South Africa got their World Cup campaign back on track with a thrilling three-wicket win over India in a Group B World Cup match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Jamtha here Saturday.
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Needing 13 from the final over, Robin Peterson hit Ashish Nehra for a four, six, two and four to see the Proteas to their target of 297 with two balls to spare.
The win overshadowed the 99th international hundred of Sachin Tendulkar’s career and the best tonic for Graeme Smith’s side, which had suffered a morale shattering lost in their last game to England in equally dramatic fashion.
Along with Virender Sehwag (73), Tendulkar (111) had put India on course for a massive total before they suffered a monumental batting collapse, losing nine wickets for 29 runs to be bowled out in 48.4 overs, Dale Steyn finishing up with 5-50.
Indian openers had set the stage for a massive total with an opening stand of 142, with 87 coming off the first 10 overs.
South Africa finally got a breakthrough in the 17th over, when after surviving a dropped caught-behind chance off Johan Botha, Sehwag played on to become Francois du Plessis’ first international wicket.
At 267-1 with more than 10 overs to go and a batting powerplay in process, 400 looked a real probability. But it turned out to be as the start of a batting powerplay saw a mere 30 runs added for the loss of four batsmen.
South Africa lost skipper Smith in the ninth over of their run chase and despite 61 from Amla and a composed knock of 69 from Kallis, they always appeared to be behind the eight ball.
Villiers, who smashed seven boundaries in his 52 off 39 balls, changed the course of the match before Harbhajan Singh had him caught in the deep during the batting powerplay.
Summary || Scorecard || Ball by Ball|| Partnerships