The Hindu : Sport : Men in Blue receive a mauling

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Monday, Dec 04, 2006
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Men in Blue receive a mauling

S. Dinakar

— Photo: AFP

IN FULL FLOW: A.B. de Villiers hammered the bowling all around the park to take South Africa to an easy victory.

Centurion: Blue skies ruled over Centurion. But the Men in Blue received a mauling. The South Africans roared, here, on Sunday.

The host's nine-wicket win in the fifth ODI gave it a thumping 4-0 series triumph. South Africa brushed aside India's 200 for nine. The mismatch concluded in the 33rd over. To top it all, the openers set the ground alight for the host. Skipper Graeme Smith rediscovered his touch. Abraham de Villiers fired to the delight of a packed crowd.

Grabbing the chance

De Villiers is a fleet-footed, quick-thinking batsman. Elevated to the opener's role, he cut, pulled and drove the pacemen with disdain. He gets into a position in a jiffy, has strokes on both sides of the wicket and more importantly finds the gaps. His unbeaten 92 was his career-best ODI score.

When de Villiers (92 not out, 98b, 12x4, 1x6) blazed away and Smith (79, 85b, 7x4, 3x6) opened his broad shoulders, South Africa's top-order woes appeared a distant memory. The duo was ruthless, rattling up 173 in just 28.1 overs before a marauding Smith was held well on the line by Dinesh Karthik off Harbhajan Singh.

Man of the Match and Series, Shaun Pollock provided the finishing touches with the willow to cap his dominant performance with the ball. It was all over for India in the 33rd over.

The visitor, inserted, scored 200 for nine in 50 overs. Sachin Tendulkar was made to work hard for his 55 (97b, 8x4). Only the spirited and free-stroking M.S. Dhoni showed intent of purpose with a blistering 49-ball 44 (2x4, 2x6).

Costly miss

De Villiers, reprieved early at point by Mohammed Kaif off S. Sreesanth, made the Indians pay. Pollock made it harder for the batsmen with his machine-like precision. Virender Sehwag square drove his first delivery past the ropes. After that, it was all Pollock.

He does the simple things right. The unwavering off-stump line and the two-way seam movement — the batsman doesn't quite pick which way the ball would deviate — and subtle variations such as alterations of length, use of the crease and the changes in pace make him a formidable bowler.

A tear-away to begin with Pollock defines craft now. There were four maidens in his ten overs (two for 17). The senior pacemen snared Sehwag and V.V.S. Laxman in the corridor.

His feet together, Laxman nibbled at the away going ball. Sehwag, after edging Pollock between the `keeper and slip, chased one that left him.

Makhaya Ntini was red hot at the other end. He gave Tendulkar a torrid time, the natural angle of a wide off the crease release, along with the delivery that straightened, having the great batsman in considerable difficulty.

Tendulkar, searching for rhythm and timing, even had problems when Ntini achieved lift. He scored just four runs in his first 39 deliveries. India lost momentum during this phase.

Subsequently, Tendulkar opened out, pulling and straight driving Jacques Kallis and treating the pedestrian left-arm spin of Robin Petersen with contempt.

Laborious knock

Yet, Tendulkar's half-century was laboured for most part. India made just 26 runs in the first 15 overs. Tendulkar and Dinesh Mongia (41), who applied himself even if he did not appear attractive, added 85 for the third wicket in 24.4 overs. The rate of scoring could have been quicker.

With Peterson going for runs, Smith was forced to introduce Justin Kemp. The medium-pacer had Tendulkar miscuing a drive to extra cover. Mongia made room to sweep Kemp and lost his leg-stump.

SCOREBOARD

India: V. Sehwag c Boucher b Pollock 11, S. Tendulkar c de Villiers b Kemp 55, V.V.S. Laxman c Smith b Pollock 0, D. Mongia b Kemp 41, M. Dhoni c Nel b Ntini 44, D. Karthik c Boucher b Nel 11, I. Pathan b Kallis 7, Harbhajan c Pollock b Ntini 1, Zaheer (not out) 16, A. Kumble b Ntini 1. Extras (lb-5, w-8): 13. Total (for nine wkts in 50 overs) 200.

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-18, 3- 103, 4-127, 5-154, 6-173, 7-183, 8-183, 9-200.

South Africa bowling: Pollock 10-4-17-2, Ntini 10-1-32-3, Kallis 10-1-56-1, Nel 10-1-34-1, Peterson 5-0-33-0, Kemp 5-0-23-2.

South Africa: A.B. de Villiers not out 92, Graeme Smith c Kaarthick b Harbhajan 79, Shaun Pollock not out 16. Extras (lb4, w5, nb5): 14. Total (for one wkt in 32.1 overs) 201

Fall of wicket: 1-173.

India bowling: Zaheer Khan 7-1-46-0, Sreesanth 3.2-0-31-0, Irfan Pathan 6-0-48-0, Harbhajan Singh 8-0-39-1, Anil Kumble 7-0- 33-0.

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