Calcutta, November 10, 1991
South Africa's emergence after 21 years of exile attracted a crowd of more than 90,000 people, most of them armed with fireworks.
Its inaugural limited-overs international was also South Africa's first encounter at any level with India. Allan Donald returned figures of 5 for 29 with his lightening pace -- the third best figures for any bowler (at that time) on debut. but India romped home by three wickets, thanks to half centuries from Sachin Tendulkar and debutant Pravin Amre.
Port Elizabeth, December 9, 1992
A straightforward win by South Africa will be remembered less than the controversy which ensued when Kapil Dev ran out Gary Kirsten for backing up before he bowled the ball.
Kapil did not warn the batsman, having done so three times previously on the tour. Kirsten reacted angrily before walking off.
Later, in the same over, Kepler Wessels appears to collide with Kapil as he turned for a second run. India complained that Wessels had hit Kapil on the shin with his bat. The Indians said Kirsten had shown dissent and incited the crowd.
Clive Lloyd, the match referee, announced the next day that Wessels had admitted that his bat had come into contact with Kapil, but said it was unintentional.
Llyod did not see the incident and, as the television cameras had been following the ball, he said the truth could not be established.
Kirsten was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for unacceptable conduct.
Calcutta, November 24, 1993
The match was the first played under lights at the Eden Gardens -- smoke bombs were deployed to deter vast swarms of insects, though a local mongoose remained and fielded enthusiastically in this and the next two games.
It was also the first match in India to feature a video replay umpire: S K Bansal made his mark early on when he sent back Vinod Kambli and Manoj Prabhakar, both run-out by Darryl Cullinan.
Mohammad Azharuddin pulled his team round with Pravin Amre's help, but India failed to reach 200.
South Africa came to the last five overs needing 45, whcih was down to seven when they lost Dave Richardson. They entered the final over looking for six with two wickets remaining.
Television viewers across the world saw the senior members to the Indian team go into a huddle to decide who would bowl the last over.
Javagal Srinath and Manoj Prabhakar had given too many runs in their last two overs and Kapil Dev was hesitant to bowl.
Seeing this, Sachin Tendulkar grabbed the ball. He hadn't bowled a single ball in the match, so it was a big gamble. On the first ball Fanie De Villiers was run-out trying to run a non-existent second run.
Last man Allan Donald failed to connect three consecutive balls and could take only a single off the fifth.
Brian McMillan needed to hit a four off the last ball, but managed only a single as Eden Gardens exploded with ecstasy.
Durban, February 13, 1997
The re-played final of the Standard Bank International One-Day Series, which South Africa won by 16 runs. The pitch played better that on the previous day -- the originally scheduled final day and most of South Africa's top order contributed to getting sufficient runs on the board.
Rain interrupted the match again, but there was time to set India a reduced target, which they pursued with gusto. Sachin Tendulkar smashed 45 off 33 balls, with a six and seven fours, and added 66 with Rahul Dravid at eight an over.
Hansie Cronje had Sachin caught off a well-disguised slower ball, but Dravid kept cranking up the rate, supported by Mohammad Azharuddin. The chase petered out when Azhar fell to a fine diving catch by Jonty Rhodes and Dravid drove to Gary Kirsten on the mid-wicket boundary.
The match will be remembered for Allan Donald's verbal attack on Dravid after getting hit for a six.
Hove, May 15, 1999
The World Cup game was played on a ground that could accommodate only 5,000 spectators. A festive atmosphere and cracking finish were overshadowed by the strange case of Hansie Cronje's earpiece.
South Africa were experimenting with a one-way radio system: Cronje and Allen Donald were wired up to coach Bob Woolmer, who sat in the dressing room dispensing advice.
Match referee Talt Ali was not impressed and pounced at the first drinks break. The ICC later ruled out remote-control captaincy, at least of the rest of the World Cup.
Nairobi (Gym), Semptember 26, 1999
On a wicket perfectly for spin, South Africa scored their second-lowest total (at that time) in limited-overs international.
