Cricket: South Africa beat India by three wickets in World Cup thriller

South Africa snatched a thrilling three-wicket last over win over India in a Group B cricket World Cup match that the hosts literally gave away from a position of strength.

Chasing 297 for a win, South Africa made 300 for seven wickets in 49.4 overs in an encounter that swayed first one way and then the other throughout before India suffered their first loss in the tournament so far.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first, and openers Sachin Tendulkar (111) and Virender Sehwag (73) provided them a dream start with a 142-run first wicket stand.

But India's much-vaunted batting depth was nowhere in evidence today as its middle order collapsed inexplicably, and the home team lost nine wickets for just 29 runs in the space of 8.1 overs to end up with 296 in 48.4 overs, much lower than the 350-odd that seemed quite on the cards at one stage.

Apart from Tendulkar and Sehwag, left-hander Gautam Gambhir, though tentative in the beginning, also opened up later to make 69. As it turned out, however, the Indians even failed to last out their 50 overs.

There was stunned silence all around the packed stadium as South Africa staged a superb fightback in the field.

For the South Africans, Steyn took five for 50, a performance that won him the Man of the Match award. Robin Peterson took two for 52 while Morkel, Kallis and du Plessis took one wicket each.

In the chase, the Indians held the upper hand for much of the early stages, with the bowlers managing to keep the South African batsmen on a tight leash.

But opener Hashim Amla (61), Jacques Kallis (69) and A B de Villiers (52), aided by Jean-Paul Duminy's 23 brought them within handshaking distance of their target. But they still needed 17 from the last two overs. Francois du Plessis (25 not out) and Robin Peterson (18 not out) made it possible with two balls to spare.

The Proteas, who virtually needed to score at about a run a ball from the start, began the chase on a tentative note, as the Indian pace bowlers Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra managed to bowl to a tight length and keep them under check. The first five overs produced only 17 runs for them.

In Khan's opening over, Amla sent the second ball to the cover boundary for an elegant four. Skipper Graeme Smith picked up a short one from Nehra in the next and pulled it to mid-wicket for another boundary.

The next three overs yielded only six runs before Amla hit two consecutive fours off Nehra, one past the non-existent third slip and the second past cover, which Tendulkar chased all the way to the fence.

In Nehra's next over, Amla again smashed him for two consecutive fours, lifting him once over cover and then whipping him to the square leg boundary.

The South Africans were clearly stepping up the pace, but that's when Khan finally struck for the breakthrough that the home team was looking for. Smith managed to hit him for a four past mid-off and but fell off the very next ball. He tried a drive but ended up sending the ball straight to Tendulkar at mid-off. Smith made 16 off 29 balls with two fours in a total of 41 in 8.3 overs.

The next ten overs saw the South Africans add only 46 more runs, and the pressure was building on them to step up the pace, even as the Indian bowlers managed to keep them on a tight leash.

Amla took a brace off Nehra to bring up the 50 of the innings, and the two batsmen slowly laid the foundations of a big partnership.

Kallis smashed a drive in the air off Munaf Patel for four over a leaping Virat Kohli in the covers, but generally the boundaries were few and far between.

In the 17th over, Dhoni introduced spinner Yusuf Pathan into the attack and he and Patel continued to keep the batsmen in check. In the 20th over, the Indian skipper brought Yuvraj Singh from the othr end.

A single off Yuvraj Singh helped Amla get to his 50. The first boundary in several overs came when Kallis went down on one knee and swept Yuvraj to deep square leg for four. At the half way mark, South Africa were 115 for one and the required run rate was climbing.

In the next over, Amla got a chance when Yuvraj, moving towards his left at mid-wicket, failed to hold on to a shot off Harbhajan Singh. The bowler, however, claimed him in his next over, caught behind by Dhoni. Amla made 61 off 72 balls with five fours in a total of 127 in 27.2 overs.

Kallis hit Harbhajan in his next over for two consecutive fours, one a conventional sweep and the other a scoop towards the fine-leg boundary. A B De Villiers, the new batsman, lifted Harbhajan high over mid-wicket for a mighty six in the bowler's next over.

de Villiers pounced on a half volley from Yuvraj Singh and despatched it to the extra cover fence.

In the next over, India finally managed to separate the two, when a superb throw from Harbhajan helped Dhoni to whip off the bails before Kallis could make it back to the striker's end. Kallis had made 69 off 88 balls with the help of four boundaries.

