South Africa demolish India by nine wickets

CENTURION: The Super Sport Park here rose in unison for Graeme Smith on Sunday afternoon. The standing ovation — one may mistake — was not for leading his side to a comprehensive victory in the fifth and final ODI, but for the runs he scored. It was an expression of a collective sigh of relief. The South African skipper had ended an avoidable national furore by hammering a stroke-filled 79.

But more than the runs he scored, it was the way he scored them that was the highlight of Sunday’s contest, which the hosts won by nine wickets with over 18 overs to spare. Going into the match, Smith had only one run against his name. His struggle was similar to that of the Indian batsmen. But unlike the visitors, he chose to swashbuckle his way to form, hitting seven fours and three sixes in his 79 (off 85 balls). What’s more, he also managed to avoid falling to Zaheer Khan, who till Sunday, had virtually made him his bunny.

On the other hand, the Indian batsmen, including Sachin Tendulkar, tried to crawl their way to form. They had a new high in their batting on Sunday — for the first time they survived the entire quota of 50 overs. But it was an arduous crawl. The contrast was unmistakable.

Smith’s return to scoring ways overshadowed a better effort from his partner. AB de Villiers, opening for the first time in the series, took the Indian attack by the scruff of its neck. He treated the Indian bowlers with sheer disdain — cutting, driving, lofting and lifting them to the fence with ridiculous ease. By hitting 12 fours and a six in a 95-ball unbeaten 92, he exhibited unbridled power and aggression. It was sad that the innings did not reach its logical culmination.

The well-deserved century was deprived to him by teammate Shaun Pollock. The veteran all-rounder, declared man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series, batted as if he had an early flight to catch. Coming in at No 3, he smashed a three to hasten South Africa’s win which gave them the expected 4-0 result.

Having lost the series before the match, one expected the Indians would show some courage and gumption to take the battle into the rival camp. But it was not to be. For the first time in the series, they managed to score 200 but the effort failed to hide the visitors’ struggle against the South African pace attack.

But for Sachin Tendulkar’s 55 and his 85-run third wicket partnership with Dinesh Mongia (41), India would have struggled to reach the mark. But neither Sachin, nor Mongia nor even Mahendra Singh Dhoni (who made 44) could trouble the home bowlers. VVS Laxman, who was specially flown in as a batting reinforcement, was out off his first ball.

Going into the Test series, India would have done well by making an attempt to dominate the South African attack. But one found, the visitors have left the steel in their sinews at home. 

Scorecard

India Innings

V Sehwag c Boucher b Pollock           11
S Tendulkar c De Villiers b Kemp       55
VVS Laxman c Smith b Pollock            0
D Mongia b Kemp                        41
MS Dhoni c Nel b Ntini                 44
D Kaarthick c Boucher b Nel            11
I Pathan b Kallis                       7
Harbhajan Singh c Pollock b Ntini       1
Zaheer Khan not out                    16
A Kumble b Ntini                        1

Extras (lb5, w8)                       13
Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs)          200

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-18, 3-103, 4-127, 5-154, 6-173, 7-183, 8-183, 9-200
       
Bowling: Pollock 10-4-17-2, Ntini 10-1-32-3, Kallis 10-1-56-1, Nel 10-1-34-1, Peterson 5-0-33-0, Kemp 5-0-23-2

South Africa Innings   

A de Villiers not out                 92   
G Smith c Karthik b Harbhajan Singh   79   
S Pollock not out                     16   

Extras (lb4, nb5, w5)                 14   
Total (1 wkt, 31.2 overs)            201   

Fall of wicket: 1-173   

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 7-1-46-0 (1w), Sreesanth 3.2-0-31-0 (2nb, 3w), Pathan 6-0-48-0, Harbhajan Singh 8-0-39-1 (3nb), Kumble 7-0-33-0