(ESPNCRICINFO) – INDIA stormed to a fifth successive ODI series win with a crushing victory over South Africa in Delhi. Their spinners combined to bowl South Africa out for 99, their lowest ODI total against them – and fourth-lowest in the format – inside 28 overs. Spinners Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed and Kuldeep Yadav shared eight wickets between them, with Kuldeep completing his third four-for against South Africa.

As a result of the loss, South Africa end the series at 11th position in the Super League table, after having already cancelled their ODIs against Australia. They must finish in the top eight if they seek direct qualification for the 2023 World Cup.

This is the fourth time in ODI history that South Africa have been bowled out for under 100, and the second time in 2022 after they were dismissed for 83 by England. The batting collapse apart, Tuesday added to a mounting list of concerns for the visitors ahead of the T20 World Cup: regular captain Temba Bavuma, stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj and wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi all sat out the fixture with an illness.

While Maharaj is freshly infected, Bavuma and Shamsi had also missed the second ODI, with CSA saying they are “feeling better” but benched as a “precaution”. David Miller led the team for the first time in an ODI but was unable to lift them from 43 for 4. They lost their last six wickets for 33 runs in 50 balls, and found themselves with an improbable task in the field.

No team has defended less than 125 in a 50-over match, while South Africa’s lowest successful defence remains 129. They had to attempt to better that without their pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who was rested, and Wayne Parnell, who played in the previous two matches but made way for the other allrounders Andile Phehlukwayo and Marco Jansen in this one.

India reached the 100-run target in the 20th over. The chase was as routine as they come after India had already won the match in the field with a bowling performance that exposed South Africa’s perennial weakness against spin, and what appears to be a return of the yips that creep in in pressure situations.

Their line-up was completely blown away by spin, although it may not be very effective during the T20 World Cup in Australia. However, it has still left big questions about their readiness for the big tournament, where they are grouped with all three heavyweight subcontinent sides – Bangladesh, Pakistan and India – and may also be joined by Sri Lanka after the first round.

Washington opened the bowling with Mohammed Siraj, and immediately found spin. He troubled Quinton de Kock, who was beaten by a ball that just passed his outside edge, and then top-edged a paddle that went over Sanju Samson and the lone slip. But de Kock soon slashed at a wide ball and sent it straight to Avesh Khan at short third.