India v South Africa
A review of The Future Cup in Ireland 2007, first one-day international
15-Apr-2008
At Belfast, June 26. South Africa won by four wickets. Toss: South Africa.
In years to come, the number of people who have seen Sachin Tendulkar make a hundred may
be incalculable. How much more of a distinction, then, to have been present when, for the first
time in 524 international matches, he was out for 99. But it was the equally inscrutable Kallis
who took his side to victory with a well-paced 91. India, missing several players because of flu,
had the consolation of seeing Piyush Chawla, in conditions that did him no favours, bowl his legspin
with great guile for three wickets. Tendulkar took 17 balls to get off the mark, but was
rewarded later, playing several drives of reassuring authority in a stand of 158 with the everelegant
Dravid, before being run out going for a second by van Wyk's throw to Boucher. India
took wickets with sufficient frequency to prove that the 50-over format need not be formulaic.
Well though he batted, Kallis needed someone to stay with him: Philander, in his first international
innings, kept his head, and ended the match with three balls to spare by driving Yuvraj Singh
over the infield for four.
Man of the Match: J. H. Kallis.