Tendulkar, Ganguly Power India To Series Victory

Sachin Tendulkar, who scored a century in the fourth one-day match against South Africa, in Baroda on Friday. Tendulkar was declared Man of the Match. Photo: AP

India lived through some agonising final moments despite a clinically-executed 25th one-day hundred by Sachin Tendulkar, to carry off an absolutely heart-stopping chase and defeat South Africa by four wickets with a ball left to win the fourth one-dayer and clinch the series 3-1 here today.

Tendulkar (122) slammed a neatly-paced hundred to build on skipper Sourav Ganguly's electrifying 87 as India reached 283 for six in 49.5 overs to complete their third successful chase in the series after South Africa compiled an imposing 282 for five after electing to bat.

 

In a thrilling game that produced excitement off every delivery in the last few overs, the hosts survived a sudden slump to be left needing six runs off the final over. The reliable Robin Singh kept his cool to guide the hosts to an exhilarating victory at the IPCL ground.

Tendulkar displayed character as he complemented Ganguly in their 153-run opening stand and then paired up in a 90-run third-wicket stand with Azhar who scored 39.

But both Tendulkar and Azhar fell to paceman Jacques Kallis in the bowler's successive overs to leave India needing 15 runs off 12 balls.

Fast bowler Shaun Pollock bowled both Jadeja and Sunil Joshi in the 49th over, but he conceded nine runs. Robin Singh thrived on a dropped catch by Lance Klusener with four runs needed off as many balls to complete the win.

Ganguly once again clobbered the South African attack even as Tendulkar was content with rotating the strike as the two set a fine pace.

The left-hander, who struck his second successive 50 after his unbeaten match-winning 200 in Jamshedpur, was going great guns and well ahead of his partner when he lofted left-arm spinner Nicky Boje straight to Shaun Pollock at long-on to fall short of a deserving 13th one-day hundred.

Ganguly's 87 off 84 balls was studded with 12 fours, many of them audaciously hit on either side of the pitch. He also hit two sixes off Kallis and Pieter Strydom.

Man-of-the-match Tendulkar, who faced 138 balls and hit 12 boundaries, kept scoring around five runs an over to maintain the momentum alongwith Azharuddin.

The 26-year-old, whose last century came against New Zealand in the home one-day series in November last year, registered the highest score by an Indian against the South Africans surpassing his own record of 114 (Titan Cup final in 1996).

India, were placed comfortably at 256 for two after 45 overs, needing 27 runs for victory. But Tendulkar mistimed a Kallis full-toss straight to Steve Elworthy at mid-on off the first ball of the 46th over.

Kallis had Azhar brilliantly caught and bowled off another full toss in his next over to suddenly pile on the pressure.

Elworthy then showed splendid sportsmanship by not running out Robin Singh after the non-striker collided with Kallis who was fielding on his followthrough.