The West Indies, after winning the toss and electing to field first, restricted the Sri Lankans to 156-3 off the 23 overs that were possible due to rain.
Opener Pathum Nissanka made 56 off 62 balls while wicket-keeper/batsman Kusal Mendis also made 56*, with his coming off a swift 22 balls including nine fours and a six.
Avishka Fernando contributed 34 as Roston Chase and Sherfane Rutherford took a wicket apiece.
Set a revised target of 195 from 23 overs, the West Indians got to their target with an over to spare to avoid a series sweep and get their first ODI victory of 2024.
Evin Lewis was the star of the show with 102* off 61 balls including nine fours and four sixes, with the last of those sixes securing both the win and his third hundred against Sri Lanka.
Sherfane Rutherford was with Lewis in the end, finishing 50* off 26 balls after scores of 74* and 80 in the first two matches.
Captain Shai Hope and Brandon King contributed 22 and 16, respectively, as Dilshan Madushanka and Asitha Fernando shared the two Sri Lanka wickets.
Full Scores:
Sri Lanka 156-3 off 23 overs (Kusal Mendis 56*, Pathum Nissanka 56, Avishka Fernando 34, Roston Chase 1-20, Sherfane Rutherford 1-27)
West Indies 196-2 off 22 overs (Evin Lewis 102*, Sherfane Rutherford 50*).
The Windies already had the series wrapped up going into Sunday's finale in Grenada, and they were again dominant in St George's.
Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie led by example with 71 while Andy McBrine gave the innings late impetus with an unbeaten 25.
However, the tourists were bowled out for 203 as leg-spinner Hayden Walsh (4-36) and Oshane Thomas (3-41) starred with the ball for the Windies.
That target proved well within the reach of the Windies in a rain-affected chase, which saw them pursue a revised target of 197 from 47 overs.
Lewis, who struck 99 in the opening game, was the talisman once more as he hit six fours and five maximums in a superb 97-ball knock, scoring his first international century in the Windies.
Nicholas Pooran added an unbeaten 43, with the Windies surpassing the target with 64 balls to spare. Attention now turns to a three-match T20I series, which begins at the same venue on Wednesday.
All-rounder Dwayne Bravo was called up for the T20s on Sunday after coming out of international retirement.
Man-of-the-Match Lewis scored 103 and shared in a record 192-run first-wicket partnership with Shai Hope, who made 84, as the West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. It was the best-ever first-wicket stand at the stadium.
Chasing a challenging total of 274, after Sri Lanka made 273 for 8 in their 50 overs, Lewis and Hope kept the Sri Lankan bowling attack at bay for 37.2 overs that seemed destined to take the home side to another comfortable victory. However, they almost threw it away.
Lewis’ 103 came off 121 balls and hit eight fours and four sixes before getting out to stumped to the bowling of Lakshan Sandakan.
His dismissal seemed to lift the Sri Lankans’ spirits and they responded by tightening up on the West Indies, who managed to squeeze two runs from the next nine balls. The pressure continued to build and it yielded the desired results. At 194 for one, Hope got out caught at deep cover trying to push the scoring rate.
As a measure of how much Sri Lanka had slowed the scoring rate, the first 50 for the West Indies came up in just 54 balls, the second in 53 while the third 50 came up in 55 balls. The fourth 50 for the West Indies was made from 81 balls.
In this phase of the game, the West Indies lost the wickets of Darren Bravo for 10 and Kieron Pollard and Fabian Allen 15 each over the next 57 balls from which they managed 55 runs as they tried to rein in the escalating run-rate that had ballooned to 10 runs an over.
With Jason Holder at the other end, it was left to Nicholas Pooran to play hero and swing the match back in favour of the West Indies.
Allen had hit a six off Nuwan Pradeep to start the 48th over. He was dismissed next ball holing out to deep midwicket. However, the batsmen crossed leaving Pooran to face the next four balls from which the West Indies took 11 runs, 10 coming from Pooran’s bat via two fours and running two.
The little Trinidadian would finish the job in the final over off the same bowler with the West Indies needing nine from six balls.
After missing the first ball that was bowled wide of the off-stump, Pooran hit consecutive fours before clipping off his legs for the winning single. He would finish unbeaten on 35 while Holder, who faced four balls and was two not out.
