The African Safari !

THE AFRICAN SAFARI

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HISTORY

1991-92 in India

Nearly 22 years after being isolated from the international fold due to apartheid, South Africa arrived in India for a three-match one-day series. Thousands of fans lined the streets of Calcutta to greet the team and Eden Gardens - which hosted the first match - reportedly exceeded its capacity. India prevailed in a low-scoring game, but significantly for South Africa, it was their discovery of a world-class fast bowler in Allan Donald who took 5 for 29. India won the next game at Gwalior, and with it, the series. South Africa earned a consolation win in the final match in New Delhi, as Kepler Wessels and Peter Kirsten guided the side home in a high-scoring encounter under lights. Even in defeat, the South Africans returned home with indelible memories over the response from the Indian public, and an emotional captain Clive Rice was quoted in Wisden as saying, "I know how Neil Armstrong felt when he stood on the moon."
India 2 South Africa 1

1992-93 in South Africa

India had the privilege of being the first international side to play a Test in South Africa since 1970 and the series got off to a cracking start in Durban, when Kapil Dev dismissed Jimmy Cook from the first ball. Praveen Amre's dogged century on debut on a bouncy track, kept India afloat in a drawn match. The start of the second Test at Johannesburg followed a similar script, and it was Brian McMillan's sound allround performance which helped his side hold the upper hand in another draw. The third Test at Port Elizabeth finally yielded a result, as India were blown away by Allan Donald, who finished with match figures of 12 for 139. The only bright spark for India was Kapil's scintillating knock of 129 amidst the ruins. Both teams went on the defensive in the fourth and final Test in Cape Town which was also drawn. Batsmen from both sides showed no urgency and India's sloppy catching wrecked their hopes of squaring the series. The seven-match one-day series was hardly a contest, as the Indians were outclassed in all departments, save for two victories.
Tests South Africa 1 India 0
ODIs South Africa 5 India 2

1996-97 in India

A strong South African side led by Hansie Cronje arrived in India for their first full Test tour. The tour began with a tri-series also featuring Australia, as South Africa - after winning all their league games - choked in the final against India. The pitch for the first Test at Ahmedabad came under intense scrutiny, as the batsmen succumbed to the inconsistent bounce. South Africa fancied their chances with a target of 170, but weren't prepared for Javagal Srinath, who gnawed through the batting with 6 for 21 to seal a surprise win. The second Test at Calcutta witnessed a strong comeback by South Africa, though it was an unforgettable game for individual performances - Azharuddin's blistering century off 74 balls, Lance Klusener's dream debut with innings figures of 8 for 64, and Gary Kirsten's twin centuries. The teams then headed to Kanpur for the decider and South Africa were exposed in a Kanpur pitch where the ball barely rose above the knee level. Azharuddin's piled on the agony with 163 to set South Africa an improbable target. The win was a fitting end to the home season for India and was a rosy start for Tendulkar as captain.
Tests India 2 South Africa 1

1996-97 in South Africa

Flying stumps and chin music greeted the Indians in the first Test of the return series in Durban, as South Africa earned sweet revenge for their loss in India, bundling out India for 100 and 66 in either innings. The lack of exposure to fierce pace and bounce was evident as India - both innings combined - failed to last an entire length of a day's play (72.3 overs). In Cape Town, the gulf between the two sides widened as South Africa piled on three centuries in their first innings. With half the side back in the pavilion and a massive deficit of 471, Sachin Tendulkar (116) and Mohammad Azharuddin (105) displayed one of the more remarkable rearguard actions seen in Test cricket, both flaying the bowlers at will, at a frenetic pace. Unfortunately, it was a case of 'good while it lasted' as India folded up in the second innings to concede the series. Bad light dashed India's hopes of winning the Johannesburg Test, which marked the emergence of Rahul Dravid as a world-class Test batsman. In the one-dayers, South Africa took the tri-series also featuring Zimbabwe, beating India in a closely-contested final. Tests South Africa 2 India 0

1999-00 in India

Wounded after an embarrassing 0-3 whitewash in Australia, India - in a vulnerable state - were caught off guard by South Africa in home conditions. Failure of the Indian top order was one of the main reasons, especially in the first Test in Mumbai, barring Sachin Tendulkar. South Africa made heavy weather of a modest target, rescued by Mark Boucher's crucial 27. South Africa rubbed it in further in the second Test in Bangalore, batting India out of the match and their 0-2 defeat ended one of their most miserable seasons. Importantly, South Africa's series victory ended a 13-year jinx by visiting teams in India. Tendulkar quit the captaincy, and India rebounded in the one-dayers, under Sourav Ganguly. The final ODI in Nagpur was famous for the match-fixing allegations against Hansie Cronje, Nicky Boje and Henry Williams, which came to light shortly after the tour.
Tests South Africa 2 India 0
ODIs India 3 South Africa 2

