South Africa captain Jacques Kallis's unbeaten 91 saw his side to a four-wicket win over India at Stormont here on Tuesday in the first of three one-day internationals.
Kallis's well-paced innings saw South Africa overhaul an India total of 242 for eight built around a third wicket stand of 158 between Sachin Tendulkar (99) and Rahul Dravid (74).
South Africa needed four off the last over, bowled by part-time left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh. But 22-year-old all-rounder Vernon Philander (17 not out), in only his second match at this level, settled any lingering nerves by lofting Singh for four with three balls to spare as the Proteas finished on 245 for six.
"When we lost a few wickets it became my job to bat through the innings with a few youngsters down the order and I knew it was vital I stayed there to help them through," said man-of-the-match Kallis. "It's easy talking to a guy and telling him how to do it, but to actually do it is the hard job," added Kallis, who shared an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 55 with Philander.
India captain Dravid was pleased by the way his side, several of whom were playing with the effects of a flu virus that had swept through the squad since Saturday's nine-wicket win here against Ireland, had competed.
"A lot of guys today were still not 100 percent right. But they came out there, tried their best and really fought hard," Dravid said. Tendulkar was left just 50 runs away from becoming the first batsman in history to score 15,000 one-day international runs.
In sight of what would have been his 42nd hundred at this level, the 34-year-old was run out, going for an ill-judged second, by cover sweeper Morne van Wyk's throw to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.
Tendulkar and Dravid repaired the innings after Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir had fallen cheaply to fast bowler Andre Nel, who led the attack with three wickets for 47 runs. In reply, AB de Villiers and van Wyk shared a first-wicket stand of 56 as conditions became increasingly cold and overcast.
The Proteas needed under a run-a-ball when Mark Boucher was lbw for 23 to left-arm quick Zaheer Khan despite the ball pitching outside leg stump. The series continues at Stormont on Friday.
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