Pradeep finished with 2-66 off 9.4 overs. Thisara Perera claimed the wickets of Hope and Bravo to return 2-45 from seven while Lakshan Sandakan finished with 1-36.
Earlier, Sri Lanka posted what turned out to be a competitive score, the foundation of which was laid by Danushka Gunathilaka, who scored a run-a-ball 96 that rescued Sri Lanka from 50 for 3 after Alzarri Joseph had removed Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka for one and 10, respectively within the first seven overs.
Gunathilaka, who was controversially given out for obstructing the field in the opening match on Wednesday, and Dinesh Chandimal put on 100 for the fourth wicket. He looked set for a hundred when Jason Mohammed bowled him with one that kept low to claim the first of his three wickets.
In fact, Mohammed claimed the next two wickets to fall - Ashan Bandara for 18 and then Chandimal for 71 - as Sri Lanka struggled to force the rate of scoring and seemed likely to score a little more than the 232 they scored in their eight-wicket loss on Wednesday.
However, a blazing cameo of 47 from 31 balls from Hasaranga de Silva propelled Sri Lanka well past the 250-run mark and with a little help from Perera, who made 19 before he was last man out run out for 19.
Mohammed had his career-best figures of 3-48 while Joseph took 2-42. There was a wicket each for Jason Holder and Akeal Hosein.
The final match of the series is scheduled for the same venue on Sunday.
Sri Lanka had secured the series with a five-wicket win in the second ODI on Wednesday, but Lewis’ unbeaten 102 off 61 balls gave the Windies a morale-boosting victory in the final ODI.
West Indies had sent Sri Lanka to bat, but their innings was disturbed by rain in the 18th over. Upon returning to the crease after a five-hour delay, they were only given 5.4 overs to set a competitive total.
The hosts managed 75 runs after the restart with Kusal Mendis headlining their innings with an unbeaten 56 off 22 balls as Sri Lanka finished with 156-3.
Chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 195 in 23 overs, Lewis hit a swashbuckling hundred in his first ODI since 2021 with support coming from Sherfane Rutherford, who smashed an unbeaten 50 off 26 deliveries.
West Indies reached the target with one over to spare, and they will gather some confidence from the win as they prepare for the ODI series against England starting on October 31.
Das' unbeaten 126 was the pinnacle of a ruthless batting performance from the hosts, whose top seven all scored 19 or above.
Opening with Tamim Iqbal (24), Das smashed 13 fours and two sixes off 105 balls as he recorded his second career ODI century before retiring from his innings, apparently having succumbed to the heat and humidity.
A half-century from Mohammad Mithun put paid to any hopes of a Bangladesh collapse, though, as Zimbabwe were set a target of 322.
Mohammad Saifuddin (2-33) found the stumps of Tinashe Kamunhukamwe with the fourth ball of the second over, and when Zimbabwe stumbled to 79-5, victory appeared unlikely.
Debutant Wesley Madhevere (35) made the chase somewhat respectable, but Tinotenda Mutombodzi edged Mashrafe Mortaza (2-35) to Saifuddin to hand Bangladesh victory by 169 runs, eclipsing their previous biggest winning margin in the format of 163, set against Sri Lanka in January 2018.
Mortaza also became only the fifth bowler to take 100 ODI wickets as a captain, a feat previously achieved by Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock, Imran Khan and Jason Holder.
In a match shortened by rain to 43 overs per side in Sylhet, the hosts posted 322-3 in Mortaza's final game as skipper, with Das and Iqbal sharing a 292-run opening stand – the third highest in ODI history.
Zimbabwe were set a revised target of 342 and came up well short, Mortaza earning his 50th win in the format as the side's leader, the 36-year-old chipping in with 1-47 in a 123-run DLS triumph.
The home side were making fine headway when the weather closed in, the Tigers going off for more than two and a half hours with 182 runs on the board and the first pairing still going strong.
After resuming, Carl Mumba did manage to break the bond, taking three late wickets, although Tamim – who made 158 in the second match – remained unbeaten on 128.
Das smashed 16 fours and eight sixes in his stunning career-best 176, which came from 143 deliveries and ensured he eclipsed Tamim's tally from the previous outing to claim a national record in the format.
Zimbabwe's response was not nearly as spectacular, with Tinashe Kamunhukamwe falling in the first over to Mortaza and setting the tone for an innings of fruitless toil from the tourists.
