South Africa have beaten India by 90 runs in the third and final one-day international.

Jacques Kallis and A.B. de Villiers scored unbeaten centuries today in a 173-run stand as South Africa beat India by 90 runs in the final one-day international but lost 2-1 in the three-match series.

Kallis made 104 off 94 balls while De Villiers hit 102 off 59 balls to record the seventh fastest ODI century in South Africa's total of 365-2, the team's highest against India.

India briefly threatened but was bowled out for 275 in 44.3 overs after opening bowlers Dale Steyn claimed 3-37 and Lonwabo Tsotsobe 3-58. Virat Kohli top-scored with 57.

South Africa lost the first ODI by one run at Jaipur before Tendulkar's record double century earned India a 153-run win Wednesday at Gwalior.

India missed the rested opening pair of Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, struggling as wickets fell with regular intervals.

Steyn's two wickets in his return spell took the steam out of India. The South African fast bowler had captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 9 caught by wicketkeeper Mark Bouchwer, as was Kohli.

Boucher should have finished with five catches in the match after television replays clearly showed Yusuf Pathan on 5 had got a big deflection down the leg side but the 'keeper was denied by Indian umpire Sanjay Hazare.

Earlier, in-form Hashim Amla made 87 and Loots Bosman 68 to give South Africa a launching pad after Kallis won the toss and elected to bat.

Amla and Bosman combined for a 113-run opening stand before Bosman tried an ambitious stroke from spinner Yusuf Pathan and holed out in the deep in the 16th over. Bosman hit seven fours and four sixes.

Amla continued his fine form from the preceding test series and added 79 with Kallis before he top-edged a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Ravinder Jadeja. Amla's 103-ball knock contained eight fours.

Kallis imperiously lifted paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth for successive sixes in the penultimate over to raise his 17th century in limited-over internationals.

De Villiers followed his skipper in the last over with a six and a four off part-time spinner Rohit Sharma. India's second-string bowlers struggled to restrict their opponentns — especially in the last five overs in which De Villiers and Kallis put on 78.

Debutant fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun and Sudeep Tyagi conceded 19 runs each during the last five overs as both South African batsmen cut lose and took South Africa to its /best ever total in an ODI against India.