w 10
Total (32.1 overs) 206-2
Fall of Wickets : 1-19 Sharma, 2-80 Dhawan
Did Not Bat : Iyer, Pandya, Dhoni, Thakur, Yadav, Bumrah, Chahal

Bowling Ov Md Rn Wk Econ Ex
Morne Morkel 7 0 42 0 6.00 2w
Lungi Ngidi 8 1 54 2 6.75 3w
Chris Morris 6 0 36 0 6.00
Andile Phehlukwayo 4 0 27 0 6.75
Imran Tahir 7.1 0 42 0 5.86