South Africa’s fast bowlers struck early to set up a comprehensive 135-run win in the first one-day international against India at Kingsmead on Wednesday.
Chasing a target of 290, India’s hopes were effectively ended when they were reduced to 43-4 in the 11th over. Despite a half-century by Virat Kohli they were bowled out for 154.
“We were outplayed completely,” admitted India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “We are a side that banks on a good start and having wickets in hand to chase eight or nine runs an over … it never happened.”
Dhoni said the one-day specialists in his team had been restricted in their practice opportunities because of rain.
“As we go into the series we will get acclimatised more and hopefully make the series more interesting.”
South Africa captain Graeme Smith, meanwhile, hailed “a pretty complete” performance in the opening match of a five-game series, with particular praise for the bowlers.
“We were superb with the ball,” he said.
Dale Steyn dismissed Murali Vijay in the first over and left-arm bowler and man-of-the-match Lonwabo Tsotsobe picked up the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar three overs later.
Morne Morkel, who came on as first change, took two wickets in one over as the Indian batsmen failed to come to terms with the pace and bounce of a Kingsmead pitch with a reputation for being more lively in the second innings of day-night games.
Tsotsobe went on to claim 4-31, while fellow pacemen Steyn and Morkel took two each and left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell took one.
Quick start
Hashim Amla got the South African innings off to a fast start, scoring 50 off 36 balls with eight fours, but the home side’s total of 289-9 was built around a 131-run fourth wicket partnership between AB de Villiers and JP Duminy.
De Villiers hit 76 off 69 balls, while Duminy scored 73 off 89 deliveries.
While they were together South Africa looked on target for a total of more than 300 but both fell to the part-time off-spin of Rohit Sharma instead of cashing in towards the end of the innings.
In a departure from their normal tactics, South Africa took the batting powerplay after 27 overs and it seemed to pay off as De Villiers and Duminy added 45 runs in five overs and forced India to use some of their better bowlers early.
But De Villiers holed out to deep midwicket and Duminy was leg before wicket when he missed an attempted reverse sweep, leaving South Africa without a specialist batsman for the last eight overs in which they were restricted to 45 runs while losing four wickets.
Opening bowler Zaheer Khan took 2-44, with both his wickets coming in the last over of the innings, while Sharma’s seven overs brought him 2-30. — AFP