Sikandar Raza did post a defiant 61, with Regis Chakabva (34) and Wesley Madhevere (42) also gaining some credit, but their contributions came in another losing effort as Mohammad Saifuddin (4-41) did most of the damage.
The result completed a miserable series for Zimbabwe, who lost the opener by a record 169 runs, before succumbing to a defeat by just four runs in the second meeting.
Morgan has guided England's white-ball sides through a transformative period since taking the captaincy in 2014.
The 35-year-old guided England to a dramatic World Cup triumph over New Zealand in the 50-over format in 2019, having taking his side to the T20 World Cup final three years before.
Another semi-final appearance came at the T20 World Cup in 2021, where England were defeated by New Zealand.
Matthew Mott has since taken the white-ball coaching role with England, who have defeated the Netherlands twice in as many ODIs to secure an unassailable 2-0 series lead before the final match on Wednesday.
While the likes of Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan have delivered in the Amsterdam suburbs, Morgan has not scored a run across the two games.
Morgan has passed 50 just once in his last eight ODI innings since scoring 106 against Ireland in February 2020, but Livingstone voiced his support for the England skipper.
"The thing that has been forgotten is Morgs is an unbelievable leader," Livingstone told Sky Sports. "He is the leader of our team and everybody knows he is only one score away.
"I'm sure that score will come very soon and he'll be off and running again."
England blasted a world-record ODI score of 498 in the first match against the Netherlands, with Buttler smashing the second-fastest 50-over century for his country in just 47 balls.
All three of the fastest 50-over hundreds for England have come from Buttler, and Livingstone says he is learning every time he bats with the wicket-keeper.
"To watch Jos go about his business, it was nice to have him on my side this time round," Livingstone added, having played against Buttler in the Indian Premier League this year.
"It was pretty special to watch, especially from the other end.
"It's been great fun. It was nice to obviously break the world record on Friday, the lads have put in some really good cricket, it has been a great standard and hopefully it's the same again [on Wednesday]."
Livingstone’s heroics ensured England got over the line with 15 balls to spare in Antigua despite being set a daunting target of 329 for victory.
Windies captain Shai Hope had earlier struck 117 runs from 127 balls after John Turner had Brandon King caught at backward point and Evin Lewis snared down the leg side.
Hope was finally caught by Livingstone off Jofra Archer’s delivery in the 47th over, before the stand-in England skipper took over with the bat to drive his team to victory.
He counted five fours and nine maximums in his haul as England recovered from the early losses of Will Jacks (12) and Jordan Cox (four) to complete their chase.
Phil Salt (59), Jacob Bethell (55) and Sam Curran (52) also hit half-centuries for the tourists, with Livingstone fittingly wrapping up the win by smashing 23 runs in a brilliant penultimate over.
Data Debrief: Livingstone picks up the pace
Midway through their innings, England knew they needed to up the pace in order to reach a total they had only managed when batting second 10 times in their ODI history.
Livingstone led the way. Following his first 50 balls faced, he slammed 82 runs off just 35 deliveries, the fastest acceleration by any England batter after 50 balls faced in the format's history.
Chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 232 in 37 overs, Sri Lanka’s pursuit was powered by a crucial 137-run partnership between Nishan Madushka and Charith Asalanka. The pair's half-centuries laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s victory, which came with 31 balls to spare. Their century stand came in just 88 balls, as they took full advantage of the wayward West Indies bowling.
Madushka and Asalanka were ruthless in their approach, capitalizing on poor deliveries, with only Gudakesh Motie providing any resistance. Motie was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 3-47, while Alzarri Joseph chipped in with 2-39. However, their efforts were not enough to stifle Sri Lanka’s charge, as they raced to 200 in just 27.3 overs, making victory inevitable.
After Asalanka’s departure, Janith Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis put on an unbroken 47-run partnership to secure the win. Liyanage remained unbeaten on 18, while Mendis finished on 30 not out.
Earlier in the day, the West Indies had been frustrated by rain, which halted their innings at 185 for 4 after 38.3 overs. Sherfane Rutherford had mounted a counter-attack, scoring an unbeaten 74, while Roston Chase contributed 33 not out in an 85-run fifth-wicket stand. Their partnership came off 78 deliveries and provided a much-needed boost after Sri Lanka’s spinners had dominated the early proceedings.
