The three-match ODI series of South Africa's tour of India in February 2010 began at Jaipur with a breathtaking thriller. The series was a prelude to the 2011 World Cup to be staged in the country, and South Africa were using the series to become familiar with the conditions.
Stand-in skipper, Jacques Kallis won the toss for South Africa and sent India in to bat. On a well laid out pitch, South Africa expected to chase down any target set by a strong Indian batting line-up. They had the firepower to do so in the batting department.
The double run-out
Despite the strong bowling they possessed, it was their fielding that got rid of both of India's openers – Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Some confusion between Sehwag and Tendulkar in the second over of the match led to the dismissal of the latter.
After Sehwag dished out some cuts and pulls in an entertaining knock of 46 from 37 balls, he was run-out while backing up. Dinesh Karthik hit one off Langeveldt straight back to the bowler, which ricocheted off his fingers and onto the non-striker's stumps, with Sehwag outside the crease.
The middle order that flattered to deceive
Karthik and a promoted MS Dhoni pushed India past hundred but Karthik fell soon after for 44. A young Virat Kohli joined the skipper and the duo kept the scoreboard ticking, but the boundaries did not flow as South Africa kept things tight.
Skipper, Kallis soon captured his opposite number by forcing an uppish drive from Dhoni that was pouched safely by Chennai Super Kings teammate, Albie Morkel. Kohli and Raina then carried on from where Dhoni had left off.
The runs still did not flow freely although Raina was looking comfortable at the wicket. A spectacular piece of fielding by Herschelle Gibbs soon ended Kohli's stay at the wicket for 31. Three of India's middle order batsmen had got starts but failed to convert it to half-centuries.
Lower order push India to 298
Raina, however, changed that trend with some typical hoicks over mid-wicket and smooth drives through the off-side. Yusuf Pathan, though, fell to Parnell in the 40th over for 18 and the southpaw fell soon after, edging Kallis to the keeper.
Jadeja and Praveen Kumar found the middle of the bat to take India within two runs of the coveted 300 mark. The Indian batsmen had all got starts but none of them had converted it to a big hundred. However, they had still reached a competitive and possibly match-winning total. The Proteas, meanwhile, despite bowling well throughout the innings, found themselves chasing a pretty high score. It was that sort of a game.
Kallis leads South Africa's fightback
Jacques Kallis led South Africa in the chase with some stunning cover drives and exquisite pulls after Loots Bosman and Herschelle Gibbs provided a decent start. Both the openers were dismissed in the 20s as the trend of missing out on starts continued in the game.
Kallis, however, had other ideas and pushed the Indian bowlers around with easy ones and twos. He seemed to be the only batsman to have a grip of the conditions.
Jadeja, after dismissing Gibbs in the 12th over with a flighted ball, soon deceived AB de Villiers with a flatter arm ball that clattered onto his stumps.
It went from bad to worse as Alviro Peterson was then run out and Albie Morkel played all around a Nehra ball to be adjudged LBW. Boucher and Botha departed as well without troubling India too much and South Africa were staring down the barrel at 180/7 with Kallis holding their last hope.
The burly all-rounder launched Yusuf Pathan for a monstrous six to establish his authority over the situation. However, a fired up Sreesanth, Kallis' tormentor in past matches, sent his bails flying as South Africa crumbled to 225/8
The Parnell-Steyn show
India seemed to be heading towards an easy win but the Proteas tail-enders, Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn had other ideas. Parnell smashed Raina to the third man fence and Steyn took on the Indian part-timer to launch him for two sixes in the 46th over.
A couple of edgy fours followed in the next two overs before the duo collected three boundaries off Sreesanth's over, the 48th of the innings. South Africa were edging closer to the target and India were beginning to panic.
The game became more interesting as Parnell and Steyn deposited Nehra into the stands for two sixes in the penultimate over. However, they still needed 10 off the last over.
Praveen Kumar holds his nerve in the final over
A single from Parnell off the first ball brought Steyn on strike. Kumar brought out the leg cutter that beat the swinging blade of Steyn and crashed into the stumps. Steyn was dismissed after an entertaining knock of 35 from 19 balls but more importantly, Parnell was not on strike.
Langeveldt eked out a single off an inside edge the next delivery, but Parnell could not manage any better and returned the strike to the fast bowler the next ball.
Seven off two balls required.
A slower delivery on leg stump was dismissed by Langeveldt to the fine leg fence, where Tendulkar put in a desperate dive to save the boundary. Three runs were taken and South Africa were a boundary away from victory.
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An outside off-stump yorker, off the final ball of the game, was called a wide and suddenly India were under pressure again with South Africa needing three to win and two to tie, with Parnell on strike on 48.
The southpaw squeezed the final ball to third man and scampered back for a second but found himself short of the crease as Dhoni whipped the bails off from a wide Sreesanth throw. India had prevailed by one run in an enthralling contest.
Brief Scores: India 298/9 in 50 overs (Raina 58, Sehwag 46, Kallis 3/29) beat South Africa 297/10 in 50 overs (Kallis 89, Parnell 49, Jadeja 2/29)
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