Tendulkar's ton goes in vain as India lose by three wickets

Sachin Tendulkar scored his sixth World Cup century, but India ended on the losing side. South Africa chased down 297 with three wickets and two balls to spare during their World Cup Group B match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground in Nagpur on Saturday.

The match went down to the wire with South Africa needing 13 runs in the last over with Robin Peterson and Faf du Plessis at the crease.

The first ball was swept for four by Robin Peterson off Ashish Nehra even as skipper MS Dhoni scrambled behind the stumps.

The second took the aerial route off Peterson's bat and ended up past the fence with a six on board. In came a Yorker that was sent for a couple and finally a four by Peterson saw South Africa put 300/7 on board.

This despite the fact that paceman Zaheer Khan scalped South Africa skipper Graeme Smith in the 9th over of the innings. Smith wanted to play a big won but ended up giving an easy catch to Sachin Tendulkar at mid-off. He fell to 16 and South Africa fell to 41/1.

Post Smith's wicket, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis batted on to frustrate the India bowlers. Their partnership helped South Africa cross 100-run mark. Clearly the two didn't want to give India any room.

Amla even got a life when Yuvraj Singh dropped him off Harbhajan Singh at mid-wicket. Luckily for Harbhajan Singh Amla fell in his next over. He was deceived by Harbhajan's Shing's extra bounce that took the edge of his bat to bat in skipper M.S. Dhoni's gloves behind the stumps. He scored 61 and South Africa at the stage was 127/2 in 28 overs.

Soon Kallis and AB de Villiers got on with another partnership. But, the two had put 46 runs together on board that Kallis got run out in Zaheer Khan's over. Skipper MS Dhoni collected the ball from Harbhajan Singh and removed the bails even as TV replays showed that he was clearly short. Kallis fell for 69 and South Africa fell to 173/3. 

It seemed that partnerships had become the norm for the day with every batsman aiming for that. And AB de Villiers and J.P. Duminy too aimed for that. He two put on 50 runs for the fourth wicket. But, just when de Villiers was beginning to look dangerous Harbhajan Singh got the better of him. De Villiers wanted the ball to cross the boundary, but it ended up getting lodged in the safe hands of Virat Kohli in the deep for 52. And South Africa lost their fourth wicket at the score of 223 in the 41st over.

India offie Harbhajan Singh was gradually getting in the groove. He had already calimed two wickets and added another one to his tally by claiming Duminy in the 43rd over. Skipper Dhoni performed the final rites by stumping him on 23. South Africa were 238/5 at the stage.

The pacers too displayed their ware. And it was Munaf Patel, who got the opportunity to do that by trapping Morne van Wyk leg-before on 5 and reduce the Proteas to 274/6 on the last ball of the 44th over. 

But Harbhajan got to keep the accolades to himself. Just when Johan Botha was charging away at his balls scoring a four and six off his bowling in the 48th over, a short fell short of the boundary and Suresh Raina came under it and soon Botha was walking back on 23. South Africa were 279/7 at the stage.

Finally, Robin Peterson and Faf du Plessis helped their team home without loosing another wicket. And South Africa won by three wickets.

India innings

 

Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar scored a ton, but post his dismissal India batting line-up folded within a span of 36 runs as South African paceman Dale Steyn claimed five wickets to restrict India to 296 all out. 

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag charged down at the South African bowlers from the word go after India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss. The two helped India cross 100-run mark and in the process completed their half-centuries. 

But, there was more to come as clearly the two were enjoying their stay in the middle and scoring at a brisk rate. The do put on 142 runs for the first wicket before Sehwag fell. He scored an impressive 73 off just 66 balls hitting 12 fours on the way.

In the 18th over a Faf du Plessis' ball finally broke their partnership. Sehwag wanted to cut Faf for a boundary but the ball didn't have enough turn and a thin edge got carried towards his stumps. Finally there was uproar in the South African camp.

Post Sehwag's dismissal, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir got on with another partnership. Tendulkar went on to complete his 48th ODI ton, which is also his 99th international century. This was his sixth World Cup century - the highest by any batsman.

After posting his century Tendulkar too walked back with his head held high. He scored 111 off just 101 balls hitting eight fours and three sixes on the way. First he completed a 142 runs partnership with Sehwag by his side and then went on score 125 runs for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir, before falling to Morne Morkel.

He was on charge and went for a big hit off Morkel in the 40th over, but ended up hooling a catch at point to J.P. Duminy. India were 267/2 at the stage. 

Post his wicket, the South African bowlers pressed further and claimed two quick wickets in the form of Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan. Dale Steyn had them both in the 41st over of the innings.

But that wasn't the end of the tale as soon South African pacers got busy counting scalps. It seemed as if they were just waiting for Sachin Tendulkar to complete his ton before tightening the noose. For when the Master Blaster was at the crease it seemed that India would go on to post a 320-plus figure, but post his dismissal India's fortunes took a U-turn.

After Styen scalped Gambhir and Pathan. He got on with more devastation claiming Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel to finish off with a five wicket haul.

And as things would have it India could not even cross the 300-run mark and were all out for 296. Skipper Mahendra Singh remained unbeaten on 12.