• Downloads  
  • Desktop Alerts
  • Toolbars
  • Wallpapers
  • Screensavers

India v South Africa, 5th ODI, Mumbai

Dravid takes India home

The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran at Mumbai

November 28, 2005

India 222 for 5 (Dravid 78*, Yuvraj 49, Nel 2-35) beat South Africa 221 for 6 (Kallis 91, Pathan 3-20) by five wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Rahul Dravid anchored the run-chase with an unbeaten 78 © Getty Images

Having restricted South Africa to 221 for 6 from their 50 overs, India were made to fight every inch for the five-wicket victory that allowed them to tie the five-match series. Fittingly, it was Rahul Dravid, India's captain and most valuable player, who anchored the run-chase with an unbeaten 78. There was another fine innings from Yuvraj Singh, and cameos from Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar that gave India the early momentum which was never relinquished despite a tigerish performance from South Africa's pace bowlers.

Dravid played some glorious drives down the ground, and also rode his luck with a couple of streaky edges as he and Yuvraj, who played with considerable panache for his 49, added 79 to put India in charge. Even Mahendra Singh Dhoni's failure to fire - much to the dismay of a crestfallen crowd - couldn't prevent India easing past the target with 16 balls to spare.

Andre Nel, with his psycho stares, colourful expletives and raucous celebrations, was the pick of the bowlers, and Shaun Pollock and Charl Langeveldt played their part with some controlled seam bowling. Unfortunately, the fielding wasn't quite up to scratch, with Dravid put down twice - by Johan Botha off his own bowling when he had made 32, and by Graeme Smith at slip off Pollock when he was on 69 - and Sehwag and Dhoni also granted reprieves.

Anguish at the early loss of Gautam Gambhir was replaced by roars of delight when Tendulkar flicked Makhaya Ntini off his pads for four - proof enough that this crowd didn't suffer from split loyalties like the one at Eden Gardens had. And with a poker-faced Sehwag creaming Pollock through the covers twice in the next over, the noise levels rose to a crescendo.

Sehwag had made just 13, though, when Pollock put down a sharp return catch, and he then had to watch stupefied as Sehwag carted him for 14 in his next over. The first ball was walloped over cover, the next hooked in periscope-fashion for six, and another carved over point for four. But as with several Sehwag cameos in the recent past, this too wouldn't last.

This time, it was a poor decision from Daryl Harper, but with Tendulkar showing signs of real intent - a back-foot punch through cover was the shot of the day - India managed 57 in the first 10 overs. Dravid got going with a splendid flick through midwicket for four, and followed it up with two glorious drives down to the sightscreen.

With the target being whittled away, Smith turned to Langeveldt and Nel, both of whom bowled a restrictive line outside off stump, while getting the ball to jag in or away off the seam. Nel got his reward right after the drinks interval when Tendulkar, who had slowed after a frenetic start, slashed one to the right of Ashwell Prince, who then reminded everyone just why so many see him as Jonty Rhodes's successor at point. But with Yuvraj striking the ball sweetly and Dravid digging in, India set about constructing the platform that would see them through.

South Africa's innings was built around a painstakingly compiled 91 from Jacques Kallis, but with Irfan Pathan rattling the top order and Harbhajan Singh bamboozling batsmen in the middle of the innings, there was no repeat of the batting exhibition that Smith had given Kolkata. On a pitch that offered more than a smidgen of assistance, the bowlers justified Dravid's decision to bowl at a venue where most chases had been futile ones.

Pathan exploited early life in the pitch and got the vital wicket of the in-form Smith, and Kallis and Prince then proceeded to get bogged down against bowling that was fairly accurate without ever being unplayable. Harbhajan ended Prince's somnolent progress, and though Mark Boucher helped Kallis add 81, it took them all of 20 overs.

With almost no time left to exhibit his arsenal of big shots, Justin Kemp reprised Prince's dismissal, giving Harbhajan a richly deserved second wicket, and despite the situation crying out for a high-tempo approach, Kallis carried on at leisurely pace, not even taking on the part-time left-arm of Yuvraj. It was left to Pollock to smite a few fours and a massive six off Murali Kartik as South Africa finally roused themselves past 200.

Pathan bowled a fabulous seven-over spell first up for just 12, and Dravid switched his bowlers frequently so that no batsmen could really settle. Kallis predictably slipped into the anchor role, but with Prince also showing no ambition to go after the bowling, the run-rate was becalmed. Ultimately, the big-hitters like Kemp and Pollock were made to wait in a peculiar case of keeping the powder dry till it became near unusable, and 221 just wasn't enough to prevent India wresting their share of the series spoils.

How they were out

Gautam Gambhir c Kemp b Ntini 0 (1 for 1)
Attempt to work the ball to the leg side balloons off the leading edge to point

Virender Sehwag lbw Pollock 27 (46 for 2)
Rapped above the knee-roll, and the ball was possibly drifting down leg as well

Sachin Tendulkar c Prince b Nel 30 (83 for 3)
Slashed hard and brilliantly taken diving low to the right at point

Yuvraj Singh c Boucher b Nel 49 (162 for 4)
Tickled a round-the-wicket delivery behind to the keeper

Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Boucher b Langeveldt 12 (201 for 5)
A flail that took the outside edge to the keeper

Dileep Premachandran is features editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo