Top 5 India v South Africa clashes in ODIs

1. 2011 World Cup

This is easily the best India vs South Africa game I have ever seen. On 12^th March 2011 when India met South Africa, at the VCA Stadium Nagpur, the crowd expected nothing less than a humdinger. It was 20 days into the World Cup, it was moving towards its business end and all the games were crucial. This would in all certainty decide who would top the group.

Like most captains would do on a placid Nagpur wicket, MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat. India started brilliantly, smacking the ball to all parts of the ground. It reminded of the 2003 Pakistan bashing by Sachin and Sehwag, only this was longer. None of Graeme Smith’s plans were working, he reluctantly handed the ball over to Faf Du Plessis who took the first of his only two ODI wickets in the form of Virendra Sehwag but the damage was already done, the openers had added 142 runs in just 17.4 overs. Sachin continued to play a sublime innings and Gambhir took off from where Viru left. They both added 125 runs in the next 22 overs, Sachin scoring his sixth and last century at World Cup while Gambhir scored a decent half century. India were 267 in the 41^st over for the loss of 1 wicket, most teams in the T20 era would go for the kill in the last 10 and add 100 runs, that wasn’t going to be the case that day though, a Dale Steyn led comeback brought the South Africans right back in the game. His five-for caused the Great Indian Collapse, losing the last 9 wickets for merely 30 runs with no contributions from any middle order batsmen India were bowled out for 296 runs at least 30-40 short of where they’d want themselves to be given the blistering start.

South Africa started the chase positively with 50s from 3 of their top four batsmen none of them ever letting the game slip out of their hands. Indians however, kept taking wickets at regular intervals and kept South Africa in check. The game was neck and neck, India were feeling the pressure as except for Zaheer Khan, all its pacers had taken a beating. Harbhajan Singh’s three wickets coupled with Munaf Patel’s dual strikes towards the end gave India enough steam to take the game till the last over, an over Indians will hardly ever forget.

7 wickets down, 13 required off the last over and a number 9 in the form of Robin Peterson on strike, Dhoni had the option of going with either Bhajji or Nehra. “Why did Dhoni give Nehra the last over” was soon to become a series of whatsapp jokes for the next few weeks as Robin Peterson scored 16 runs off 4 balls of the final over which included 2 fours and a six, taking South Africa over the line. That game was one of the most thrilling matches of the 2011 World Cup, where 20 days later, India went on to win in Mumbai while South Africa yet again crashed out at the onset of the Knockout stages.

Let us hope that the upcoming ODI series gives us many such games to cherish.

Also Read – Watch: India v SA match disrupted, as the Cuttack crowd goes bonkers