June 26, 2007
Kallis' 91 Gives South Africa Win Over India
Belfast (Northern Ireland)
Sachin Tendulkar's 99 went in vain as captain Jacques Kallis's
unbeaten 91 steered South Africa to a four-wicket win over India in
the first One-day International of the Future Cup here Tuesday.
Batting at No. 3 Kallis (116 balls, 6x4s) batted till the end to
help South Africa win with three balls to spare. Chasing India's 242
for eight wickets in 50 overs, South Africa finished at 245 for six
in 49.3 overs. Vernon Philander was the other unbeaten batsman at
17.
The Indian camp was badly hit by viral fever with a majority of the
15-member team being uncertain Monday for the first match at the
Civil Service Cricket Club ground in Stormont. The illness forced
the team to call for three replacements.
Tendulkar, who was not affected by the fever, played 143 balls and
hit 12 boundaries before being run out while taking the 100th run.
Earlier, Kallis won the toss and asked India to take the first
strike. Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly took their own time in cold and
windy conditions to get used to the pitch and the rival's all-pace
bowling attack.
The slow scoring rate seems to have frustrated Ganguly so much that
he played an indiscreet shot to become the first victim. He was
caught by wicket-keeper Mark Boucher off Andre Nel.
Gautam Gambhir, another left-hander like Ganguly, also departed
quickly, in the 12th over. He even failed to open his account as the
South Africans increased their domination.
His exit laid the platform for Tendulkar and Dravid to resurrect the
innings and they were successful in their endeavour. The team's two
most experienced batsmen played percentage cricket to accumulate
runs as run scoring was difficult against some tight bowling by
South African pacers.
Batting according to the situation, they refrained from trying
anything extraordinary, ran their singles and twos briskly and
gradually built the partnership.
The first 50 of the partnership came off 82 balls. Then, Tendulkar
completed his career's 78th half-century off 95 balls and with help
from six boundaries.
Even till India reached 100 the going was so slow that they needed
50 more balls to reach that figure.
Dravid, who by then was well set, reached his career's 79th
half-century off 71 balls (3x4s) as the partnership continued to
grow in strength. And, interestingly, when India reached 150, Dravid
and Tendulkar's share was 72 runs each.
Tendulkar was eventually run out while attempting a tight second run
that would have given him his 42nd century. But before he was run
out by the brilliant throw from Morne van Wyk, he and Dravid had
added 158 precious runs for the third wicket.
When Tendulkar was out, India were 211 for four. But after that
wickets started falling quickly. Yuvraj Singh managed 13 off 12
balls and Dinesh Kaarthick scored an enterprising 19 off 10 balls
before failing in his attempt to play an ambitious square cut and
getting castled.
Talented youngster Rohit Sharma, who got to bat for the first time
in his second ODI, scored eight before getting out in the last over
of the innings.
Pacer Andre Nel took three wickets while Andrew Hall and Jacques
Kallis bagged two wickets apiece.
Chasing, A.B. de Villiers (24) and Morne van Wyk (44, 55 balls,
6x4s), who had hit a half-century against Ireland Sunday, gave a
sound start to South Africa with their 56-run stand.
Left-arm pacer Rudra Pratap Singh broke the stand when he forced de
Villiers to edge a delivery to wicket-keeper Karthik. Earlier in
that over, Tendulkar at wide slip had dropped the batsman's uppish
cut despite timing his jump to perfection. De Villiers was on 22
then.
Then, teenaged leg-spinner Piyush Chawla bowled two beautiful
deliveries in successive overs to reduce South Africa to 107 for
three from 99 for one.
The Uttar Pradesh spinner first deceived van Wyk who managed to give
a catch to Sharma at short extra cover. In his next over, he bowled
Herschelle Gibbs when the right-hander completely missed the line.
Jean-Paul Duminy's exit soon after that spelt more trouble for South
Africa. He tried to send off-spinner Ramesh Powar out of the ground,
but only managed giving a catch to Tendulkar at deep square leg.
At the halfway stage of the innings, South Africa were 124 for four.
The Proteas were a bit unlucky to lose Mark Boucher (23) leg before
the wicket as left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan's delivery had pitched
outside the leg stump. Television replays suggested that the ball
would also have sailed over the wicket.
Kallis, who was keeping the other end going, and Andrew Hall then
added 25 before Chawla return to strike. Hall drove a leg-break
delivery straight to cover where Dravid took the catch off the
second attempt. South Africa: 190 for six.
Kallis and Vernon Philander took the team home with some sensible
batting as the Indians seemed to have given up towards the end.
SCOREBOARD
1st One-day International, Future Cup, India vs. South Africa, Civil
Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast, June 26
India:
Sourav Ganguly c Boucher b Nel 13
Sachin Tendulkar run out (van Wyk/Boucher) 99
Gautam Gambhir c Kallis b Nel 0
Rahul Dravid b Nel 74
Yuvraj Singh c Kallis b Hall 13
Dinesh Karthik b Hall 19
Rohit Sharma b Kallis 8
Piyush Chawla not out 2
Ramesh Powar c de Villiers b Kallis 1
Extras: (byes 4, leg byes 2, wides 5, no balls 2) 13
Total: (for 8 wickets in 50 overs) 242
Bowling:
Makhaya Ntini 10 2 33 0
Charl Langeveldt 8 0 59 0 (1nb, 1w)
Andre Nel 10 1 47 3 (2w)
Andrew Hall 10 1 40 2
Vernon Philander 8 2 37 0
Jacques Kallis 4 0 20 2 (2w)
South Africa:
A.B. de Villiers c Karthik b R.P. Singh 24
Morne van Wyk c Sharma b Chawla 44
Jacques Kallis not out 91
Herschelle Gibbs b Chawla 5
Jean-Paul Duminy c Tendulkar b Powar 11
Mark Boucher lbw b Khan 23
Andrew Hall c Dravid b Chawla 16
Vernon Philander not out 17
Extras: (lb 4, w 10) 14
Total: (for six wickets in 49.3 overs) 254
Fall of wickets: 1-56 (de Villiers, 12.5 overs), 2-99 (van Wyk,
19.5), 3-107 (Gibbs, 21.1), 4-124 (Duminy, 24.5), 5-165 (Boucher,
34.3), 6-190 (Hall, 39.4)
Result: South Africa won by four wickets
Man of the Match: Jacques Kallis
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Mark Benson (England)
TV umpire: Billy Bowden (New Zealand)
Match referee: Alan Hurst (Australia)
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