2001-02 in South Africa

Another tour tarnished by controversy, this time the 'Mike Denness affair' taking centre stage. The first Test at Bloemfontein went without incident, notable for Virender Sehwag's debut century, as South Africa romped to an easy win. The second at Port Elizabeth was overshadowed by match referee Denness's ruling, in which he found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball-tampering and handed out one-Test bans for five other Indians for excessive appealing. The Indian board protested, stating that there may have been racial connotations in the ruling and after much pleading agreed to play the third Test. India drew the second match, lost the third by an innings, though the match was unofficial. South Africa won the Standard Bank tri-series also featuring Kenya.
Tests South Africa 1 India 0

2004-05 in India

South Africa's third Test tour of India was almost a non-starter, as South Africa threatened to pull out if they failed to get any assurances that Herschelle Gibbs and Nicky Boje will not be prosecuted by the Indian police in the match-fixing scandal. However, both players pulled out and the tour went ahead as scheduled. India were expected to wrap up the series comprehensively, against a South African side struggling for form, but things didn't quite go to plan at the start. The first Test at Kanpur was played on a featherbed of a pitch, with Andrew Hall frustrating India no end with an obdurate 163. After a dull draw, a relieved India took the second Test and the series in Kolkata, with the old firm of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh sharing all ten second innings wickets. Scheduling problems meant that the one-dayers had to be played at a later date.
Tests India 1 South Africa 0

2005-06 in India

A year later, South Africa returned for a five-match one-day series to fulfil their obligations from the previous visit. One couldn't have asked for a better contest, with South Africa undefeated in 19 matches, and a resurgent India with a 6-1 victory against Sri Lanka behind them. South Africa drew first blood in Hyderabad, as India - barring Yuvraj Singh who scored an incredible century - stumbled on a seaming pitch. The pitch dictated the result of the second match as India pulled things back comprehensively on a slow turner in Bangalore. Seasonal rain in Chennai washed out an eagerly-awaited contest. Protests in Kolkata following Sourav Ganguly's exclusion and Greg Chappell's alleged 'finger gesture' to the protestors took the sheen out of the fourth one-dayer, and Graeme Smith helped South Africa blaze to a ten-wicket win on another seaming track. With only two possible outcomes, India squared the series in the fifth match in Mumbai, as Dravid steered India home in a pulsating contest between bat and ball.
ODIs India 2 South Africa 2


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Trivia

In 16 ODIs against the Proteas in South Africa, the Men in Blue have won just three. In 9 Tests, they’ve never come out on top.

India had the privilege of being the first international side since 1970 to play a Test in South Africa during 1992-93 and the series got off to a cracking start in Durban, when Kapil Dev dismissed Jimmy Cook from the first ball itself.

The final ODI in Nagpur during South Africa’s tour of 1999-00 was famous for the match-fixing allegations against Hansie Cronje, Nicky Boje and Henry Williams, which came to light shortly after the tour.

In 2001-02, the first Test at Bloemfontein went without incident, notable for Virender Sehwag's debut century, as South Africa romped to an easy win.

In 2001-02, the second Test at Port Elizabeth was overshadowed by match referee Denness's ruling, in which he found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball-tampering and handed out one-Test ban.

India won its first Test against South Africa on 20th November 1996, in which VVS Laxman was the highest scorer with 51 runs.

Sachin Tendulkar has made 35 centuries in Test cricket and Jacques Kallis of South Africa has made 24.

Sourav Ganguly had made highest individual score (127) against Proteas in South Africa and unbeaten 133 by G Kirsten, both scored their century in the same match on October 5, 2001.

Highest partnership by an Indian batsman against South Africa is 193 by Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar. South Africa's H Gibbs & G Kirsten made 235.

Gary Kirsten has made 1,377 runs against India in 26 matches and Sachin Tendulkar has 1,362 runs in 45 matches against South Africa.

Allan Donald has grabbed 46 wickets in 26 matches while Anil Kumble has grabbed 44 wickets in 37 matches.

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VENUES

Situation : Johannesburg, South Africa
Capacity : 27,000
Matches can be played : Day
End Name : Corlett Drive End, Golf Course End
First Test : South Africa vs England - Dec 24-29, 1956
First ODI : South Africa vs India - Dec 13, 1992

Matches Played
Test : 28
ODI : 27
World Cup : 5

Test Highest : 652 / 7 (1st inning) by Australia vs South Africa, 2002
Test Lowest : 72 / 10 (2nd inning) by South Africa vs England, 1956
ODI Highest : 438 / 9 by South Africa vs Australia, 2006
ODI Lowest : 109 / 10 by Sri Lanka vs India, 2003


It was the third Test ground in Johannesburg following the Old Wanderers Stadium and Ellis Park. For more than 74 years, it has provided the focal point of Johannesburg's sporting aspirations, whether they be cricket or golf - which between them dominate the district of Illovo, where the club is based - or tennis, squash and bowls, which can also be found tucked away in the back streets.

In October 2003 the clubhouse itself was entirely gutted by a fire, which began in the kitchens and spread through the ventilation ducts, leaving little that could rescue three-quarters of a century of tradition. Among the trophies, photographs and cricketana lost forever was the bat with which Graeme Pollock scored 274 against Australia in 1966-67. The first Test at the ground was in 1956 when England won by 131 runs and it has gone on to witness numerous memorable moments.

In 2003 it hosted the World Cup final, as Australia waltzed to victory over India, and in March 2006, it was the scene of the most extraordinary one-day match in history, when South Africa successfully chased Australia's world-record total of 434 for 4.

Newlands, Cape Town

Situation: Newlands, Cape Town
Capacity: 25000
Matches can’t be played: Day & Night
End Name: Wynberg End, Kelvin Grove End
First Test: South Africa vs England - Mar 25-26, 1889
First ODI: South Africa vs India - Dec 7, 1992

Matches Played
Test : 41
ODI : 28
World Cup : 5

Test Highest: 620 / 7 (1st inning) by South Africa vs Pakistan, 2003
Test Lowest: 35 / 10 (2nd inning) by South Africa vs England, 1899
ODI Highest: 354 / 3 by South Africa vs Kenya, 2001
ODI Lowest: 43 / 10 by Pakistan vs West Indies, 1993


Newlands, home of Western Province Cricket, has been described by many, together with the Adelaide Oval in Australia, as one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the World. Nestled behind and at the foot of Table Mountain it is one of the most picturesque places in the world to watch cricket.

Over the past five years numerous changes have been made to the ground. This has slightly taken away from its former splendor. Large portions of the grass embankments have been replaced by pavilions increasing the seating capacity to 25,000.

Newlands is also favoured with a Mediterranean winter rainfall climate allowing for perfect weather to watch and play cricket in. Indies, umpire Joshi removed the bails with 90 seconds left on the clock and India six short of a maiden Test win.

SuperSport Park

Situation: SuperSport Park, Centurion
Capacity: 20,000
Matches can’t be played: Day & Night
End Name: Pavilion End, Hennops River End
First Test: South Africa vs England - Nov 16-20, 1995
First ODI: South Africa vs India - Dec 11, 1992

Matches Played
Test : 11
ODI : 25
World Cup : 5

Test Highest: 604 / 6 (1st inning) by South Africa vs West Indies, 2004
Test Lowest: 119 / 10 (1st inning) by Sri Lanka vs South Africa, 2001
ODI Highest: 324 / 4 by South Africa vs New Zealand, 2000
ODI Lowest: 125 / 10 by India vs Australia, 2003


Originally named Centurion Park, SuperSport Park, the home of Northerns (Northern Transvaal), is in easy access of Johannesburg, Midrand and Pretoria.

One of the newer stadiums and Test venues in South Africa it has been described by various International Captains as "One of the grounds with the best players' facilities in the world". The stadium's appeal is the grass embankments which make up a large part of the seating area, ideal for good family cricket watching.

Beach Cabana type hospitality chalets have been erected high on the grass banks for added corporate viewing pleasure. A pavilion at the north end of the ground completes the 22,000 spectator capacity.

Known for being one of the quicker pitches in South Africa, it also gives plenty of opportunity to batsmen, with the ball generally coming onto the bat. It has never been seen as a spinners paradise. The outfield is level, lush and fast with a drainage system on par with any in the world.

