South Africa beat a second-string young Indian team by 90 runs in the third and final ODI in Ahmedabad, but India won the Micromax Mobile Cup 2010 2-1. Sachin Tendulkar was declared 'Man of the Series' by the virtue of his unbeaten double century in the Gwalior ODI.

Kallis and Villiers added unbeaten 173 runs for the 3rd wicket. Kallis remained unbeaten on 104 off 94 balls with 5 boundaries and 3 sixes. It was his 17th ODI hundred.



AB de Villiers batted superbly and completed his 6th ODI hundred off 58 balls. He remained unbeaten on 102 off 59 balls with 11 boundaries and 3 sixes. Villiers had also scored an unbeaten century in the Gwalior ODI.

For South Africa, Dale Steyn and Lonwabo Tsotsobe took 3 wickets each. Roelof van der Merwe and Johan Botha took 2 wickets each. AB de Villiers was declared 'Man of the Match'. The 'Man of the Series' award went to Sachin Tendulkar. In his absence, Mahendra Singh Dhoni received the luxurious 'Volvo S80' car, which was given as the 'Man of the Series' award.

Sachin sets world record; hits double-ton

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar today created a new world record, he became the first batsman to score a double-century in the one day (50-over) international cricket match. The previous record holder was Saeed Anwar of Pakistan having scored 194 runs against India.

Sachin scored 200 runs from 147 deliveries against South Africa in the second match of the ODI series, played at Gwalior.

In the process, he also scored his 46th ODI hundred. Team India scored 401 for the loss of three wickets, after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Tendulkar had reached to 100 off just 90 balls, and thereafter accelerated his scoring rate.

Dhoni hit a smashing 50 towards the end of the innings, he was 68 not out from 35 balls.

India vs South Africa 2010 1st ODI Game

India won the first game of the ICC ODI at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday.
“When there are so many runs needed and when the number eight and nine batsmen are at the crease, you don’t really expect your best bowlers to get hit the way they did,” India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.
“Credit must go to the batsmen, but I’m sure we would do better in the next game if the conditions are the same,” he added.
Here are the highlights for the India vs South Africa 2010 1st ODI game:
India
India: 50 runs in 8.2 overs (52 balls), Extras 3
Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 – 15.0
2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 53 balls (V Sehwag 22, KD Karthik 26, Ex 2)
Drinks: India – 89/2 in 14.2 overs (KD Karthik 31)
India: 100 runs in 16.6 overs (104 balls), Extras 8
India: 150 runs in 26.4 overs (163 balls), Extras 9
Drinks: India – 170/4 in 31.0 overs (V Kohli 17, SK Raina 22)
5th Wicket: 50 runs in 66 balls (V Kohli 19, SK Raina 28, Ex 3)
India: 200 runs in 34.4 overs (215 balls), Extras 13
Power Play 3: Overs 38.1 – 43.0
SK Raina: 50 off 56 balls (5 x 4, 1 x 6)
India: 250 runs in 41.5 overs (262 balls), Extras 17
Innings Break: India – 298/9 in 50.0 overs (A Nehra 16, S Sreesanth 0)
South Africa
South Africa: 50 runs in 7.3 overs (47 balls), Extras 4
1st Wicket: 50 runs in 47 balls (LL Bosman 22, HH Gibbs 25, Ex 4)
Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 – 15.0
Drinks: South Africa – 91/2 in 16.0 overs (JH Kallis 17, AB de Villiers 14)
South Africa: 100 runs in 16.6 overs (104 balls), Extras 4
JH Kallis: 50 off 60 balls (3 x 4)
South Africa: 150 runs in 29.5 overs (181 balls), Extras 4
Drinks: South Africa – 179/6 in 34.0 overs (JH Kallis 63, J Botha 10)
Power Play 3: Overs 36.1 – 41.0
South Africa: 200 runs in 39.4 overs (241 balls), Extras 10
South Africa: 250 runs in 45.5 overs (278 balls), Extras 11
9th Wicket: 50 runs in 32 balls (WD Parnell 27, DW Steyn 27, Ex 1)