India's two off-break bowlers, Nikhil Chopra and Vijay Bharadwaj playing his first international, took out four for 42 from their combined 20 overs.
Slow left-armer Sunil Joshi did even better, finishing with five for six from his ten, the best figures by any bowler against South Africa and, at the time, the third most economical analysis by anyone completing his full quota of overs.
Of the South African batsmen, Jacques Kallis alone coped with the turning ball, though he too eventually succumbed to spin.
India lost two wickets to Derek Crookes -- South Africa's only slow bowler, they had misread the pitch and omitted Paul Adams -- but were never in trouble sailing home with more than half their overs unused.
Kochi, March 9, 2000
India successfully chased a target of 302.
However, the farce at the finish made nonsense of the batting feast that preceded it.
The last over began with eight needed. Shaun Pollock's second delivery was called a no-ball -- television indicated overstepping -- and target soon became four from four balls.
Anil Kumble's steer to third man brought three, but in stopping the ball Jacques Kallis crossed the boundary and umpire signalled a four.
Stumps were drawn and the players left the field. The television umpire pointed out that Kallis was not touching the ball when he went over the line and, after some delay, the players were ordered back for Robin Singh to face one more delivery.
Baroda, March 17, 2000
The outcome of the match were decided off only the penultimate ball, though India should have easily wrapped up the match much before that.
Gary Kirsten and Hershelle Gibbs got South Africa going, taking 43 from Javagal Srinath's first five overs. Jacques Kallis atoned for Kirsten's run-out by remaining unbeaten on 81. His quick-fire stands with Dale Benkenstein and Lance Klusener propelled his side to formidable total.
Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar gave India a quick and solid start with an opening stand of 153 in 25 overs. Ganguly scored a riotous 87, inclusive of 12 fours and two sixes.
Tendulkar cut loose on Ganguly's departure to bring India's target down to 27 from 29 balls when he was third out for 122, his 25th one-day international hundred.
Pollock's two wickets in the penultimate over upped the ante, but South Africa's nerve failed first: Klusener dripped Robin Singh at mid-on with four runs needed and three balls remaining.
This was a costly miss as India romped home with one ball to spare.
Nairobi (Gym), October 13, 2000
South Africa were the favorites to win the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final, but they ran into a breathtaking innings from Saurav Ganguly, who creamed an unbeaten 141 from 142 balls, his 14th hundred in ODIs.
India were heading for 300 until he lost the strike in the last over. Ganguly went airborne when left-arm spinner Nicky Boje cam on at the halfway stage. Three of his six sixes came during Boje's two overs, which cost 26 runs and opened the floodgates for some rousing strokeplay.
Ganguly had one lucky break, on 75, when he guided a Lance Klusener no-ball to backward point.
Under pressure to score quickly, South Africa lost their top four inside eight overs.
Ganguly then continued his master class by dismissing Mark Boucher, their top-scorer, for 60, but his exertions caught up with him: fielding at slip, he dropped Boje twice in two balls.
Ganguly had done more that enought earlier with the bat as India won the match by 95 runs.
Colombo (RPS), September 25, 2002
With 14 overs left, the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy was a dead duck. But Virender Sehwag, tossed the ball as late as the 42nd over, won India a match they should have lost by some distance.
Chasing 261, Hershelea Gibbs had torn the bowling with some magnificent cover -drives, sweeps and contemptuous pulls. But an attack of cramp in both hands forced him off after 37 overs and the remaining batsmen took it as a signal to fall apart.
Jonty Rhodes's top-edged sweep off Harbhajan was superbly caught, one handed, by Yuvraj Singh full-stretched at leg-slip, and when Botha Deppenaar and Mark Boucher holed out, the onus was on Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener to see them home.
Klusener batted like a blind man teeing off, while Kallis, who made 97, was apparently playing for a draw.
By the time the final over rolled round, 21 were needed. A Kallis slog-sweep for six off Sehwag gave the Indians a brieg alarm but the encore ended up in Rahul Dravid's gloves.
India won the match by 10 runs.
South Africa's emergence after 21 years of exile attracted a crowd of more than 90,000 people, most of them armed with fireworks.