Wanindu Hasaranga was the standout bowler for Sri Lanka, taking 2-18, while Jeffrey Vandersay and Charith Asalanka claimed a wicket apiece. Despite the interruption caused by rain, Sri Lanka’s spinners laid the groundwork for a comfortable chase, leaving the West Indies unable to capitalize on the toss and their decision to bat first.
With this five-wicket win, Sri Lanka takes an early lead in the three-match ODI series, continuing their momentum from the T20s.
Pakistan already held an unassailable lead in the three-match series after the opening two fixtures, but Muzarabani ensured the tourists have something to celebrate as he starred with the ball.
Zimbabwe set Pakistan 279 for victory, Sean Williams hitting an unbeaten 118 as Brendan Taylor (56) struck a half-century and Wesley Madhevere (33 off 31) and Sikandar Raza (45 off 36) produced efficient contributions.
Mohammad Hasnain's 5-26 had helped restrict Zimbabwe but Muzarabani answered in kind, his five-for ensuring Pakistan finished their innings tied on 278-9.
The key wicket came in the penultimate over, Muzarabani removing home captain Babar Azam, who scored a run-a-ball 125, by drawing an edge with the final delivery of his 10-over allocation.
Pakistan needed 13 off the 50th over but, minus Babar, could only manage 12, with a final-ball four from Muhammad Musa forcing a Super Over in which Muzarabani proved decisive.
He took the wickets of Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah in the space of four balls to restrict Pakistan to two runs, with Taylor and Raza securing the win with just three balls of Zimbabwe's reply.
Shreyas Iyer (80 off 76 balls), captain Shikhar Dhawan (72) and Shubman Gill (50) made half-centuries as the tourists posted an imposing 306-7 in Auckland on Friday.
Tim Southee (3-73) and Lockie Ferguson (3-59) were the pick of the bowlers for the Black Caps, who then showed why they are top of the rankings in the 50-over format with a brilliant run chase.
It was advantage India after Umran Malik (2-66) struck twice on his debut to leave New Zealand 88-3 in the 20th over, but an unbroken partnership of 221 from Latham and Williamson secured a resounding win with 17 balls to spare.
Latham made a sublime unbeaten 145 off 104 balls and skipper Williamson 94 not out as the Blacks Caps made a strong response to their T20I series loss to India.
Dhawan and Gill laid a great platform with a century stand, but both openers fell with 124 on the board before Ferguson cleaned Rishabh Pant and also got rid of Suryakumar Yadav cheaply.
Iyer struck four sixes and as many fours, while Washington Sundar (37 off 16) provided late impetus and Sanju Samson chipped in with 36.
Umran had Devon Conway caught behind and saw the back of Daryl Mitchell after Finn Allen fell to Shardul Thakur, but that was as good as it got for India as Latham and Williamson took the game away from them.
The experienced duo steadied the ship and then started to motor, with India - missing a host of regulars - unable to halt the flow of runs, Arshdeep Singh going for 68 from 8.1 overs on his ODI bow.
Yet another milestone for Southee
It was another memorable day for New Zealand paceman Southee, who became only the fifth New Zealand bowler to take 200 ODI wickets.
He moved above Chris Cairns to go fourth on the list of the Black Caps' leading wicket-takers in this format.
Southee is also the first player to take 300 Test wickets, claim 200 ODI scalps and 100 T20I dismissals.
Latham and Williamson put on a show
The game was in the balance when Latham came in at number five to join his skipper at the crease.
It had soon swung firmly in New Zealand's favour courtesy of brilliant knocks from such a consistent duo that have delivered time and again over the years.
Wicketkeeper-batter Latham raced to his seventh ODI century off only 76 balls, ending up with five sixes and another 19 boundaries. The composed and classy Williamson registered a staggering 40th ODI half-century.
The tourists were all out for only 186 at the start of a three-match series, KL Rahul top scoring with 73 from 70 balls in Mirpur on Sunday, Shakib Al Hasan taking 5-36 and Ebadot Hossain 4-47.
Bangladesh looked to have blown their chance to take a 1-0 lead when they lost five wickets for just eight runs, slumping to 136-9.
But Mehidy came to the rescue, dominating an unbroken 10th-wicket stand of 51 with Mustafizur Rahman with a brilliant 38 not out to give the Tigers the most unlikely of victories and spark jubilant scenes in Dhaka.
Shakib had earlier played a huge role, dismissing Rohit Sharma (27) and Virat Kohli (nine) in the 11th over after Shikhar Dhawan fell cheaply.