South Africa called for the batting powerplay and the batsmen seemed to have decided to go for the runs. Jean-Paul Duminy hit a superb late cut off Nehra for a four. In the same over, de Villiers got an inside edge that went all the way to the fence.

Munaf Patel came back into the attack and Duminy slashed him over point for a four and then de Villiers got a full toss on middle and leg that he lofted over wide mid-on for another boundary.

In his penultimate over, Khan found himself despatched to the fence by de Villiers twice, first to fine leg and then to backward point before Duminy lifted him out of the ground for a straight six.

In Harbhajan's next over, de Villiers lifted him for a four to short third man to bring up his half-century but then was gone the next ball. Trying to sweep the ball, the batsmen sent the ball towards square, where Virat Kohli dived forward for a superb low catch. de Villiers made 52 off 39 balls and had six fours and one six in his knock which brought the South Africans within hand-shaking distance of their target.

At the other end, du Plessis stepped down the wicket to Yuvraj Singh and hit a huge six over long-off.

Harbhajan kept up the pressure by getting Duminy stumped by Dhoni in the next over. Duminy had made 23 off 20 balls with the help of two fours and one six. South Africa were 238 for five in 42.3 overs.

Morne van Wyk, the man in next, got four off Patel after Gautam Gambhir failed to catch him at long-leg and the ball rolled past the fielder to the fence. But he did not stay for very long, with Patel trapping him leg before after he had made only 5 to reduce South Africa to 247 for six in 44 overs.

The South Africans picked out Patel for special treatment, with Botha cutting him for four. In Patel's next over, the 48th, Botha swung him away to the leg, past mid-wicket for four and then lifted the next ball for a straight six. Patel, however, had the last laugh, with the batsman caught by substitute Suresh Raina taking a great running catch. Botha had made 23 off 15 balls with the help of two fours and a six. South Africa were now 279 for seven in 47.5 overs.

The Proteas needed 17 runs from the last two overs and it was edge-of-seat suspense in the stadium.

Zaheer Khan, sending down his last over, gave away only three, which left the South Africans the difficult, but entirely possible, task of getting 13 from the last over.

Dhoni decided to entrust the responsibility to Patel, not wanting to risk a spinner at that stage.

The atmosphere was electrifying. Peterson sent the first ball to fine leg for four and then hit the next for a huge six. Two more runs, off an inswinging yorker, brought the two sides on par. The next ball, Peterson stepped back and smashed it through the covers for another four.

The Proteas had won by three wickets, with two balls to spare and finally shaken off the tag of being chokers.

Among the Indian bowlers, Harbhajan Singh ended with three for 53 while Patel took two for 65 and Khan got one for 43.

Earlier, India's much-vaunted batting depth was nowhere on display as its middle order failed to capitalise on a superb start provided by openers Sachin Tendulkar (111) and Virender Sehwag (73) as the hosts found themselves restricted to 296 in 48.4 overs by the Proteas.

Tendulkar and Sehwag put on 142 for the first wicket in 17.4 overs to give the Indians a dream start. Left-hander Gautam Gambhir, though tentative in the beginning, also opened up later to make 69.

But just when the hosts appeared to be heading for a big score, things began to fall apart in unexpected fashion, with nine wickets falling in 8.1 overs for the addition of just 29 runs. As it turned out, the Indians even failed to last out their 50 overs.

There was stunned silence all around the packed stadium, which was only minutes earlier cheering the Indian stars in unison. While the target of 297 will not be easy for the South Africans, the Indian bowlers have their task cut out.

After Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first, Sehwag and Tendulkar got into stride straight away, setting about the task of building a good score in style.

Sehwag was the first to depart, after making 73 off 66 balls with the help of 12 fours and putting on 142 for the first wicket with Tendulkar in 17.4 overs. It was Faf du Plessis who finally got the breakthrough for the South Africans, as the batsman got a thin edge that went on to the leg stump.

Tendulkar and Gambhir put on 125 for the second wicket before the little master finally made his exit after scoring his 48th ODI century and the sixth in the World Cup, the most by any batsman. He was caught by Duminy at point off Morkel as he tried to steer the ball down the ground only to end up slicing it high in the air. His 111 came off 101 balls and included three sixes and eight fours.

One run later, Gambhir also left, caught by Kallis at mid-off off Steyn. His 69 came off 75 balls and included seven fours.

The Indians, who were aiming to step up the scoring rate in an effort to pile up a huge score, lost one more wicket at the same score of 268, as Yusuf Pathan, pushed up the batting order, threw his bat at a full length ball from Steyn. The ball went towards cover, where Graeme Smith reached high to take an easy catch. The batsman had faced only two balls and had not scored.

