Date-stamped : 04 Dec93 - 19:49 Ind v RSA, ODI3, Report Centurion Park (Verwoedburg), 11 Dec 92 Conditions: It was a cool and cloudy day with rain falling up until 1200. With the weatherman predicting an 80% chance of rain, everyone expected the match to go 50 overs (It just shows what a good group of liars the weathermen are). The pitch was much truer with the bounce going through at normal height to the wicket keeper and also faster than the two pitches encountered so far. With all the rain falling during the day and night the out field was a bit on the slowish side but still fast. It is a good batsman wicket. Substitutions: Ind Fielding Chetan Sharma (12th man) for Azhar. RSA Fielding Glenn Abbot for Andrew Hudson. Attendance : 18 000, Capacity : 16 000 Note: The extra 2 000 comes from the fact that there is a lot of place on the grass banks, and by squeezing them in, you raise the grounds capacity. Comments: With Azharuddin winning the toss and electing to field on a wick- et that was full of runs RSA got off to a good start with Hudson and Wessels. The RSA batsman needlessly run themselves out (Hud- son and Rhodes). Rhodes was run out after hit a ball into the air, only for it to fall between two fielder, wanted to take the second run (that was on) but Hudson did not. Dev saw this and threw to the bowlers end to run Rhodes out. Hudson was run out after being stranded in the middle and Callaghan not moving out of his crease. With the good start that RSA got off to, a total of about 230-240 was being touted as a possible total. This was before the spinners Kumble and Shastri got into the attack and restricted the South African's. This was to lead to their down- fall (even though they did have wickets in hand). Cronje (hero of the 1st ODI) was bowled trying to boost the run rate from the first ball he faced. On the other hand, Callaghan could not do anything wrong and made a quick 32. McMillan came in and did well to survive to the end. The best shot played was Andrew Hudson, driving past the bowler to the long off boundary and the ball just missing the stumps at the bowlers end. The Indians also got off to a good and the impression was that chasing a target of 215 for victory, India had to lose the match rather than for RSA win. After Jadeja was out and the run rate approaching 5 to the over, Amre was sent in to try to boost the run rate. This unfornately for the Indian's back fired. After this they went back to their normal line with the only question being - At which spot will Shastri come in? He did come in at 7 after Azharuddin and Tendulkar made their highest totals in the three matches played and Dev was out for 1. Dev's dismisall was classic. The first three balls he played defensively, and on the fourth Wessels realising that Dev was not a person to play four defensive shots in a row in the last 10 overs, dropped his midwicket down to the boudary. The set up was complete, all that was required was for De Villiers to pitch a ball on middle and leg and for Dev to take a swipe at hit - and swipe he did, miss- ing the ball completely and seeing his middle stump being uproot- ed. However this only brought Shastri to the crease and he along with Raman went after the RSA bowling. When Raman skied a delivery from Donald, McMillan was there to pick it up, diving forward as though he was in the slips except that he was at midwicket. More came in, and together with Shastri, made sure that the match was put out of South Africa's reach. The RSA bowlers no matter how had they tried, could not maintain a line and length and continually strayed down the leg side. When they did put one down the off side, the Indian batsman struggled and it was only through good luck that the edges went for four - wide of any fielder. SCORING CHART: South Africa: 11 * 11 10 * * 10 R 9 * * * * 9 8 * * * * * * 8 U 7 * * * * * * * * 7 6 *** * * * ** * **** 6 N 5 *** * * * * * *** **** * **** 5 4 * **** * * ***** * *** ***** ** **** 4 S 3 * **** *** * ***** * * *** ** ***** ** * ***** 3 2 * **** *** ******************* ***** **** ***** 2 1 * ** ********************************** ********** 1 1 2 3 4 5 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 O V E R S India: 12 * 12 11 * * * 11 10 * * * 10 R 9 * * ** * 9 8 * * * ** ** 8 U 7 * * * * * ** ** 7 6 * * * * * ** ** * ** ** 6 N 5 * * * * * * ** * **** ** * ** ** 5 4 * * * * * * * ** *** * * **** *** * ****** 4 S 3 * * * * **** * * *** ***** ************ ****** 3 2 * * * ******* *** *********************** ****** 2 1 ** ********************************************** 1 1 2 3 4 . 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567891 O V E R S HISTORICAL EVENTS: 1. Hudson (RSA) became the first player to score 50 in an ODI in South Africa. 2. Hudson's 87 was his highest score in ODI's. 3. Raman (India) became the first player to score a century in an ODI in South Africa. 4. Raman's 113 was his highest score in ODI's. 5. Raman's 113 is the highest ODI score in South Africa. 6. Umpire Wolf Diedricks stood in his first International in the middle (afer) having sat in the TV room for the first two. Thanks to Feroz Khan on r.s.c. Contributed by probal (probal@*rutgers.edu)