Rahul, coming in at number five, and Shreyas Iyer (24) put on 60 for the fifth wicket before India lost four wickets for as many runs, Shakib and Ebadot doing the damage.
There were four sixes from Rahul, taking over as wicketkeeper-batter with Rishabh Pant ruled out, in an excellent knock that looked to be decisive as the Tigers capitulated in the run chase.
Stand-in captain Litton Das top scored with 41 after Deepak Chahar removed Najmul Hossain Shanto with the first ball of Bangladesh's innings, and Shakib made 29.
Mohammed Siraj took 3-32 and debutant Kuldeep Sen 2-37 as the Tigers wilted, but Mehidy was dropped by Rahul on 15 and made him pay, sealing a sensational victory with four overs to spare with great support from Mustafizur (10no)
Shakib and Ebadot tear through India
Shakib gave yet another demonstration of how he has risen to the top of the ODI and T20I all-rounder rankings, claiming his fourth five-wicket haul in the 50-over format.
He claimed the huge scalps of Rohit and Kohli in the 11th over, bowling his spin with great guile. Ebadot was the pick of the pacemen in his second ODI, sparking a collapse by dismissing Washington Sundar and also claiming the scalp of Rahul.
Magical Mehidy completes great escape
The crowd had been silenced and Bangladesh were on the ropes at 136-9 when Siraj trapped Hasan Mahmud leg before.
Step forward Mehidy, who struck two sixes and another four boundaries in a brilliant 72-ball knock after coming in at number eight, showing nerves of steel as he kept the strike and Mustafizur also remained calm under pressure in the Tigers' second-highest 10th-wicket ODI stand.
Bangladesh have now won 12 of their past 14 ODIs, ending a run of five consecutive losses to India in this format.
England were forced to name an entirely new squad just two days before the opening match in Cardiff due to a coronavirus outbreak in the initial party.
A new-look team including five debutants grasped their opportunity in emphatic fashion, however, as the rusty tourists were dismissed for only 141 in 35.2 overs after being put in to bat by stand-in skipper Ben Stokes.
Mahmood took two wickets in the first over and finished with excellent figures of 4-42, while Craig Overton (2-23) and Matt Parkinson (2-28) also did damage.
Fakhar Zaman top scored with 47 in a nightmare start to the three-match series for Pakistan and England reached their target from only 21.5 overs, with Dawid Malan (68 not out) and debutant Zak Crawley (58no) making unbeaten half-centuries.
Mahmood snared Imam-ul-Haq leg before with the first ball of the game and claimed the huge wicket of Babar Azam two deliveries later, the Pakistan captain edging a peach of a delivery behind without scoring.
Lewis Gregory had Mohammad Rizwan caught by wicketkeeper John Simpson and Pakistan were 26-4 when Saud Shakeel was struck in front by a fired-up Mahmood.
Fakhar, who had scored centuries in his previous two ODI knocks against South Africa, struck six boundaries before slashing leg-spinner Parkinson to Crawley at point and while Shadab Khan added 30, Pakistan folded miserably.
Shaheen Shah Afridi saw the back of Phil Salt for only seven, but Malan and Crawley eased England home with an unbroken stand of 120.
MAHMOOD MAKES HIS MARK
Mahmood playing in his fifth ODI, recorded his best international figures, while Gregory conceded only one boundary from his four overs before Overton and Parkinson claimed a couple of wickets apiece.
England have now taken 33 wickets during powerplays in the 50-over format since winning the Cricket World Cup two years ago, 11 more than any other side. No team to play over three matches in that period has a better strike rate (28.2 balls per wicket) and their rate of a boundary every 10.4 deliveries is also the best.
MALAN AND CRAWLEY CASH IN
Malan missed the 2-0 series victory over Sri Lanka due to personal reasons but played fluently on his unexpected return. He has now recorded back-to-back ODI half-centuries, having also reached the landmark against India in Pune back in March.
The left-hander also made 76 in a recent Twenty20 victory over Sri Lanka and has showed he could merit a place in all formats. Crawley struggled in the Test series loss to New Zealand, yet he looked in good touch as he struck seven boundaries in a 50-ball innings.
Despite having to pick a brand new squad ahead of the series following a COVID outbreak in the camp, England crushed Pakistan by nine wickets in the first match.
