India choke under pressure
South Africa backed fast-bowler Dale Steyn’s five-wicket burst with their batting depth to end India’s winning run with a thrilling three-wicket victory in the World Cup on Saturday.
Needing 13 to win in the last over off paceman Ashish Nehra, South Africa found an unlikely star in Robin Peterson who plundered 16 runs off the first four balls to help his side achieve a 297-run target.
Batting collapse
India looked set to post a mammoth total when they reached 267 for one following Sachin Tendulkar’s brilliant 111 for his 48th One-Day International (ODI) hundred, but lost their last nine wickets for just 29 runs in nine overs to be bowled out for 296.
Man-of-the-match Steyn (five for 50) played a key role in his team’s fightback to bag his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs.
Smith pleased after win
Meanwhile South Africa captain Graeme Smith was ecstatic after his team pulled off a close win. “The confidence you get out of a win like this is huge.
“We can get on a run now, we’ve had long breaks between our games but we’re playing every three or four days now.”
India, who had been hoping to wrap up a quarter-final place but suffered their first defeat, still top Group B with seven points from five matches.
They are followed by West Indies (6/4), South Africa (6/4), England (5/5) and Bangladesh (4/4) as the pool heads for a thrilling conclusion in the final week of the first round.
Jacques Kallis (69), Hashim Amla (61), AB de Villiers (52), Faf du Plessis (25 not out) and JP Duminy (23) also contributed to South Africa’s win.
Tendulkar gives blazing start
Tendulkar earlier dominated the South African attack, cracking three sixes and eight fours in a 101-ball knock.
South Africa’s attack came under pressure for the first time in four matches as Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag (73) and Gautam Gambhir (69) comfortably gathered runs against pace and spin, much to the delight of a capacity crowd.
India made the most of winning the toss on an easy-paced pitch as Sehwag and Tendulkar provided an explosive 142-run start off just 17.4 overs. Gambhir continued the good work, adding 125 for the second wicket with Tendulkar.
Sehwag, who survived on four and 70, hammered 12 fours in his 66-ball knock. He began his fifth successive innings with a four when he lofted Steyn over mid-on.
He had a lucky escape in the next over, his edge off paceman Morne Morkel flying past wicket-keeper Morne van Wyk.
Sehwag did not curb his strokes after the let-off, smashing Steyn for two more boundaries and then punishing Morkel for three fours in an over as India raced to 50 off just 41 balls.
‘Pressure got the better of us’
India captain MS Dhoni said choosing to bowl Nehra in the last over could have been a mistake. “We just needed the bowlers to bowl in the right spot, but they were under pressure,” said Dhoni.
“Harbhajan was the only other choice for the last over, but I thought it would be better to use Nehra. Maybe I was wrong.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2011.
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