< >

Zaheer Stars As India Dismiss South Africa For 220

Tuesday 18 January 2011

©REUTERS/Mike Hutchings (SOUTH AFRICA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

South Africa 220 (du Plessis 60) v India
Third One-Day International, Cape Town

South Africa were bowled out for 220 by India to set up an interesting chase under lights, after South African skipper Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat first in the third One-Day Internationals in Cape Town.

The Indian new-ball seamers bowled exceedingly well and rarely allowed anything loose for the Proteas batsman to capitalise on. Left-armer Zaheer Khan was the pick of the bowlers with three for 43 in his spell, while ace off-spinner Harbhajan Singh bowled with guile, loop and variation to end with two for 23 in his nine overs. Medium pacer Munaf Patel grabbed two scalps with his miserly bowling.

South Africa replaced David Miller with all-rounder Francois du Plessis, who celebrated his debut with composed 60; falling to Patel in a bid to accelerate the scoring, caught by Virat Kohli in the covers. India played hard-hitting all-rounder Yusuf Pathan as batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has returned home nursing an injury.

The Proteas lost in-form opener Hashim Amla (16) when he was comprehensively bowled by Zaheer, coming around the wicket. In no time, first-slip fieldsman Kohli held on to a difficult chance to dismiss Colin Ingram (10) off Harbhajan as South Africa lost their second wicket with 49 on the board in the 14th over.

Smith (43) played the sheet anchor role, before playing a rank bad shot to Harbhajan to give Kohli his second catch in the first slip.

After a resurrection process by JP Duminy (52) and du Plessis, with a partnership of 110 runs for the fifth wicket, South Africa were decently placed at 200 for four.

South Africa took the third power play in the 45th over and it proved to be disappointing as they lost five wickets with bounce becoming lower with every progressing over. Lower-order batsmen Johan Botha (9) and Wayne Parnell (5) failed to give South Africa the required impetus in the death overs.