India v South Africa at Colombo (RPS), 25 Sep 2002 CricInfo Live Report

India v South Africa at Colombo (RPS), 25 Sep 2002
Santhosh S

India innings: 25.2 Overs, 50 Overs,
Pre-game: Toss & Teams,
South Africa innings: 25 Overs, End of match,

INDIA WIN THE COLOMBO THRILLER BY 10 RUNS
India beat South Africa in the semi final of the ICC Trophy played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. It was an astonishing victory for the Indians, after it looked like South Africa would canter through to the final. It was the brilliant catching of Yuvraj Singh and Sehwag’s bowling towards the end (5-0-25-3) that made the difference. South Africa, chasing 262 runs for a win, finished with 251/6 in 50 overs.

Jacques Kallis swung the first ball of the final over bowled by Sehwag for a huge six over mid-wicket. 15 runs were required off the last five balls, and Kallis (97 off 133 balls) was caught off a top edge by Dravid. Klusener failed fire the big blows for South Africa when it mattered most, and was caught off the last ball of the innings by Kaif at long off.

Gibbs danced down the track to Tendulkar and smacked the ball through covers to bring up his second hundred of the tournament. The century came off 98 balls, with the help of 16 fours.

Gibbs was clearly struggling with the heat and humidity and consequently had to get a runner. At one stage he couldn’t take it anymore and had to retire hurt. Gibbs (116 off 119 balls, 16 fours) slowly walked back to the pavilion, with the crowd giving him a standing ovation. South Africa were 192/1 at the end of the 37th over.

Gibbs and Kallis never looked like getting out, and with the exit of Gibbs, actually presented the Indian bowlers a last opportunity to attack. It all changed in the 39th over, Harbhajan Singh’s ninth over; Rhodes (1) was spectacularly caught by a diving Yuvraj Singh at short fine leg. And in the same over, Boeta Dippenaar (0) made it more interesting by sweeping the ball safely into the hands of Kumble at long leg.

South Africa were in danger of losing their way towards the target; suddenly they were 194/3 in 39 overs. Once again it looked like South Africa were taking that familiar road – choking when getting near a win.

Mark Boucher (10) became the third batsman to be dismissed while playing the sweep; caught by Yuvraj Singh off Sehwag. South Africa had lost their fourth wicket in the 44th over with 48 runs away from victory.

With Klusener showing no urgency and Kallis trying to play the big shots, Ganguly had to hand over the ball to Tendulkar, after the little man arguing his case. It was the 47th over and South Africa required 39 runs for a win. Kallis played a superb cover drive for four, and nine runs came off that over.

Sehwag bowled the 48th over, and Klusener just couldn’t get the ball away for runs. Just five runs were scored off the over.

South Africa required 25 runs off the last two overs and the match was going down to the wire. Zaheer Khan was entrusted with the 49th over, as the pressure was mounting all over. Klusener’s inability to strike a few hefty blows meant that just four runs were scored off the over.

GIBBS, KALLIS KEEPS SOUTH AFRICA ON A ROLL
South Africa are 128/1 with Gibbs unbeaten on 74 (80 balls, 11 fours) and Kallis on 43* (65 balls, 4 fours) at the end of the 25th over. They are still 134 runs away from a place in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy, with nine wickets in hand. The two batsmen are on the verge of breaking the best second wicket partnership (120 runs) against India, set by Gary Kirsten and Daryl Cullinan.

There was drama in the first over bowled by Zaheer Khan, Umpire Tiffin consulted the third umpire after the Indian players had gone up in appeal for lbw against Herschelle Gibbs. The TV replays suggested that the ball pitched well outside the line of leg stump.

Gibbs was not going to get rattled by all this; he pulled Ashish Nehra in front of square for the first boundary of the innings.

It was a splendid catch at point by Yuvraj Singh that sent back Graeme Smith (4) back to the pavilion off the bowling of Zaheer Khan. This should rate as one of the best catch in the tournament along with that of Nathan Astle.

When Zaheer Khan was keeping one end tight, Nehra erred in line and length to be hit for boundaries; Gibbs spanked a few cover drives and then hooked a short delivery to the fine leg fence for four.

Jacques Kallis took his time get settled, all it took was Kumble’s first over for Kallis to get going; a square drive was followed by an exquisite cover drive – for boundaries.

Gibbs and Kallis went about taking the singles and twos, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Gibbs then stepped out and lofted Harbhajan Singh over extra cover for four to take the total into the 90s in the 19th over.

Then came the big mistake in the 22nd over, which could easily become the turning point of the match. Kallis going for a cut, got a thick edge, and the ball flew to VVS Laxman at first slip; it was much to Kumble’s chagrin Laxman failed to take the catch.

The introduction of Yuvraj Singh into the attack could only ease it for the batsmen. Gibbs in particular took a special liking for the slow left-arm bowling, smashing the ball to the cover boundary.

It was quite bizarre that in the 25th over, Ashish Nehra cut the webbing in his left hand so badly while attempting a run out. It was a freak accident with his left hand hitting the base of the stumps. The cut might take a few stitches to fix it, and Nehra walked off the ground with physiotherapist Andrew Leipus.

Ganguly came in to complete the unfinished 25th over, and saw his first ball, a long hop, been spanked to the mid-wicket fence.