Their victory was not quite as emphatic on Saturday but was never in doubt as Pakistan proved incapable of chasing down 248.
Phil Salt (60) and James Vince (56) were the stars with the bat as England were bowled out for 247 in a game reduced to 47 overs a side following a delayed start.
Hasan Ali got himself on the honours board with 5-51 for Pakistan, but England's Saqib Mahmood (2-19) was arguably the pick of the bowlers as the tourists were left playing catch-up en route to being bowled out for 195.
Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley fell for ducks in an inauspicious start for England, but Salt racked up 10 fours for his first international half-century and Vince scored his second in 18 ODIs to turn the tide in England's favour.
England then lost the next five wickets for just 42 balls, Hasan getting the prized scalp of stand-in captain Ben Stokes, but Lewis Gregory (40) and Brydon Carse (31) put on the highest eighth-wicket partnership at Lord's in ODIs with a stand of 69.
That ensured England got to a total they easily defended as Pakistan's top order failed miserably. Imam-ul-Haq followed up his duck at Cardiff by falling for one, caught behind from Gregory, before Mahmood trapped Pakistan skipper Babar Azam lbw for 19.
Mahmood then produced a beauty to dismiss Mohammad Rizwan (5) and Fakhar Zaman scored just 10 off 45 deliveries before being skittled by Craig Overton, with Saud Shakeel (56) and Hasan (31) the only batsmen to give Pakistan hope as they saw the series slip away.
Armed with an unbeatable 2-0 lead, England will aim to seal a series sweep at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
More Mahmood magic
After taking 4-42 in the opener in Cardiff, Mahmood was outstanding once more for England.
An excellent length delivery struck Babar on the pads to dismiss Pakistan's most dangerous batsman, and the ball to remove Rizwan was similarly impressive as Mahmood got one to nip away and draw a thin edge to wicketkeeper John Simpson.
Pakistan's batting blues
Having been bowled out for 141 in the series opener, Pakistan showed only limited improvement as a collective batting unit here.
The tone was set as England ripped through their top order, with skipper Babar again gone for a low score having been dismissed for a duck in Cardiff.
For a player who averages over 55 in ODI cricket, it is a bemusing loss of form.
A downpour delayed the start and limited the contest to 47 overs, which became 41 in the second innings after more rain – Sri Lanka's target of 284 trimmed to 265.
But the Proteas were never in trouble. Despite missing injured captain Temba Bavuma and the rested Quinton de Kock, stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj was quickly rewarded for his decision to bat first.
Opener Malan stuck around for three hours and 17 minutes, during which time he enjoyed stands of 96 for the second wicket with Reeza Hendricks (51) and 86 for the fourth with Heinrich Klaasen (43).
Dushmantha Chameera belatedly got Klaasen and Malan from consecutive deliveries, but by that point there were just 12 balls remaining, with South Africa finishing on 283-6.
Given Avishka Fernando had been the match-winner for Sri Lanka in the series opener, making at least 50 in a third consecutive ODI, it quickly became clear this would not be their day when he went early for eight to a much-improved Kagiso Rabada (2-16).
Charith Asalanka starred alongside Avishka in the previous match and only he truly threatened to make a fight of the chase, scoring 77 off 69 – including three sixes – either side of the rain delay.
Chamika Karunaratne's late flurry (36 off 23, two sixes) was then ended by Maharaj, and Shamsi tidied up the tail for career-best figures of 5-49, leaving Sri Lanka well short, all out for 197.
Patient approach pays off
Sri Lanka's pace bowling attack has been effective in preventing boundaries this year, giving up just 44 per cent of their total runs conceded through fours and sixes ahead of this match – the second-lowest proportion among Test-playing nations in 2021, behind Bangladesh (42 per cent). But this did not slow Malan, who hit only 10 of the 135 balls he faced to the boundary but ran 65 singles, perhaps explaining his struggles with cramp.
Rabada back to his best
A poor showing from the Proteas' premier fast bowler in the first ODI saw him give up 66 runs, tied for the third-most in his career in this format. Yet Rabada was back on song from the outset on Saturday. He took two wickets in a stunning fifth over, conceding only a single run and prompting a further lbw review.
Rabada's contribution was overshadowed by Shamsi's efforts, but the Proteas need their main man to fire, meaning an ankle sprain in the field provides some concern.
The top-order batsman was a member of Jos Buttler's title-winning squad earlier this month, but was ruled out of the final through injury.
