Top 5 India v South Africa clashes in ODIs

3. India’s tour of South Africa, 2011:

When India toured South Africa in 2006-07, they were white-washed 4-0 in the ODI series and went on to give their most dismal performance in a World Cup in the Caribbean a few months later. They didn’t want to repeat the same mistake again, as they wanted to get everything sorted before the 2011 World Cup in their own backyard.

India won the toss and elected to bat. Their innings never really took off, the lack of any substantial contribution from the top 3 left India at 67/3. Yuvraj and Dhoni, who were India’s middle order’s pillars played yet another match saving innings. They stuck together and added 83 runs where Yuvraj struck a calm, under pressure fifty. He departed when the score was 150 post which there were hardly any contributions and India were bundled out for a below-par 190 runs.

South Africa, like India, had an indifferent start. Graeme Smith led from the front, notwithstanding the wickets falling around him, he scored a brilliant 77. He had ensured that the game was South Africa’s at 152/4, South Africa were on course for yet another victory against India and a 2-0 lead in the series, however, on the 1^st ball of the 33^rd over, Smith in the pursuit to push the ball through the covers, dragged the ball onto his stumps. Smith’s dismissal changed the game, India sensed that they could win. Zaheer Khan’s 2 quick wickets and an uncalled for run-out had SA tottering at 178/8. Some sensible batting by Wayne Parnell got them close to victory. SA now needed only 3 runs off 48 deliveries with two wickets remaining, something that you’d get 9 times out of 10. But Munaf Patel had different plans, he got those 2 wickets in similar fashion and conceded only 1 run, winning the match for India. It was a famous win for India as they had fought it out till the last ball and won by the narrowest of margins. That game was a good practice for the things to come in the World Cup that would follow the series.