Harbhajan takes five wickets as India win

Feb 18th, 2010 (Kolkata) – The Indian cricket team will be on No.1 ranking in Tests with this win on South Africa. The series has been nothing but eventful with fortunes swinging from one side to the other with the series being settled at 1-1. South Africa made 296 runs in their first innings & 290 in second innings where India made 643 and declared. This way India has won the Match with big success by an innings win.
Amla, as he has done throughout the series did what he does best, playing almost flawlessly and with immense concentration to almost save the game for SA. In the end the credit has to go to the Indians for patiently probing away on a wicket that didn’t resemble a day 5 track. Hashim Amla is the Man of the match as well as the Man of the series, for scoring a staggering 494 runs in the series. He was dismissed just once in this series, and ended it with 3 centuries.
Harbhajan, who has come in for a lot of criticism from all quarters prior to this match has silenced everyone with his match winning spell. In the absence of Zaheer Khan the responsibility of supporting Bhajji was taken over by Amit Mishra who bowled superbly, bringing all his variations into play, picking up 3 wickets, none more important than Kallis’s wicket last evening.
Just when it looked like Morkel and Amla would steer them home Harbhajan produced a beauty to trap Morne Morkel plumb in front to win the match for India. Never before have we seen a test match of this sorts in India since the 2001 series against Australia. The sort of Test match where I am sure the entire country were holding on to their breath as India clinched a cliff hanger!

India won the second test to level series at 1-1 and retain No. 1 with the Harbhajan wicket of morkel.

Kolkata Test : Fourth day’s highlights : Rain curtails day play - Visitors end the day's play with 115 for 3

India’s 643 for 6 declared in this test represent the 21st occasion of India posting a team total of 600 plus runs in a test innings against various oppositions. It is the second occasion of India posting a total in excess of 600 plus runs against South Africa. The other occasion was at Chennai in March when India totaled 627 all out

Thus India’s 643 for 6 declared in this test represent the highest team total posted by India against South Africa.

India’s 643 for 6 declared in this test represent the 12th occasion of India posting a team total of 600 plus runs in a test innings against various oppositions on home soil.

India’s 643 for 6 declared in this test represent the fourth occasion of India posting a team total of 600 plus runs in a test innings against various oppositions at Kolkata. The other three occasions are – 657 for 7d against Australia in Mar 2001, 633 for 5d against Australia in Mar 1998 and 616 for 5d against Pakistan in Nov 2007

VVS Laxman completed 1000 runs at Eden Gardens, Kolkata when he was on 102 during the course of his innings of 143 not out. At the end of India’s first innings, his run aggregate stood at 1041. His feat provides the 64th occasion of a batsman aggregating 1000 runs at a specific venue.

VVS Laxman became the second Indian cricketer to have scored 1000 runs at a specific venue. His feat provides the third such occasion. SM Gavaskar has achieved the feat at two specific venue – at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai {1122} and at Chepauk, Chennai {1018}

MS Dhoni completed 1000 runs as captain when he was on 126 during the course of his knock of 132 not out. At the end of India’s innings, his run aggregate stood at 1006. He became the eighth Indian captain to aggregate 1000 runs. Other seven are SM Gavaskar{3449}, M Azharuddin {2856}, SC Ganguly {2562}, MAK Pataudi {2424}, SR Tendulkar {2054}, R Dravid {2054} and N Kapil Dev {1364}

MS Dhoni’s 1006 runs as captain has come when he was the captain-cum-wicket keeper. He became the second captain-cum-wicket keeper in the annals of test cricket to aggregate 1000 plus runs. The other captain-cum-wicket keeper to achieve the feat was A Flower of Zimbabwe who has an aggregate of 1232 runs.

MS Dhoni became the third wicket keeper batsman to score a hundred at Eden Gardens, Kolkata with his 132 not out in this game. The other two are Kamran Akmal of Pakistan {119 vs India in Nov 2007} and CL Walcott of West Indies {108 vs India in Dec 1948}

Thus MS Dhoni not only became the first Indian wicket keeper batsman to score a hundred at Eden Gardens, Kolkata but also posted the highest score by a wicket keeper batsman at the venue by scoring 132 not out in this test

His 132 not out represent the highest individual score by an Indian wicket keeper batsman at Eden Gardens. The previous best was credited to KD Karthik who had made 93 vs Pakistan in Mar 2005.

