India's ODI wins in South Africa prove we can travel well: Sachin Tendulkar

India vs South Africa, ODI series: India have taken a 3-0 ODI lead in the six-match series after victories in Durban, Centurion and Cape Town. India now look well set to win their first ever series in South Africa.

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India's ODI wins in South Africa prove we can travel well: Sachin Tendulkar
India now look well set to win their first ever ODI series in South Africa.

Sachin Tendulkar has lauded Team India's dominant show in the ongoing one day international series in South Africa. Tendulkar was highly impressed with the way Virat Kohli's men outplayed South Africa in their own backyard.

"The last two ODIs have been one-sided. It proves that we can travel well. The first two matches were close in the Test series but the third one we played very well," Tendulkar told India Today in an exclusive chat on the sidelines of Auto Expo 2018 in Greater Noida on Wednesday.

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Team India maintained its stranglehold and crushed South Africa in the third ODI in Cape Town as well to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the six-match series. India have never won an ODI series in South Africa and with three more matches to go in the series, the Kohli-led side has a real chance of creating history in the rainbow nation.

India rode on Virat Kohli's masterly 160 not out and wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal show to crush South Africa by 124 runs.

Asked to bat first, India scored a challenging 303/6 courtesy Kohli's 34th hundred and then Kuldeep and Chahal combined to pick 8 wickets to dismiss South Africa for only 179 runs.

Kohli broke a plethora of records en route his unbeaten 160 off 159 balls. Kohli took 197 innings to slam 34 hundreds which is 101 fewer than Tendulkar, who reached the landmark in his 298th innings against Namibia in 2003. Kohli has now hit 55 international hundreds, the fifth most in history.

Kohli also went past Ganguly's record of most hundreds by an Indian captain in ODIs with his 12th ton. He achieved the feat in 100 innings fewer than Ganguly. Only two players have scored more centuries as captain - Ricky Ponting with 22 centuries and AB de Villiers with 13.

"Stepping out on the field and scoring centuries has become a regularity for @imVkohli. Congratulations on your 34th ODI ton! Keep the runs flowing always. #INDvsSA," Tendulkar tweeted.

India consolidated their position at the top of the ODI team rankings after their 124-run victory over South Africa at Newlands on Wednesday.

India will have to win the 6-match ODI series vs South Africa 4-2 to retain the top spot in the ICC Team Rankings.

Tendulkar also hailed the Indian cricket team for outclassing every opponent in the ICC U-19 World Cup in New Zealand. India, led by Prithvi Shaw, defeated Australia in the final to lift their record fourth title in youth cricket.

"We have done exceedingly well in New Zealand. They outclassed rest of the teams in the tournament. It was evident that we are miles ahead of the rest," Tendulkar told India Today.