Kingsmead, Durban

Situation: Durban, South Africa
Capacity: 25000
Matches can be played: Day & Night
End Name: Umgeni End, Old Fort Road End
First Test: South Africa vs England - Jan 18-22, 1923
First ODI: South Africa vs India - Dec 17, 1992

Matches Played
Test : 33
ODI : 30
World Cup : 5

Test Highest: 658 / 9 (1st inning) by South Africa vs West Indies, 2003
Test Lowest: 66 / 10 (2nd inning) by India vs South Africa, 1996
ODI Highest: 329 / 6 by South Africa vs Zimbabwe, 2005
ODI Lowest: 106 / 10 by Africa XI vs ASIA XI, 2005


Kingsmead is located in humid Durban, home to sandy beaches and surfing. The ground has played host to tests since January 1923 when England and South Africa played to out a draw. In 1939 England and South Africa played a timeless Test, which also ended in a draw when England had to catch the boat home.

Highlights in the history of Kingsmead include South Africa's innings and 129-run demolition of Australia, in February 1970, when Graeme Pollock and Barry Richards, thrashed the Australian bowling to all parts of the ground as they scored 274 and 140 respectively.

Kingsmead's easterly location - but within the same timezone as the rest of South Africa - means it is prone to bad light and the humid climate can result in powerful thunderstorms. The ground still incorporates traditional grass banks, as well as towering modern stands. Being in the centre of Durban makes it easily accessible by public transport, or on foot, but parking is limited.

St George's Park

Situation: Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Capacity: 19,000
Matches can be played: Day
End Name: Duckpond End, Park Drive End
First Test: South Africa vs England - Mar 12-13, 1889
First ODI: South Africa vs India - Dec 9, 1992

Matches Played
Test : 21
ODI : 26
World Cup : 5

Test Highest: 549 / 7 (1st inning) by Australia vs South Africa, 1950
Test Lowest: 30 / 10 (2nd inning) by South Africa vs England, 1896
ODI Highest: 335 / 6 by Pakistan vs South Africa, 2002
ODI Lowest: 112 / 10 by New Zealand vs Australia, 2003


Port Elizabeth's St George's Park staged the first Test to be played outside England or Australia in 1888-89 (England winning by eight wickets) and in 1969-70 hosted the final Test before South Africa's 21-year isolation.

Situated within sight of the ocean, the ground became famous for the enthusiastic band that plays during Tests. But ahead of the 2003 World Cup they were banned from playing inside the ground, amid safety concerns, and have only made sporadic appearances since.

The ground has brought mixed fortunes for the South African side. In 1992 they secured a superb win by 9 wickets, Allan Donald claimed 12 for 139, on a pitch that many had said favoured spin bowling and was a fast bowler's nightmare. But in 1997 they lost to Australia by two wickets, after leading by 101 runs on the first innings, as Mark Waugh played one his most valuable Test innings.

Located near the city centre, St George's Park is easily accessible by public transport, car or on foot, and, as with other South African grounds is still a blend of open space and covered seating.


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SQUADS

India One-Day Squad

01. R Dravid (captain)
02. AB Agarkar
03. MS Dhoni (wicketkeeper)
04. Harbhajan Singh
05. W Jaffer
06. M Kaif
07. Z Khan
08. A Kumble
09. D Mongia
10. MM Patel
11. IK Pathan
12. SK Raina
13. V Sehwag
14. S Sreesanth
15. SR Tendulkar

KD Karthik (standby player)


South Africa ODI Squad

01. GC Smith (captain)
02. JH Kallis (vice-captain)
03. LL Bosman
04. MV Boucher (wicketkeeper)
05. AB de Villiers
06. HH Dippenaar
07. HH Gibbs
08. AJ Hall
09. JM Kemp
10. CK Langeveldt
11. A Nel
12. M Ntini
13. RJ Peterson
14. SM Pollock

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FIXTURES

Rest of South Africa v India ( D/N )
Date : Nov 16 , THU
Venue : Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Result : Rest of South Africa won by 37 runs
Summary : Rest of South Africa : 255/8 ( 50.0 ) India : 218/10 ( 49.1 )



1st ODI - South Africa v India ( D/N )
Date : Nov 19 , SUN
Venue : New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Result : Match abandoned without a ball bowled



2nd ODI - South Africa v India ( D/N )
Date : Nov 22 , Wed
Venue : Kingsmead, Durban
Result : South africa won by 157 runs
Summary : South africa - 248/8 ( 50 ) India - 91 allout



3rd ODI - South Africa v India
Date : Nov 26 , Sun
Venue : Newlands, Cape Town



4th ODI - South Africa v India ( D/N )
Date : Nov 29 , Wed
Venue : St George's Park, Port Elizabeth



