Chasing an imposing target of 359, the tourists lost Quinton de Kock early but Markram and returning captain Temba Bavuma then combined for a partnership of 101 for the second wicket.

It was just the platform and calmness the Proteas needed after they slipped to 11-3 and then could not repair the damage enough before a 17-run defeat in the first ODI.

Markram was timing the ball sweetly while Bavuma was accumulating at the other end, before the stand was broken in the 21st over when the skipper holed out to deep square-leg for 46.

Matthew Breetzke joined the Markram in the middle with the latter reaching his first hundred as an opener in ODI cricket, while it was his fourth overall.

The partnership was 70 when Markram lost his wicket to walk back to the dressing room for 110 that came off 98 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes.

Breetzke immediately looked positive at the crease and new batter Dewald Brevis also played with attacking intent as the duo put on a stand of 92 from just 64 deliveries.

Brevis (54 off 34 balls) struck a maiden ODI fifty but was caught on the boundary off spinner Kuldeep Yadav going for another big shot.

Breetzke was on 68 was when seamer Prasidh Krishna trapped him lbw, and when the wicket of Marco Jansen fell India would have felt they had a sniff.

The home side grew even more in belief when Tony Zorzi, who had reached 17 off 11 deliveries, pulled what looked like his hamstring and was forced to leave the field in serious pain.

Corbin Bosch (29 not out) though held his nerve in the end, alongside Kenshav Maharaj (10 not out), as the visitors sealed the contest in the final over.

Earlier, a maiden ODI ton from Ruturaj Gaikwad and a 53rd hundred from Virat Kohli saw India gallop towards a total of 358-5 in their 50 overs.

The pair combined for third-wicket partnership of 195 that was the major foundation of the mammoth score that was set up.

On a tough day in the field for the Proteas, seamer Lungi Ngidi came through well with figures of 1-51 in his 10 overs while Jansen took 2-63.

The third and deciding ODI will be played in Visakhapatnam on Saturday before the teams clash in a five-match T20I series.

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