Heroic Kallis sets stage for smash-and-grab act by Rhodes and Klusener. (16 May 1999)

16 May 1999

Heroic Kallis sets stage for smash-and-grab act by Rhodes and Klusener.

COLIN BRYDEN - Hove

SOUTH Africa will not want the World Cup to get any tougher than it did yesterday. India were doughty opponents in a tense, hard-fought battle and South Africa made life tougher for themselves than they needed to by choosing the opening game of their World Cup campaign for an ill-judged experiment in technology.

South Africa won a thrilling match by four wickets with Jacques Kallis making a heroic 96 before being run out. It was limited overs cricket at its best with two good teams stretching each other close to the limit.With the outcome in doubt until Jonty Rhodes and Lance Klusener hit two boundaries each off Ajit Agarkar in the 47th over, it was an occasion to savour, with supporters of both teams offering vocal and colourful support.

More was the pity then that the quality of the cricket was not the only subject of discussion.

When Hansie Cronjé said South Africa might have a few tricks up their sleeves, there was no reason to suspect that one of them might be attached to his right ear.

An earpiece which enabled him to listen to advice from Bob Woolmer, the coach, seemed to serve no useful purpose. On orders from the International Cricket Council, the earpiece was removed at the first drinks break. By then India's innings was well and truly launched.

With the left-handed Saurav Ganguly making a splendid 97, India's 253 for five required South Africa to bat at more than five runs an over, never a straight-forward task.

It was an enthralling match between two teams that could well be in contention in the later stages of the tournament. Certainly the standard and the intensity was greater than that of the opening encounter between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's on Friday.

Yet the press box was buzzing, not with discussion about sparkling strokeplay or valiant fielding, but about Cronjé's earpiece.

As an anonymous ICC statement said, the World Cup is not the event to experiment with a new device without obtaining official clearance.

India had a toughness about their play which has not always been evident. Perhaps it is just that they have a core of battle-hardened, experienced players; perhaps it has something to do with the hiring as a technical adviser of Bobby Simpson, the former Australian captain and coach, who surely must take some credit for India's excellence in the field.

At the conclusion of India's innings the point was well made that they might have scored in the region of 270 or 280 had it not been for South Africa's tireless chasing and stopping in the field, with numerous fine strokes being restricted to a single when at least two seemed probable.

Cronjé said that on a good pitch it had been a matter of "hanging in" and keeping the runs down. "There were some good saves and some good catches," he said.

The reasonable expectation was that South Africa would benefit by those saved runs when they batted, but India, often prone to lapses, were flawless in the outfield until Rahul Dravid sloppily allowed a routine pick-up at deep midwicket to go for four runs in the 36th over when proceedings were delicately balanced. With Kallis anchoring the innings and Cronjé providing the acceleration, the target hovered at around a run a ball until Cronjé charged down the wicket to Agarkar and was smartly held by Jadeja at midwicket.

At that point 74 were needed off 68 balls and the odds were tilting towards South Africa, although with room for a late slip-up.Jonty Rhodes, who had ruined Ganguly's chance of scoring a century in his 100th limited overs international with a brilliant dive and measured throw from backward point, made victory virtually certain for South Africa. He batted with the urgency and enthusiasm of the youth who captivated the world in 1992 and it is difficult to believe that he will turn 30 a month after the final and may not play in another World Cup.

It was Rhodes who called Kallis through for a fatal attempt at a third run to third man. It was unfortunate for Kallis but the cause was greater than the need for another international century. Rhodes started the next over by flicking the first two balls from Agarkar for four behind square leg.

Lance Klusener clubbed three boundaries off three balls and was mightily aggrieved when the fourth and final delivery he received was not called no-ball because of height.

The last 27 runs were scored off only ten balls and it was a measure of South Africa's innate belief in their ability to win that there were no extravagant gestures, no arms raised by the batsmen.

Klusener plucked a stump as a souvenir; Rhodes shook hands with bowler Prasad and trotted off. Another game, another win. Soon afterwards, Cronjé spoke calmly on television.

Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar gave India a solid start with a stand of 67 off 97 balls, mixing elegant boundaries with sharply-run singles. The most anxious moment for India was when Ganguly played across a ball from Kallis which crashed painfully into his abdominal protector.

After a prolonged recovery period he flicked the next ball down the legside for four.

It was a memorable match. The losers need have no immediate fear that their challenge is about to end.