Twenty-Twenty - South Africa v India ( D/N )
Date : Dec 1 , Fri
Venue : New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg



5th ODI - South Africa v India
Date : Dec 3 , Sun
Venue : SuperSport Park, Centurion



Practise Match - Rest of South Africa v India
Date : Dec 7 - Dec 10
Venue : Sedgars Park, Potchefstroom



1st Test - South Africa v India
Date : Dec 15 - Dec 19
Venue : New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg



2nd Test - South Africa v India
Date : Dec 26 - Dec 30
Venue : Kingsmead, Durban



3rd Test - South Africa v India
Date : Jan 2 - Jan 6
Venue : Newlands, Cape Town

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I Think I have covered up Pretty much everything ! Anyways If u Find any Kinda of Mistake in the Given Data Plz Feel Free to Post it Here ! Comments , suggestions , critics and Reps r welcome !

Refferences : Cricinfo , Indiatimes

First ODI called off due to wet outfield

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 20: The day may have been dark and gloomy in Johannesburg but the mood around the Wanderers, like always, was bright and cheerful. Rain was clearly in the air but couples, families and young kids bounded joyfully towards the stadium.

Most of them were clearly cricket fans, as their animated chatter indicated; they were eager to see the likes of Tendulkar, Sehwag and Dravid one more time. But they were also out to have fun.

Alas, as the big moment arrived, the clouds opened up ever so slightly and a light drizzle followed. Pretty soon it was quite clear that a full game was not a near possibility. The organisers, sensing their opportunity, played the SMS card.

Let's see your imaginative sides. Send in your witty messages to our scorecard and share your thoughts with the others. The idea was to liven up the mood and make a quick buck in the process. As the music boomed out of the loudspeakers, the messages started flowing in. The first few were nice and simple, focusing on the rain. Everybody obviously wanted it to go away. "Take the sails off; we wanna watch the game." "Somebody switch off the sprinklers." "We didn't pay to watch the rain"

Slowly the smart-Alecs and smarter-Jones got into the action. "I finally feel at home from Dave the pom" "I came to watch the game and the streakers too." "Come rain or shine, come on boys show your cricket balls." Well, we didn't get to see any of the three, at least till the time of going to print.

The pleading started soon after. "Promised wife would get wasted; need funds, please help." "Somebody stick me up for a beer. I'm out of money and feeling cold too," a lady's message read. Sounded like she got an overwhelming response; virtually the entire stadium roared in appreciation.

There were one or two appreciative ones too. "To the guy in the red hood; you've got a beaut." One couldn't, sadly, vote along with that one: there were too many red hoods to begin with; and even more beauts around.

The cricket fans would not be left behind either. "Let's Gibbs it to them," wrote in one. Surely, a South African fan. Another one said: "Great weather for ducks." Yes it was, for hot ducks in the cold weather. The Indian batsmen might, of course, not agree; luckily, they didn't have to come out and bat (at the time of writing).

As the day wore on, the open stands slowly started emptying out.

Some of them were clearly thinking of the week ahead too. "The only thing worse than a Monday morning is a Sunday game rained off."

A few desperate attempts were made to try and start the game though. "For the rains to go away everybody has to scream THIRST at the same time."

Sadly, nobody took up his suggestion and the rains didn't go away. Another one had his priorities quite right. "Take the rain away now, or bring in more beer."

The optimist eventually had the last word. "This rain reminds of my marriage; it ended." For a little while it looked like he was right. We don't know about the marriage but the rain certainly did end. The covers were pulled out, for exactly five minutes. A short downpour meant that they had to be pulled right back.

Indiatimes

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No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. No one needs a smile as much as a person who fails to give one.

South Africa romp to 157-run victory

SCORECARD

South Africa rode on a controlled unbeaten 119 by Jacques Kallis and some fiery bowling from their seamers to crush India by 157 runs in the second one-day international of the five-match series at Durban. Kallis's century - his 19th in ODIs, but his first against India - lifted South Africa to a competitive 248 for 8, before their fast bowlers exposed the frailties of the Indian line-up once again, bundling them out for an embarrassing 91, their lowest ODI total in South Africa.

A target of 249 wasn't a huge one, but at the innings break Kallis was confident his team would win, and justified his curiously slow approach in the second half of his innings by saying South Africa had enough runs on the board. The events later in the evening completely justified his confidence.

