INDIA v SOUTH AFRICA 1991-92

At Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, November 14 (day/night). South Africa won by eight wickets. Toss: India. South Africa's first win in a one-day international was professionally executed after India had scored an apparently invulnerable 287 for four. The cricketing validity of the game was somewhat reduced by the use of the city's athletics stadium where the outfield included four separate surfaces: grass, the Tartan of the running track, artificial grass over the long-jump pit and tarpaulins.

However, 75,000 watched the run-feast with great enthusiasm even when India started losing. Shastri, having been dropped for the previous game, was brought back as captain and put on 175 for the second wicket with Manjrekar at seven an over. But South Africa made light work of the chase: Wessels's third consecutive half-century was much freer than his previous two and his 90 came off 105 balls; Kuiper's 63 not out took only 41 balls. Firecrackers and thunderflashes went off all round the stadium continually, regardless of the state of the game.

Man of the Match: P. N. Kirsten.

Men of the Series: S. V. Manjrekar and K. C. Wessels.