India were suddenly under pressure at 268 for four in 40.3 overs, aware of the need to build up a total that their bowlers can defend.

Yuvraj Singh made 12 before he holed out to long-off off a full toss from Kallis that he wanted to send out of the ground. Botha made no mistake with the catch and South Africa were clearly fighting back. India were 283 for five in 42.6 overs.

Three runs later, Virat Kohli was gone, caught and bowled by Peterson, after making only 1 and the hosts were 286 for six in 44 overs. Harbhajan Singh made 3 before he was bowled by a yorker from Steyn to make it 293 for seven in 46.5 overs. Zaheer Khan failed to score, caught by Morkel off Peterson, while attempting a big hit in the long-on region. India were 294 for eight in 47.4 overs.

Skipper Dhoni, who remained unbeaten on 12, could only watch helplessly as Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel were bowled by Steyn without opening their account.

The Indians, who are unbeaten so far in Group B, went into the match with one change, bringing in pace bowler Munaf Patel and leaving spinner Piyush Chawla out from the side that played against the Netherlands in their last outing.

The South Africans brought in Johan Botha in place of Imran Tahir, who fractured his thumb in their last match against England.

Sehwag began the innings in his usual style, lofting the ball from Dale Steyn over mid-on for another first-ball four, much to the delight of the huge crowd at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium.

In the next over, Morne Morkel swung one away from Sehwag and the batsman edged the ball to the fence, only slightly away from wicket-keeper van Wyk, who barely managed to move.

India got 14 runs in the third over, including four from on overthrow by Botha, with Morkel failing to back up properly at the bowler's end. In the same over, Sehwag lifted the ball off his hips to fine leg for a superb one-bounce four. Five wides came off the next delivery, with van Wyk getting no chance to get to the ball.

Sehwag was slowly getting into his stride, and he despatched Steyen wide of third man for another one-bounce four. India were 33 at the end of the first five overs, with Sehwag on 17 and Tendulkar on 10.

In the next over, Sehwag hit Morkel for three fours, the first a back-foot shot through the covers, the second straight past the bowler and the third wide of third man.

Steyn, who had conceded 24 runs in his first three overs, was replaced by Kallis and Sehwag pulled one from him to the fence to bring up the 50 of the Indian innings in 6.4 overs. Tendulkar also helped himself to a four to short fine-leg in the same over.

There appeared to be no stopping the India openers now, as they helped themselves to 13 runs in the next over from Morkel. First, Sehwag drove him past mid-on, and then Tendulkar sent the ball crashing through the covers and then straight past the bowler for two consecutive fours.

The two batsmen also kept collecting singles and twos, and managed seven in this fashion in the next over from Kallis.

Steyn was brought back from the other end, and Tendulkar pulled him over deep backward square leg for six, a powerful and well-timed shot that sent the ball flying flat over the boundary.

As India piled up 87 for no loss in the first ten overs, they also earned the distinction of making the highest score in the mandatory powerplay in this World Cup, beating their own performance against Netherlands.

Tendulkar blasted a slower one from Kallis past mid-on for a four, and, at the other end, Sehwag lofted one from left-arm spinner Robin Peterson over cover for four to get to his half-century off 44 balls. Sehwag then came up with a a superb square drive off Duminy for four. In the next over, Tendulkar stepped out and on-drove Peterson for another boundary.

In the same over, Tendulkar took a single off Peterson to get to his half-century. He celebrated by lifting Duminy over long-on for another six. At the other end, Sehwag lifted Peterson over cover for four. In Botha's next over, Sehwag got another chance, with wicket-keeper van Wyk again failing to get to a thick edge that was a bit wide of him.

Sehwag finally left in the next over, when du Plessis sent down a faster and flatter one, and the batsman got a thin edge that took both bails off. India were 142 for one in 17.4 overs. Sehwag's 73 came off 66 balls and included 12 fours.

The left-handed Gambhir, who replaced Sehwag in the middle, came down the track and lifted Botha over cover for a four, a perfectly timed and placed shot. Tendulkar took a single off du Plessis to bring up the 150 of the innings in 19.1 overs.

The departure of Sehwag certainly slowed down the Indian innings, and Botha and Peterson did not allow Tendulkar and Gambhir too many liberties. At the half-way mark, India were 174 for one, the previous five overs just producing 19 runs.

The next five overs produced only 23 more runs, though Tendulkar showed some signs of trying to break the shackles, sending Peterson sailing over long-on for his third six.

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