With several first-choice names rested for the ODI opener against their hosts in Adelaide however, the Yorkshire all-rounder flourished with a score of 134, even as England fell to a six-wicket loss.
Buttler will look to defend England's 50-over World Cup success next year following triumph in 2019, and Malan hopes his emphatic response on his return can help him push his name into the conversation.
"To get to the T20 World Cup final and be ruled out was gutting, so to come here, prove my fitness and score a hundred was extremely satisfying," he stated.
"I think it's always important to score runs. I think 50 overs is probably my strongest format, but it's hard to get into the team with how guys have performed the last couple of years.
"But if I keep doing what I'm doing, I might be part of that squad."
Australia captain Pat Cummins was delighted to see his side bounce back from T20 World Cup disappointment, where the hosts failed to reach the semi-final stage.
"England are always a strong team," he told Test Match Special. "It's nice for us to get back out there and make amends, remind ourselves we are still a very good team despite being disappointed."
The pair meet again on Saturday in the second of three ODIs, before they resume hostilities in The Ashes in the new year.
Having lost the first match by 31 runs on Wednesday following a defeat in the Test series, the tourists posted 287-6 after Rishabh Pant smashed 85 off 71 balls - including 12 boundaries.
Yet any hope India had of avoiding consecutive daytime defeats for the first time since July 2018 against England was crushed by some imperious batting from the Proteas.
Janneman Malan top-scored with 91 in a 132-run opening stand with Quinton de Kock (78), who was playing in his 50th ODI on home soil.
Shardul Thakur trapped De Kock lbw but South Africa sustained their chase for another 13 overs until Jasprit Bumrah (1-32) crashed an off-cutter into the stumps off Malan's gloves just as a century looked almost certain.
Captain Temba Bavuma (35) was brilliantly caught and bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal in the next over, but although temperatures were pushing 40 degrees Celsius, there was little hotting up of the contest.
Aiden Markram (33) and Rassie van der Dussen (28) strangled the life out of India's bowling, the former hurling himself to safety to secure the winning run with 11 balls remaining, as they celebrated back-to-back victories over India in the 50-over format for the first time since December 2013.
India will look to avoid a whitewash in the final ODI at Newlands on Sunday.
ODI dominance
South Africa were on a three-game losing run against India in this format before this series, but their recent prowess overall is something to behold.
This is their fourth bilateral ODI series win out of five against India, while they have won 13 of their most recent 16 men's ODI matches at home, with their only defeats coming to Pakistan (twice in April 2021) and England (once in February 2020) in that period.
It's no lie: Pant's on fire
Pant was India's star performer with his superb knock, hitting 10 fours and two sixes to help to build a promising total until the Proteas assumed control.
His century partnership with Rahul had India looking ominous at 179-2 after 31 overs only for South Africa to pull the rug from under their feet with key wickets in successive overs.
The hosts struggled after electing to bat first, setting a target of just 210, but England's response for a while looked in danger of falling short.
Malan picked up the pace following a considered start, however, eventually finishing on 114 not out to reach 212-7 and brilliantly drag England over the line.
Tamim Iqbal (23) began purposefully but Bangladesh soon had their momentum disrupted by Mark Wood (2-34) and Chris Woakes (1-28), the former dismissing the hosts' captain with an emphatic delivery.
The spinners then took care of Bangladesh's middle order, with each England bowler claiming at least one wicket.
Najmul Hossain Shanto (58) proved the biggest nuisance, his maiden half-century crucial in helping the hosts surpass 200.
But a tremendous catch from Jason Roy sent him back to the pavilion at 159-5 in what proved a turning point – Bangladesh added only another 50 runs.
England's chase received an early blow when Roy (4) fell to a simple Iqbal catch in the first over, while Phil Salt (12), James Vince (6) and Jos Buttler (9) were not much better.
Taijul Islam (3-54) took two of the first four wickets as England found themselves on 65-4, but amid all the floundering, Malan was calmly plugging away.
A close escape from an lbw appeal in the 22nd over proved vital, with Malan first playing it steady as he reached 50 off 92, before then getting his century off 134.
He secured the ton with a clip through midwicket that brought up his 10th boundary, and another four – whacked through wide mid-on – fittingly ensured Malan clinched victory.
Malan's the man of the moment
England's bowlers did some sterling work early on, with Jofra Archer, Wood, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid all taking two wickets each, but the generally disappointing nature of the visitors' chase meant Malan had to take on the role of firefighter.
