India clinched the five match Pepsi one-day series against SouthAfrica in a palpitating finish at the IPCL Sports Stadium in Vadodaratoday, winning by four wickets with just one ball to spare

Sankhya Krishnan17-Mar-2000India clinched the five match Pepsi one-day series against SouthAfrica in a palpitating finish at the IPCL Sports Stadium in Vadodaratoday, winning by four wickets with just one ball to spare. SachinTendulkar’s 25th one-day hundred and Saurav Ganguly’s now predictabledisplay of pyrotechnics at the beginning of the innings had takenIndia to the verge of a comfortable victory but the middle ordermessed it up so thoroughly that South Africa were in the hunt rightuntil the last few balls.It took a dropped catch by Lance Klusener in the last over to deny thevisitors an improbable tilt at levelling the series. Hansie Cronje wasleft to rue the decision to bat first after winning the toss for thefourth time in a row. The time tested strategem of putting runs on theboard to pressure the opposition would not have cowed an Indian teamon a placid wicket and inspired by the memory of successfully chasing302 in the series opener.Ganguly is the man with the Midas touch at the moment and dominated a153 run opening stand with Tendulkar in exactly 25 overs which gavethe Indians a fantastic launch pad. Ganguly treated the South Africanattack with regal scorn as he rattled up a quickfire 87 in 84 ballsthat included 12 fours and two sixes. His favoured destination fordepositing the ball was to go over the heads of the infield to thecover boundary. And when Cronje responded by putting the cover fielderback and bringing square leg up, Ganguly just slotted it coolly in theposition made vacant by the fielder. He was the king of all hesurveyed and became a victim only of his own impatience, holing out tolong off.Tendulkar carried on the baton as he notched up a priceless 122,lifting India to 256/2 in the 45th over before knocking a Kallis fulltoss into the hands of Elworthy at mid on. Putting behind him anindifferent run in the series, Tendulkar came good when it was mostneeded. Although he was not at his best, Tendulkar gamely inched Indiacloser to victory with a patient innings but when he fell with 27still needed in 29 balls, the panic buttons were pressed. Having added80 for the third wicket with Tendulkar, Mohd. Azharuddin (39) fellsoon after, also to a full toss, and the situation boiled down to 15needed from the last 12 balls.Then followed a most extraordinary 49th over from Pollock. After RobinSingh had dispatched a wide full toss to the point boundary, Pollockredeemed the reputation of that much maligned delivery by knockingJadeja’s middle stump out of the ground. Sunil Joshi swung one to thesquare leg boundary first ball but was then yorked to leave RobinSingh and Saba Karim with the task of scoring six off the last overfrom Kallis.After two singles from two balls, Klusener dropped the simple chanceat mid on to let India breathe easy. He gingerly felt his ankleafterwards as though trying to put the blame there but the deed wasdone and Robin went on to score the winning runs for the second timein the series with a most unconvincing stroke that landed over cover.Earlier the Indians did not exactly distinguish themselves in thefield as they allowed South Africa to run up a huge total. GaryKirsten and Herschelle Gibbs may not be spoken of in the same breathas some of the legendary opening pairs of the past but they havedeveloped a liking for this Indian attack and scattered the bowlingonce more with a briskly constructed foundation for the innings. Therustiness in Javagal Srinath showed as he was caned for 43 in hisfirst five overs, struggling to find his length and overstepping thecrease several times in the bargain.The signs were looking ominous for India before they finallyterminated the opening wicket stand for 99 by removing Gibbs in the16th over. Gary Kirsten was setting himself up for another big scorebut a bad mixup with Kallis, who first called and then sent Kirstenback, spelt his doom. The innings was given its momentum by a breezyfifth wicket stand of 57 in 50 balls between Kallis and DaleBenkenstein.Kallis who, as usual, took some time to play himself in, stepped onthe accelerator later, mauling Sunil Joshi for 18 runs in the 46thover including two sixes. The late flourish, inclusive of twotrademark cross batted heaves by Klusener to the midwicket fence tookSouth Africa to 282/5 with Kallis not out 81. Anil Kumble was the pickof the bowlers for India with 1-32 from nine overs and Sunil Joshi wasthe most rewarded, with two scalps, although he spoilt his figureswith that munificent last over.