Indians register a three-wicket win

The Indians registered their second successive win on the tour when they defeated South Africa 'A' by three wickets in a limited overs day-night match on Wednesday.

The host side made 241 for six after electing to bat, with useful contributions from Martin van Jaarsveld and Gerald Dros.

The Indians, who had defeated Nicky Oppenheimer XI by five wickets in their tour opening match on Monday, overhauled the target losing seven wickets with five balls to spare.

The tourists were in dire straits having lost six wickets for 156 in the 37 overs but a 78-run seventh wicket stand between Yuvraj Singh and Ajit Agarkar ensured they comfortably overtook the target.

The surprise packet for the tourists was 28-year-old Baroda batsman Jacob Martin, who made 54 off 81 balls, with seven fours, and shared a 91-run third wicket stand with skipper Rahul Dravid.

Openers Shiv Sunder Das and Virender Sehwag were rattled by a few quick bouncers from new-ball bowler Telemachus but they kept attacking and raised 31 runs from six overs before Sehwag's loose flash outside the off-stump off the bolwing of Justin Kemp resulted in an easy catch at first slip.

Das, looking uncharacteristically busy in the middle, too became a victim to the same bowler as he missed an off-cutter and was adjudged leg before wicket.

Earlier, a miserly spell by Anil Kumble proved inadequate as South Africa 'A' posted a handsome 241 for 6 in the limited-overs day-night match against the visiting Indians in Benoni, Johannesburg, on Wednesday.

Kumble conceded just 13 runs in his ten overs and took the wicket of Jacques Rudolph after the hosts elected to bat.

The Indians were in firm control of things when they had the South African side reeling at 75 for 3 by the 19th over. But Martin van Jaarsveld and Gerald Dros came up with fine performances to rally the home team to a healthy total.

Jaarsveld scored 69 off 107 balls, with four fours, while Dros made an 86-ball 85, which included six fours and a six, as they added 117 runs for the fourth wicket in 148 balls.

Kumble, whose first spell read 7-4-5-1, was helped in his mission by the deceptive Ajit Agarkar, who claimed two wickets in his opening spell of 7-0-24-2 after his medium-pace colleagues Javagal Srinath and Harvinder Singh had been hit around the ground.

Srinath had a terrible start to the tour as he was repeatedly smashed through the in-cordon by openers Boeta Dippenaar and Rudolph before he was taken off with figures of none for 30 from his first four overs.

Harvinder did little better and bowled too short or full to be of any use in his first spell when the South African batsmen scored at a brisk pace.

Agarkar made the first breakthrough when he had Dippenaar caught by Rahul Dravid at lone slip. Dippenar made a classy 34 off 30 balls.

Agarkar then ended captain H D Ackerman's painful stay of one run from 23 balls with a catch behind the stumps. The Mumbai paceman claimed his third wicket by dismissing Justin Ontong, who drove wildly and edged to wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta.

Jaarsveld, a neat-looking batsman, played sensibly while Dros took risks more often. Dros, in fact, hooked Agarkar for a six over square leg in the final over.

In the morning, Mornantu Hayward, a replacement for injured Mfunenko Ngam, himself pulled out because of flu.

Sachin Tendulkar was ruled out of the match because of a toe injury while Sourav Ganguly, who hurt his hand while batting against the Nicky Oppenheimer XI in the tour opener on Monday, also missed the game.

The teams:

South Africa A: Jacques Rudolph, Boeta Dippenaar, Martin van Jaarsveld, HD Ackerman (captain), Gerald Dros, Justin Ontong, Juistin Kemp, Thami Tsolokile, Roger Telemachus, Charl Langeveldt, Jon Kent.

India: Shiv Sunder Das, Verendra Sehwag, Rahul Dravid (captain), Jacob Martin, Yuvraj Singh, Reetinder Sodhi, Deep Dasgupta, Harvinder Singh, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Ajit Agarkar.