INDIA SET SOUTH AFRICA A TARGET OF 262 RUNS
Shaun Pollock picked up three wickets in the 49th over, and Donald one in the final over as India finished with 261/9 off their allotted 50 overs. It was the brilliant South African fielding that made all the difference, restricting the boundaries to a minimum and taking all the catches that came their way. Yuvraj Singh (62) played a nice hand after Sehwag (59) had blazed away in the first 25 overs to help India set a challenging target.

Yuvraj Singh got off his mark with a boundary of Robin Peterson. Dravid and Yuvraj Singh had to steady the Indian innings, and it took a while for India to score another boundary.

It took 49 balls of waiting for a four; Yuvraj Singh drove Pollock through mid-on for a boundary. The two batsmen added 72 runs for the fifth wicket partnership. Dravid (49 off 67 balls) was trapped leg before the wicket by Klusener, with the India total on 207 in the 41st over.

The South African fielding was superb as the denied the boundaries to the Indian batsmen. It was with the introduction of Kallis that a few boundaries came about. Yuvraj Singh played a fierce pull through mid-wicket to step up the tempo.

Mohd Kaif picked a couple of boundaries off Kallis in the 46th over; a lofted extra cover drive was followed by a flick to the square leg fence.

Yuvraj Singh brought up his 50 in 66 balls with the help of four strokes past the ropes. In the 48th over Donald was greeted with a swipe through mid-wicket for four. White lightning was not too impressed when Ntini at long on decided to take the ball on the first bounce. The immediate reaction from Donald was to bowl a bouncer at Yuvraj Singh, and the youngster hooked it away for four.

In the 49th over bowled by Pollock, Yuvraj Singh (62 off 72 balls, 6 fours) sliced the ball to covers and Gibbs took the catch. Kaif (19) was dismissed off the very next ball, hitting the ball down Rhodes’ throat at deep mid-on. Zaheer Khan (0) was caught by Graeme Smith at mid-off, getting under the ball nicely. Pollock took three wickets in his ninth over, giving away just the one run. Harbhajan Singh (4) had no clue to a slower ball from Donald in the final over.

INDIA LOSE WAY AFTER A BLISTERING START IN COLOMBO
South Africa have clawed back in by claiming four India wickets in Colombo, after a blistering start by Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly. Jonty Rhodes’ brilliance resulted in Sachin Tendulkar (16) run out off the second ball of the 26th over. India are 135/4 with Rahul Dravid (15*) and Yuvraj Singh at the crease.

It was yet another powerful show by Sehwag that almost took the game away from South Africa. Sehwag started off in a blazing fashion; he struck couple of fours off Pollock's first over, which went for ten runs.

Sourav Ganguly had some fortune, slashing at one from Makhaya Ntini, and the ball flew wide of slips for four. The Indian skipper showed that he is in supreme form by pulling the next delivery to the mid-wicket fence. The first four overs went for 30 runs.

At the start of the fifth over, Pollock beat Sehwag with a beauty - the ball moving away a shade. Sehwag responded with two cracking shots, a punch through mid-off and a pull in front of square for fours.

Ganguly played a rousing off drive for four down the ground, and soon he was undone by the short-pitched delivery from Ntini; Dippenaar took an easy catch at fine leg, after Ganguly (13) failed to connect the hook properly.

Sehwag, seeing the ball early and playing strokes through the line, struck Pollock down the ground for four. Allan Donald was welcomed with a flick to the mid-wicket fence. Ntini (5-0-37-0) bowled a half volley and got punished through extra cover. At the end of the 10th over, India was 70/1 with Sehwag on 38 (7 fours)

Jacques Kallis’ first ball was treated like a long hop and pulled to the mid-wicket fence by Sehwag. Swinging his bat at anything short, a top edge while attempting the pull shot raced to third-man for four. A nice little tuck through mid-wicket for a couple brought this little dynamite’s half century off 46 balls, with the help of nine boundaries. Kallis’ first over went for a dozen runs.

Donald was not too pleased when Sehwag opened the face of the bat and ran the ball to square third-man, a cheeky shot worth four runs. At the end of the 15th over, India were 94/1.

India lost their second wicket in the 17th over, with the score on 102. Laxman (22 off 33 balls) flirted with one outside the off, and was caught by Boucher off Donald. Sachin Tendulkar could have been dismissed first ball, beaten by a beauty from Donald; there was hardly any daylight between bat and ball.

Kallis struck the crucial blow in the 18th over by removing Sehwag (59 off 58 balls, 10 fours), caught by Klusener at mid-on off a miscued pull. Sehwag now has the scores of 48, 126 and 59 in this tournament.

The experience of Donald was there to be seen, on a track that gave no help to the bowlers, he troubled Tendulkar; again failing to find the outside edge by a whisker. Donald’s brilliant first spell of 6-0-22-1 helped put the brakes on India. Tendulkar had to wait for 23 balls to score his first boundary, a paddle sweep off debutant left-arm spinner Robin Peterson.

INDIA ELECT TO BAT AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA
Sourav Ganguly has won the toss and decided to bat in the ICC Trophy semi final against South Africa at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

It is another warm and humid day in Colombo, and the track must produce a lot of runs.

India have retained the side that pulled off a stunning win against England.

South Africa have brought in left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, replacing Justin Ontong.

South Africa: Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Mark Boucher (wk), Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock (Captain), Robin Peterson, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini.

India: Sourav Ganguly (Captain), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Kaif, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

Umpires: DR Shepherd (Eng) and RB Tiffin (Zim) TV Umpire: DJ Harper (Aus) Match Referee: RS Madugalle (SL)