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Sachin run-out for four
India had a faulty start before riding on a string of cameos to post 298 for nine against South Africa in the first of the three-match One-day series against South Africa in Jaipur on Sunday.
Put in to bat first, India lost a quick wicket when Sachin Tendulkar was run-out for four.
Sehwag (46) had punched a Wayne Parnell delivery to covers and set off before hesitation set in.
Tendulkar (5) hared down the crease for a single that was never there. Herschelle Gibbs dived to his left and rifled a throw to the bowler, who had all the time in the world to knock off the bails.
India were 10 for 1 in just the second over.
Sehwag-Karthik put India on track
Dinesh Karthik, who came in at No 3, played very sensibly. The Sehwag-Karthik pair stitched up a crucial 79-run partnership to bring the India back on track.
They played attacking cricket and gave themselves a chance to settle in.
But Sehwag's aggressive stint at the crease was cut short when Karthik's (44) straight drive brushed bowler Charl Langeveldt's fingers before crushing onto the stumps at the non-striker's end with Sehwag nowhere near the crease.
Four overs later Karthik also departed, missing his fourth half-century by six runs, as his mistimed pull off Langveldt found the fielder at mid-on.
Raina, Kohli give late surge
Albie Morkel took a low catch off Kallis to remove Dhoni (26) and from the comfort of 89 for 1, India found themselves in a mess at 138 for four.
Raina and Kohli calmed the Indian nerves with a 66-run stand. Raina hit Kallis for two fours in the same over before playing an on-drive off Parnell to clear the long-on ropes.
But Kohli fell to Morkel after the team had crossed the 200-run mark.
Then, Raina, having made his 15th ODI fifty, was caught behind off Kallis.
Kallis pulls back three
South African captain Jacques Kallis led from the front, claiming three for 29 from his seven tight overs.
Kallis did the damage lower down the order to check India's rising total.
He picked the crucial wickets of MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, to put the breaks on the accelerating Indian innings.
India have close shave
India survived several anxious moments before beating South Africa by one run in the first One-Day International on Sunday.
Captain Jacques Kallis had earlier waged a lone battle with a solid knock of 89 from 97 deliveries before South Africa, chasing India's 298, were dismissed for 297.
Wayne Parnell (49 off 47 deliveries) and Dale Steyn (35 off 19) gave South Africa some hope at the death, but Parnell's run-out off the final delivery of the innings meant it was all over for the Proteas.
Unhappy with the performance of his bowlers, captain Mahendra Singh Dhonisaid he had not expected his best bowlers to get the pasting from the visiting tailenders.
"So many runs needed by their (SA) tailenders and you don't expect your best bowlers to concede so many runs (at the death). The bowlers need to do better in remaining matches," Dhoni said.