The pitch was a lively one, offering bounce and some seam movement, and except for Sachin Tendulkar, who made a fluent 35, none of the other batsmen were equipped to deal with either. Shaun Pollock homed in around off like he always does, Makhaya Ntini got it to bounce significantly from just short of a length, while Andre Nel enjoyed himself the most, nailing Tendulkar, and finally finishing with 4 for 13, while Kallis completed a great day at office with incredible figures of 3 for 3 from 4.1 overs.

The slide started early, when Wasim Jaffer, making his ODI debut, lasted just three ball, chopping one back on to his stumps. Mohammad Kaif made just 8, but while he was around India added 39, with Tendulkar - who became the most capped ODI player with 371 games - showing his class. Getting into line and crisply timing his punches through the off side, Tendulkar got the huge Indian contingent at Kingsmead going with some vintage strokeplay as India progressed to 55 for 2 after 15, with Rahul Dravid offering him good support.

Two overs after the drinks break changed the complexion completely, as Dravid and Tendulkar fell in the space of three balls. Dravid fell first, beaten comprehensively by a sharp indipper from Charl Langeveldt, while Tendulkar followed soon after, inside-edging one off Nel, who has made a habit of nailing the biggest opposition batsman - he has dismissed Brian Lara 11 times in international cricket.

From there, it was one quick procession back to the pavilion, as none of the batsmen had any clue as to how to handle the bounce and pace. Suresh Raina and Dinesh Mongia edged to the slip cordon, Mahendra Singh Dhoni couldn't get his gloves out of the way, while the tail was simply no match for the fiery bowling.

The batsmen might have done well to pick a few tips on batting from Kallis, who batted quite magnificently in the early stages of his innings when the Indian attack was on top. He came to the crease in the second over, after Graeme Smith was trapped plumb by comeback-man Zaheer Khan, and immediately got into his stride, showing impeccable technique in defence and attack. Quick to capitalize on even marginal errors in length, he stroked sumptuous drives through cover and point off either foot. The dismissals of Loots Bosman and Herschelle Gibbs gave the Indians hope, but that was quickly shut out by Kallis's 87-run stand with AB de Villiers, who contributed a spunky 41.

The highlight of de Villiers's innings was the manner in which he dismantled Harbhajan Singh, employing the sweep shot quite superbly. He was particularly destructive in Harbhajan's fifth over, sweeping him fine for four, then tonking him over midwicket for six and rattling Harbhajan so much that he fired his next ball down the leg and conceded five wides. That onslaught meant the runs kept coming at a fast clip even though Kallis slowed down significantly - after getting 54 off his first 71 balls, he only added 51 in his next 80. Kallis's sluggish approach forced the other batsmen to take more risks and prompted a rush of wickets as India fought back in the middle overs, with Tendulkar - none for 33 from nine overs - doing a sterling job and making up for the lack of a specialist fifth bowler.

Mark Boucher, Justin Kemp and Pollock all failed as South Africa slumped to 209 for 7, but they had their man for their moment in Nel, who had a blast with the bat as well, crashing 22 from 12 balls. Kallis upped the tempo too, allowing South Africa to get up to nearly 250. As it turned out later in the evening, they could have done with much lesser than that.

Cricinfo

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No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. No one needs a smile as much as a person who fails to give one.

A woeful inattention to details

SCORECARD

"The South Africans caught everything that came their way and we didn't," said Greg Chappell after the game, and that pretty much summed up a game that India had in their clutches before some devastating hitting from Justin Kemp and Andrew Hall wrenched it away from them. With the exception of two excellent run-outs affected by Anil Kumble and Mohammad Kaif, the fielding was atrocious. The ground fielding was sloppy, the catching howlers would have embarrassed schoolboys, and the apathetic attitude of some of those on the field towards the end of South Africa's innings must have infuriated Rahul Dravid.

Kemp had his share of good fortune, reprieved on five when there was a big noise as a delivery from Anil Kumble drifted past the bat and into Mahendra Singh Dhoni's gloves down the leg side. That could be termed unfortunate, but what followed was truly wretched. Sachin Tendulkar put down a caught-and-bowled chance when he had made just 9, Dinesh Karthik put down a tough chance to his right at midwicket when he had 34, and Kumble let one slip at cover when he was three short of a maiden century. By then, the damage had been done, with some incredible six-hitting lifting South Africa to a total beyond the scope of an Indian line-up struggling for form and confidence.