VVS Laxman registered his fourth hundred at Kolkata when he scored 143 not out in this test. The other three hundreds are – 281 vs Australia in Mar 2001, 154* vs West Indies in Oct 2002 and 112* vs Pakistan in Nov 2007

Only M Azharuddin has scored more hundreds than VVS Laxman – five hundreds – at Eden Gardens – 110 vs England in Dec 1984, 141 vs Pakistan in Feb 1987, 182 vs England in Jan 1993, 109 vs South Africa in Nov 1996 and 163* vs Australia in Mar 1998.

India 342 for 5 (Sehwag 165, Tendulkar 106) lead South Africa 296 (Amla 114, Petersen 100, Zaheer 4-90) by 46 runs

The Sehwag storm struck South Africa with full force and pretty much blew everything in its way to a 13th 150-plus score. Amid the mayhem, it was easy to forget the cool, pleasant breeze that was Sachin Tendulkar's 92nd international century - his fourth in four Tests. They added 249 runs for the third wicket and kept South Africa wicketless for 57.4 overs but, once the two quietened, South Africa struck back with three quick wickets to retrieve some of the momentum in the match.

Sehwag rattled them with a vicious assault on the new ball, put behind him the Gautam Gambhir run-out and, after a brief quiet, punished them some more. His 87-ball hundred would have been even faster but for a relative lull of 10 off 21 balls. Tendulkar enjoyed playing in the shadow of Sehwag's strike-rate, kept scoring at an even pace and, unlike Sehwag, didn't give South Africa a single chance.

Two critical moments in the first session determined the flow of the game. Sehwag - 43 off 21 then - had the fastest Test fifty and a few other records in sight when he ran Gambhir out, and he chastised himself by playing disciplined cricket for a while. Around the same time Morne Morkel indulged in some reverse-rattling, took out M Vijay, troubled Sehwag with accurate bouncers and induced an edge only to see JP Duminy - at first slip because of the finger injury to Graeme Smith - drop him on 47. Sehwag could have gone at an even more frenetic rate but for the run-out. South Africa could have been in control had Sehwag fallen then.

Sehwag's onslaught started when Dale Steyn failed to get any swing. Somehow the ball didn't come out right, the seam wobbled, and Nagpur was a distant memory. When there is no swing, Steyn's pace is his biggest enemy so today the faster they came the faster they went. Nor did he get the Morkel's bounce, which meant that when Steyn went for the ribs, Sehwag could easily flick it past midwicket.

The storm started with that gentle little flick and then came three boundaries in three balls in the third over: placed over point, whipped to square leg, and slashed past point. Morkel got the treatment in his third over too: three boundaries through the off side, one off a delivery that clocked 152.6kmph. Wayne Parnell replaced Morkel immediately, and immediately he was carved for a four and a six into the rubble of a stand under reconstruction.

The next ball Sehwag faced he hit an off-drive for four, and then came the run-out. It was time for drinks and Sehwag threw away his protective gear in disgust. That was when Morkel came back but his charged-up, accurate burst seemed to have ended with that dropped chance.

When Sehwag came back from lunch, the cautious approach had been thrown out and he was blazing away again. For company he had Tendulkar. If you were a bowler, there was nowhere to hide.

Sehwag showed that to Steyn early in his second spell. Punch, whip, steer, 10 runs off three deliveries. Steyn to Sehwag then: 11 balls, 25 runs, five boundaries. Tendulkar joined the fun, defending everything full but steering Steyn for two boundaries. Paul Harris, meanwhile, didn't have the luxury of a big score, bowled round the stumps, and was slog-swept and hit inside out by Sehwag for a six and a four.

Back came Morkel, the best bowler on the day, to be given the worst sort of treatment a best bowler can be given. This time Tendulkar took the lead. Two fullish deliveries, two clips to the on side, one to the left of square leg, one to the right. In his next over, he gave Sehwag width with three deep fielders on the off side. One to the left of deep point, and one to the right. