“The target was manageable, but it was a poor batting performance from us. We had a good start but could not keep that going.
“You have to stay positive whatever the total you are chasing. We could not execute the chase well.”
Faf du Plessis was the lone batsman to shine for the tourists with 51 as the rest of the batting succumbed under the pressure applied by Dhoni’s men under lights.
The Proteas were sailing along at a comfortable 134-2, following a 82-run stand between du Plessis and JP Duminy, when India bounced back with three wickets in the space of 15 deliveries.
Patel trapped Duminy leg-before for 36 and had du Plessis offering a catch to Kohli in the covers, before Kumar forced David Miller to edge his first delivery to Dhoni behind the stumps. Kohli then dived to his left in the covers to pick up a superb catch that removed danger man de Villiers for 19 and made South Africa 167-6 in the 33rd over.
Farhaan Behardien (18) and Rabada (19 not out) attempted to pull South Africa out of trouble, but India held their nerves in front of a sell-out crowd of 27,000 home fans.
Earlier, fiery pace spearhead Dale Steyn claimed 3-49 and fellow fast bowler Morne Morkel and leg-spinner Imran Tahir chipped in with two wickets each to restrict the Indian batsmen.
Ajinkya Rahane was the only other batsman besides Dhoni to shine with 51.
South Africa had won the preceding Twenty20 series 2-0. The one-dayers will be followed by four Test matches.
Score Board
India won toss
India
R G Sharma b Rabada 3
S Dhawan c Duminy b Morkel 23
A M Rahane b Imran 51
V Kohli run out 12
*†M S Dhoni not out 92
S K Raina c de Kock b Morkel 0
A R Patel lbw b Steyn 13
B Kumar b Imran 14
Harbhajan Singh c de Kock b Steyn 22
U T Yadav c de Kock b Steyn 4
M M Sharma not out 0
Extras (lb 2, w 10, nb 1) 13
Total (9 wickets; 50 overs) 247
Fall: 1-3, 2-59, 3-82, 4-102, 5-104, 6-124, 7-165, 8-221, 9-225
Bowling: Steyn 10-0-49-3 (2w); Rabada 10-1-49-1 (1nb, 3w); Morkel 10-0-42-2 (3w); Duminy 9-0-59-0 (1w); Imran 10-1-42-2 (1w); Behardien 1-0-4-0
South Africa
H M Amla st Dhoni b Patel 17
†Q de Kock c M Sharma b Harbhajan 34
F du Plessis c Kohli b Patel 51
J P Duminy lbw b Patel 36
*A B de Villiers c Kohli b M Sharma 19
D A Miller c Dhoni b Kumar 0
F Behardien c Dhoni b Harbhajan 18
D W Steyn c Kohli b Yadav 13
K Rabada not out 19
Imran Tahir c Dhoni b Kumar 9
M Morkel c Raina b Kumar 4
Extras (lb 3, w 2) 5
Total (all out; 43.4 overs) 225
Fall: 1-40, 2-52, 3-134, 4-141, 5-142, 6-167, 7-186, 8-200, 9-221, 10-225
Bowling: Kumar 8.4-0-41-3; Yadav 8-0-52-1; Harbhajan 10-0-51-2 (1w); Patel 10-0-39-3; M Sharma 5-0-21-1 (1w); Raina 2-0-18-0
Result: India won by 22 runs
Series: 5-match series levelled by 1-1
Man of the Match: ???
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and V A Kulkarni. TV umpire: C K Nandan. Match referee: B C Broad (England)