BLOEMFONTEIN (South Africa), Oct 12: India scored a resounding 10-wicket win over a hopelessly outclassed Kenya in their one-day international on Friday.
After dismissing Kenya for 90 — their lowest ever score in one-day international cricket — India reached their target off just 11.3 overs in what was a desperately one-sided contest.
The victory took India to the top of the standings in the triangular tournament courtesy of a vastly superior net run rate to that of hosts South Africa.
Virinder Sehwag (55 not out) and wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta (24 not out) made the most of a promotion to open the batting and were largely untroubled as they scored freely off a demoralised Kenyan attack.
Sehwag was particularly destructive, lacing his innings with 11 boundaries, most of them crisp drives and cuts through the off side. He reached his fifty with a powerful pull to the midwicket boundary off Tony Suji and his undefeated 55 came off just 42 balls.
Kenya’s 90 all out after winning the toss and deciding to bat was comfortably lower than their previous lowest total — the 103 they made against South Africa in Nairobi in 1996-1997.
Ajit Agarkar took four for 27 and Anil Kumble three for 14 as the Kenyan batsmen were horribly exposed on an unusually lively Bloemfontein pitch.
The Kenyans were even the recipients of a controversial act of charity from umpire Dave Orchard and Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly. Already five wickets down with just 41 on the board, Thomas Odoyo was given run out by Orchard after a mix-up with Martin Suji.
Television replays indicated that Odoyo had made his ground and the batsman was recalled.
The Kenyan was allowed back after consultation between Orchard and Ganguly despite the fact that he had already left the field of play, a clear breach of the laws.
Earlier Agarkar picked up three early wickets with the new ball, clean bowling both Ravindhu Shah and David Otieno for ducks and then snapping up the dangerous Stephen Tikolo, caught behind for one.
Anil Kumble then struck three times, taking captain Maurice Odumbe lbw for six shortly before Kenya reached the 15-over mark on 25 for four.
Kennedy Otieno (14) also fell leg before to Kumble and after Odoyo had been given his reprieve, he added just three more runs before he too was a out lbw for 12.
KENYA
K.Otieno lbw b Kumble 14
R.Shah b Agarkar 0
D.Otieno b Agarkar 0
S.Tikolo c Dasgupta b Agarkar 1
M Odumbe lbw b Kumble 6
T.Odoyo lbw b Kumble 12
M.Suji lbw b Agarkar 1
T.Suji not out 18
C.Otieno lbw b Harbhajan 16
J.Kamande b Srinath 5
P.Ogondo b Srinath 3
EXTRAS (lb-3 nb-5 w-6) 14
TOTAL (all out, 37.1 overs) 90
FALL OF WKTS: 1-4 2-5 3-13 4-25 5-41 6-44 7-50 8-73 9-86
BOWLING: Srinath 7.1-1-13-2 (nb-2 w-3), Agarkar 10-2-27-4 (w-2), Ganguly 5-0-15-0 (nb-3), Kumble 10-4-14-3, Harbhajan
5-1-18-1 (w-1)
INDIA
D.Dasgupta not out 24
V.Sehwag not out 55
EXTRAS (nb-10 w-2) 12
TOTAL (for no wicket, 11.3 overs) 91
DID NOT BAT: S.Ganguly, S.Tendulkar, R.Dravid, Y.Singh, J.Martin, A.Agarkar, H.Singh, A.Kumble, J.Srinath
BOWLING: M.Suji 4-1-23-0 (nb-1, w-2), Odoyo 4-0-37-0 (nb-7), Ogondo 2-0-12-0, T.Suji 1.3-0-19-0 (nb-2)
RESULT: India won by 10 wickets.
UMPIRES: Dave Orchard, Shahid Wadvalla
TV UMPIRE: Wilf Diedricks
MATCH REFEEE: Justice Ahmed Ebrahim.—Reuters