Its inaugural limited-overs international was also South Africa's first encounter at any level with India. Allan Donald returned figures of 5 for 29 with his lightening pace -- the third best figures for any bowler (at that time) on debut. but India romped home by three wickets, thanks to half centuries from Sachin Tendulkar and debutant Pravin Amre.
Port Elizabeth, December 9, 1992
A straightforward win by South Africa will be remembered less than the controversy which ensued when Kapil Dev ran out Gary Kirsten for backing up before he bowled the ball.
Kapil did not warn the batsman, having done so three times previously on the tour. Kirsten reacted angrily before walking off.
Later, in the same over, Kepler Wessels appears to collide with Kapil as he turned for a second run. India complained that Wessels had hit Kapil on the shin with his bat. The Indians said Kirsten had shown dissent and incited the crowd.
Clive Lloyd, the match referee, announced the next day that Wessels had admitted that his bat had come into contact with Kapil, but said it was unintentional.
Llyod did not see the incident and, as the television cameras had been following the ball, he said the truth could not be established.
Kirsten was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for unacceptable conduct.
Calcutta, November 24, 1993
The match was the first played under lights at the Eden Gardens -- smoke bombs were deployed to deter vast swarms of insects, though a local mongoose remained and fielded enthusiastically in this and the next two games.
It was also the first match in India to feature a video replay umpire: S K Bansal made his mark early on when he sent back Vinod Kambli and Manoj Prabhakar, both run-out by Darryl Cullinan.
Mohammad Azharuddin pulled his team round with Pravin Amre's help, but India failed to reach 200.
South Africa came to the last five overs needing 45, whcih was down to seven when they lost Dave Richardson. They entered the final over looking for six with two wickets remaining.
Television viewers across the world saw the senior members to the Indian team go into a huddle to decide who would bowl the last over.
Javagal Srinath and Manoj Prabhakar had given too many runs in their last two overs and Kapil Dev was hesitant to bowl.
Seeing this, Sachin Tendulkar grabbed the ball. He hadn't bowled a single ball in the match, so it was a big gamble. On the first ball Fanie De Villiers was run-out trying to run a non-existent second run.
Last man Allan Donald failed to connect three consecutive balls and could take only a single off the fifth.
Brian McMillan needed to hit a four off the last ball, but managed only a single as Eden Gardens exploded with ecstasy.
Durban, February 13, 1997
The re-played final of the Standard Bank International One-Day Series, which South Africa won by 16 runs. The pitch played better that on the previous day -- the originally scheduled final day and most of South Africa's top order contributed to getting sufficient runs on the board.
Rain interrupted the match again, but there was time to set India a reduced target, which they pursued with gusto. Sachin Tendulkar smashed 45 off 33 balls, with a six and seven fours, and added 66 with Rahul Dravid at eight an over.
Hansie Cronje had Sachin caught off a well-disguised slower ball, but Dravid kept cranking up the rate, supported by Mohammad Azharuddin. The chase petered out when Azhar fell to a fine diving catch by Jonty Rhodes and Dravid drove to Gary Kirsten on the mid-wicket boundary.
The match will be remembered for Allan Donald's verbal attack on Dravid after getting hit for a six.
Hove, May 15, 1999
The World Cup game was played on a ground that could accommodate only 5,000 spectators. A festive atmosphere and cracking finish were overshadowed by the strange case of Hansie Cronje's earpiece.
South Africa were experimenting with a one-way radio system: Cronje and Allen Donald were wired up to coach Bob Woolmer, who sat in the dressing room dispensing advice.
Match referee Talt Ali was not impressed and pounced at the first drinks break. The ICC later ruled out remote-control captaincy, at least of the rest of the World Cup.
Nairobi (Gym), Semptember 26, 1999
On a wicket perfectly for spin, South Africa scored their second-lowest total (at that time) in limited-overs international.
India's two off-break bowlers, Nikhil Chopra and Vijay Bharadwaj playing his first international, took out four for 42 from their combined 20 overs.