It didn't help that the death-overs bowling was as abysmal as the fielding. They bowled far too full to Kemp, a man who likes the ball in the slot, and he teed off as nonchalantly as Tiger Woods confronted by a wide fairway. Off the last 25 balls he faced, Kemp clattered 60 runs, an effort reminiscent of the magnificent 50-ball 80 that did for England back in 2004-05.

Till Kemp uncorked something special in wine-growing country, India had enjoyed a good morning, with Zaheer Khan bowling a magnificent spell and Kumble keeping the pressure on with some typically niggardly bowling on his return to the side after a 15-month absence. But in keeping with their recent mantra, South Africa played brave cricket. It's a measure of how well Kemp played that Andrew Hall's superb 56 went almost unnoticed.

Faced with a target as imposing as Table Mountain, the manner in which the Indian batting subsided was predictable. Both Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar played awful shots, while neither Mohammad Kaif nor Dinesh Karthik could build on positive starts. Karthik made only 14, but the technique and gumption he showed suggested that he's well worth persisting with as a batsman alone.

With the cause almost lost, Dhoni provided the silver lining, and further evidence of why he's a special talent. His technique may not be from the manual, but he finds ways to adjust to different conditions, and once he's set, he can dismember any attack. But for a stupendous catch from Loots Bosman, the game might well have had a close finish.

For much of a beautiful sunny morning at Newlands, this had appeared India's match to win. But their display over the last 15 overs in the field was so shockingly poor that they deserved what they got - nothing at all. Cricket matches are often won by the little things, the sliding stops and the pushed singles, rather than the big booming sixes. It's a lesson India will have to learn, and quickly, if this is not to deteriorate into another forgettable foreign expedition.
Cricinfo

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Bluffmaster's Signature:

No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. No one needs a smile as much as a person who fails to give one.

The big names fail to stand up

SCORECARD

Once again, the margin of victory was an accurate reflection of South African superiority. Despite uneasy rumblings about the so-called quota system, and the poor form currently plaguing Graeme Smith, South Africa have shown in recent times that they're well worth their No.2 ranking in the one-day game. The 2-2 draw in India last year, which included a crushing 10-wicket win at Kolkata, should have served as a warning and back on home turf, the South Africans have been unstoppable.

Yet again though, India must look back on an opportunity lost, and a game squandered. The bowlers had done a sterling job to keep South Africa down to 243, with Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth providing early breakthroughs, and Anil Kumble showcasing his class in the middle overs. But with the batting coloured by the lack of confidence that has characterised every game on this tour, an eminently gettable target became as difficult as the search for El Dorado. Without the immense presence of Rahul Dravid, there was never going to be any gold at journey's end.

If there was a bright spark, it came from Irfan Pathan. Derided by so many for his bland bowling, and having appeared so short on confidence in recent times, Pathan showed much of the poise and range of strokes that made him such an integral part of India's successes last season. It remains to be seen whether he'll be asked to stay on for the Tests, but even if he doesn't, the resolve he showed today indicated that he still has a major role to play in Indian cricket's future.

The rest were a shambles. With the exception of Sachin Tendulkar, who nibbled at a fine delivery from the ever-persistent Shaun Pollock, every other batsman got a start and then threw it away. Virender Sehwag led the way with a nothing waft that was brilliantly taken, while Dinesh Karthik and Mahendra Singh Dhoni promised much before playing awful shots when the asking rate didn't exactly demand a push of the panic button.

South Africa had shown how it should be done, getting to a competitive total despite losing wickets at regular intervals. In games such as this, it needs at least one batsman to stick around, and Herschelle Gibbs did that wonderfully, eschewing his normal flamboyant approach on his way to a restrained unbeaten 93. By the time Pathan threatened to do something similar, the cause was lost, with the cream of the batting line-up having been skimmed away.

It's no coincidence that the Indian team's travails on this tour have coincided with the abject failure of some senior players. That was evident even on the bowling side of things, with Ajit Agarkar serving up another maddeningly inconsistent spell after Zaheer and Sreesanth had kept the runs down in the early stages. Gibbs has struggled in recent times, but after an entertaining cameo in Durban, he was helped on his way here by Agarkar's inability to string together six decent deliveries. On four occasions, the final ball of the over sped to the rope, releasing any pressure that may have been built up earlier.

Jacques Kallis batted quite beautifully for his 49, and but for Kumble's telling intervention, India may have been left with a lot more to chase in vain. In the end, it didn't matter. India's biggest batting cannons have been muzzled - Tendulkar now has 74 runs from his last seven innings against South Africa - and if they don't fire soon, this will become a tour to be remembered for all the wrong reasons. South Africa haven't been anywhere near their best, but whatever they've come up with has been more than enough to deal with an Indian side that look like they'd rather be anywhere but here.

