CENTURION (South Africa), Oct 10: South African captain Shaun Pollock took five wickets as India struggled to 233 in their triangular limited-overs series international match at Centurion Park Wednesday.
Rahul Dravid survived two early chances to make top score of 54 for India but the visiting batsmen failed to cope convincingly on a pitch which offered bounce and carry to the fast bowlers.
Dravid was involved in the only major partnership of the innings, 90 for the fourth wicket with left-hander Yuvraj Singh, who scored 42.
Indian captain Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar gave India a good start, putting on 44, but Ganguly was out in controversial circumstances.
He had scored 24 off 27 balls, with two sixes and a four, when he edged Pollock to second slip. Jacques Kallis flung himself to his right to take a reflex catch but Ganguly stood his ground until he was given out by umpire Brian Jerling, who did not call for a television replay.
Pollock followed up by having Shiv Sunder Das caught at first slip before Makhaya Ntini captured the key wicket of Tendulkar, who top-edged a cut to third man after making 38.
Dravid and Yuvraj batted relatively cautiously, with India lacking experience among their remaining batsmen. Just when they seemed to be getting on top, however, Pollock returned to the attack and had Dravid caught at midwicket. As with Ganguly, Dravid waited for a decision from umpire Jerling, with Klusener catching the ball low to the ground.
Yuvraj was out in the next over, when he played across the line against Ntini.
Verendra Sehwag made an aggressive 33 off 27 balls but Indian wickets kept falling, with Pollock capturing the last two to finish with five for 37. It was the South African captain’s fourth five-wicket haul in One-day Internationals and took his career total of wickets to 200. He joined Allan Donald as the only South Africans to achieve the feat.
INDIA:
S.C. Ganguly c Kallis b Pollock 24
S.R. Tendulkar c Nel b Ntini 38
S.S. Das c Klusener b Pollock 2
R.S. Dravid c Klusener b Pollock 54
Yuvraj Singh b Ntini 42
V. Sehwag c Ntini b Nel 33
D. Dasgupta c Boucher b Klusener 8
A.B. Agarkar c Boucher b Klusener 1
Harbhajan Singh lbw b Pollock 15
A.R. Kumble not out 7
J. Srinath c Kallis b Pollock 2
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-1, NB-4) 7
TOTAL (all out, 48.5 overs) 233
FALL OF WKTS: 1-44, 2-52, 3-75, 4-165, 5-167, 6-204, 7-208, 8-208, 9-231.
BOWLING: Pollock 9.5-1-37-5 (1nb, 1w); Nel 10-0-49-1; Kallis 9-0-42-0 (1nb); Ntini 10-0-42-2 (1nb); Klusener 7-0-30-2 (1nb); Boje 3-0-31-0.
SOUTH AFRICA: G. Kirsten, H.H. Gibbs, J.H. Kallis, J.N. Rhodes, N.D. McKenzie, L. Klusener, S.M. Pollock, M.V. Boucher, N. Boje, A. Nel, M. Ntini.
UMPIRES: I.L. Howell and B.G. Jerling.
TV UMPIRE: S. Wadvalla
MATCH REFEREE: A.M. Ebrahim (Zimbabwe).—AFP