Slow left-armer Sunil Joshi did even better, finishing with five for six from his ten, the best figures by any bowler against South Africa and, at the time, the third most economical analysis by anyone completing his full quota of overs.
Of the South African batsmen, Jacques Kallis alone coped with the turning ball, though he too eventually succumbed to spin.
India lost two wickets to Derek Crookes -- South Africa's only slow bowler, they had misread the pitch and omitted Paul Adams -- but were never in trouble sailing home with more than half their overs unused.
Kochi, March 9, 2000
India successfully chased a target of 302.
However, the farce at the finish made nonsense of the batting feast that preceded it.
The last over began with eight needed. Shaun Pollock's second delivery was called a no-ball -- television indicated overstepping -- and target soon became four from four balls.
Anil Kumble's steer to third man brought three, but in stopping the ball Jacques Kallis crossed the boundary and umpire signalled a four.
Stumps were drawn and the players left the field. The television umpire pointed out that Kallis was not touching the ball when he went over the line and, after some delay, the players were ordered back for Robin Singh to face one more delivery.
Baroda, March 17, 2000
The outcome of the match were decided off only the penultimate ball, though India should have easily wrapped up the match much before that.
Gary Kirsten and Hershelle Gibbs got South Africa going, taking 43 from Javagal Srinath's first five overs. Jacques Kallis atoned for Kirsten's run-out by remaining unbeaten on 81. His quick-fire stands with Dale Benkenstein and Lance Klusener propelled his side to formidable total.
Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar gave India a quick and solid start with an opening stand of 153 in 25 overs. Ganguly scored a riotous 87, inclusive of 12 fours and two sixes.
Tendulkar cut loose on Ganguly's departure to bring India's target down to 27 from 29 balls when he was third out for 122, his 25th one-day international hundred.
Pollock's two wickets in the penultimate over upped the ante, but South Africa's nerve failed first: Klusener dripped Robin Singh at mid-on with four runs needed and three balls remaining.
This was a costly miss as India romped home with one ball to spare.
Nairobi (Gym), October 13, 2000
South Africa were the favorites to win the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final, but they ran into a breathtaking innings from Saurav Ganguly, who creamed an unbeaten 141 from 142 balls, his 14th hundred in ODIs.
India were heading for 300 until he lost the strike in the last over. Ganguly went airborne when left-arm spinner Nicky Boje cam on at the halfway stage. Three of his six sixes came during Boje's two overs, which cost 26 runs and opened the floodgates for some rousing strokeplay.
Ganguly had one lucky break, on 75, when he guided a Lance Klusener no-ball to backward point.
Under pressure to score quickly, South Africa lost their top four inside eight overs.
Ganguly then continued his master class by dismissing Mark Boucher, their top-scorer, for 60, but his exertions caught up with him: fielding at slip, he dropped Boje twice in two balls.
Ganguly had done more that enought earlier with the bat as India won the match by 95 runs.
Colombo (RPS), September 25, 2002
With 14 overs left, the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy was a dead duck. But Virender Sehwag, tossed the ball as late as the 42nd over, won India a match they should have lost by some distance.
Chasing 261, Hershelea Gibbs had torn the bowling with some magnificent cover -drives, sweeps and contemptuous pulls. But an attack of cramp in both hands forced him off after 37 overs and the remaining batsmen took it as a signal to fall apart.
Jonty Rhodes's top-edged sweep off Harbhajan was superbly caught, one handed, by Yuvraj Singh full-stretched at leg-slip, and when Botha Deppenaar and Mark Boucher holed out, the onus was on Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener to see them home.
Klusener batted like a blind man teeing off, while Kallis, who made 97, was apparently playing for a draw.
By the time the final over rolled round, 21 were needed. A Kallis slog-sweep for six off Sehwag gave the Indians a brieg alarm but the encore ended up in Rahul Dravid's gloves.
India won the match by 10 runs.
2 comments:
Amiable brief and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you for your information.
Great post but needs updating.
PS: It was Gary's elder brother Peter who was run out by Kapil Dev in that ODI over at PE.
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