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Any hopes of India turning the corner after the Twenty20 victory was quickly dispelled as South Africa drubbed them by nine wickets to seal a hopelessly one-sided series 4-0. India batted through their 50 overs for the first time in the series, but their total of 200 for 9 was completely inadequate on a belter. However, South Africa showed just good the pitch was for batting as they cruised home in 31.2 overs, with Graeme Smith returning to form with an emphatic 79 and AB de Villiers stroking a delightful unbeaten 92, his highest score in ODIs.

In another mismatch, India had very small crumbs for comfort - Sachin Tendulkar overcame an uncertain start and finally found some touch, getting to 55, his 74th ODI half-century but only his second fifty-plus score in 20 matches against South Africa in South Africa. Mahendra Singh Dhoni got among the runs too, but the manner in which Smith and de Villiers smashed the bowlers all around the park highlighted the huge gulf in class between the bowlers from the two sides: led by the magnificent Shaun Pollock, the South Africans were their usual miserly self in the field, allowing the already beleaguered Indians no freebies.

The Indian bowlers, on the other hand, were clueless about how to stop the marauding openers. Zaheer Khan has utterly dominated Smith on this tour, but South Africa cleverly decided to have de Villiers face the first ball this time. Smith, meanwhile, helped himself to plenty of boundaries from a radarless Sreesanth - a cover-drive and a flick in Sreesanth's first over got him going, and there was no looking back. By the time Smith finally faced Zaheer for the first time in the match - in the ninth over - he had already made 21 from 17 balls.

De Villiers, meanwhile, creamed the boundaries in an utterly pleasing knock. Quite comfortable against Zaheer, he started off with an exquisite cover-drive off the third ball of the innings, and continued in similar vein, driving crisply off the front foot and timing the ball quite spectacularly. India's one chance to break through came early, but Mohammad Kaif made a mess of a regulation chance when de Villiers was on 9.

South Africa had 88 on the board after the first 15, and with Sehwag deciding to pack the infield almost throughout the innings, the batsmen had it their way all through. Smith strode down the pitch to Irfan Pathan and took some revenge on Zaheer, hoicking them both for straight sixes. When he fell attempting another six, South Africa were so utterly in control that Pollock strode out at No.3 and immediately looked at home.

The Indian innings, on the other hand, was a struggle almost throughout. Smith won his fifth toss in a row but this time decided to put India in, and though Sehwag was all smiles and said he would have batted first anyway, it was soon the same story as all the batsmen found Pollock and Ntini too tough to handle.

Sehwag's technique outside off was soon exposed by the relentless Pollock, who nailed him for the sixth time in ODIs, while Laxman's initiation here was even more forgettable, as he hung his bat out limply outside off and edged his first ball to slip. Tendulkar, meanwhile, was in all sorts of discomfort. Struggling to find his footwork, he repeatedly played from the crease and was beaten by the movement. Ntini cut him in half with one that dipped back, while the steep bounce consistently had him jumping up and defending uncomfortably. After 15 overs, India's score read a miserable 26 for 2.

Having spent considerable time at the crease - he scored 4 from his first 39 balls - Tendulkar finally began to find his groove. The first sign of that came in the 18th over, when he struck Kallis for two super fours - a pull to midwicket and a trademark on-drive. The footwork gradually improved, as did the confidence to attempt more aggressive strokes, and the introduction of Peterson only helped matters, as Tendulkar unveiled the inside-out drive over extra-cover and the fine sweep.

Andre Nel briefly had him in some bother, hitting his arm with a short one that didn't bounce as much as Tendulkar expected it to - and forced him to stay off the field in the afternoon - but he soon after he got his half-century, with his last 51 runs taking just 58 balls.

Mongia played his part well in an 85-run partnership for the third wicket, while Dhoni lashed some huge blows and finally injected some momentum into a limp innings with a 48-ball 44 during the course of which he drove Nel to distraction. Nel got hit for a few by Dhoni, but he finally came up with an outstanding catch to dismiss Dhoni as India touched 200 for the first time. On a flat batting pitch, though, it seemed well short of par score, and so it proved in the afternoon.

It was India's first defeat against South Africa at Centurion, having beaten them twice before this. With the Test series still 12 days away, India have plenty of soul-searching to do before getting into that contest.

© Cricinfo

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Bluffmaster's Signature:

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