Wisden
Second One-Day International

India v South Africa


At Dhaka, April 13, 2003 (day/night). India won by 153 runs. India 6 pts. Toss: India. One-day international debuts: A. Mishra; J. A. Rudolph.

South Africa's new captain, Smith, stamped his sovereignty by leaving their old one, Pollock, stewing in the outfield for 19 overs before giving him a bowl. Having opened during the World Cup, Pollock was now third change. Leaving the side's most consistent bowler to face well-set batsmen with a pummelled ball, while opening with Willoughby's medium-pace, seemed to confound logic. Ganguly married his usual effortless straight hitting with a less characteristic pursuit of quick singles and, after he fell, Kaif and Mongia swung 110 in under 12 overs as a breathless South Africa hurled overthrows and grassed catches. In reply, Harbhajan Singh found biting turn from his first ball, and a brittle-looking batting line-up, shorn of Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes and Gary Kirsten, skidded to 89 for six and crashed to South Africa's second-heaviest defeat by runs.

Man of the Match: M. Kaif.

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