After looking all at sea at 65-4, Malan took charge. In claiming his 100, he becomes the second-fastest player to four ODI centuries.
Taijul gave Bangladesh a chance
Bangladesh were also largely better with the ball than the bat. Taijul was the pick of the bunch for the hosts, taking three wickets – more than anyone else in the match.
His efforts were central to England getting off to a stuttering start. In the end, one man's class was the difference, and to be fair to Bangladesh, Malan looked like he could bat another 50 overs and still not get removed.
Opener Malan had endured an ODI debut to forget in the previous match, dismissed lbw for a first-ball duck by Mitchell Starc, but made amends on Wednesday, finishing up unbeaten on 129.
JJ Smuts and Heinrich Klaasen – who made a century last time out – made useful contributions as the Proteas impressively overhauled Australia's total of 271 all out despite losing Quinton de Kock to the third ball of their reply.
The South Africa skipper was once again cleaned up by Starc, who had also bowled the left-hander twice during the recent Twenty20 series between the teams.
However, Smuts helped put on 91 for the second wicket - making 41 from 64 deliveries - and while Kyle Verreynne fell cheaply, Klaasen followed up his knock of 123 not out on Saturday with a valuable 51.
Adam Zampa (2-48) dismissed Klaasen to give Australia hope, yet David Miller (37 not out from 29 balls) shared in an unbroken stand of 90 to steer the hosts to their target with nine balls to spare.
Malan hit seven fours and four sixes in an outstanding 139-ball knock that overshadowed the achievements of team-mate Lungi Ngidi, who had claimed 6-58 earlier in the day.
The paceman became the fastest South African to 50 ODI wickets on his way to career-best figures in the format, David Warner the first of his victims after smashing 35 during an opening stand of 50 with Aaron Finch.
Ngidi also struck twice in successive balls during the 13th over, removing Steve Smith (13) and Marnus Labuschagne, the latter cutting his first delivery to Malan at point.
Captain Finch and D'Arcy Short both made 69 - the latter posting his maiden ODI half-century - while Mitchell Marsh (36) carried his team to a promising position heading into the closing stages.
Yet from 238-5 with six overs to go, Australia lost their way. Ngidi returned to get rid of Ashton Agar, Alex Carey and Pat Cummins, while Anrich Nortje trapped Starc lbw off the last ball of the innings.
The tourists will hope to avoid a 3-0 series loss when they round out their limited-overs tour with the third and final one-dayer, which takes place on Saturday in Potchefstroom.
Ireland enjoyed a famous first ever win over South Africa in international cricket last time out, with captain Andy Balbirnie playing a starring role with a knock of 102.
But they were unable to follow that up by clinching what would have been a maiden series triumph over a top-eight ranked team, as the Proteas this time managed to meet expectations by posting 346-4.
The opening partnership of Malan (177 not out) and De Kock (120) set the tone, with each recording impressive knocks. The latter was returning to action after being rested for the previous outings on the tour.
Ireland eventually ended the stand at 225 in the 37th over when De Kock was dismissed by Simi Singh (1-52), but South Africa piled on 100 runs in the final 10 overs to set a significant total.
Ireland were given a mountain to climb in reply after losing Paul Stirling and Balbirnie inside the first four overs. Andy McBrine also fell in the powerplay, while Harry Tector, George Dockrell and Lorcan Tucker departed in quick succession to suddenly leave the score at 92-6.
South Africa-born all-rounder Curtis Campher made 54 but it was Singh who was the star performer with the bat for the hosts, making a maiden ODI century.
He would end up unbeaten on exactly 100 from 91 deliveries as Ireland were bowled out for 276 at the start of the 48th over. Andile Phehlukwayo and Tabraiz Shamsi both claimed three wickets apiece for the Proteas.
Malan's the man
The pressure was on South Africa here after a disappointing showing last time, yet Malan – who was by no means in poor form after hitting 84 last time out – looked in control almost throughout. He had few near-misses en route to the best score of his seven-match international career, this his second ton in the 50-over format.
Singh on song
While Ireland's bowlers gave the batsmen too much work to do, Singh provided some positivity towards the end of the innings – without his efforts, it could have been a particularly ugly defeat. His knock included 14 boundaries, and he managed to reach three figures before running out of partners.
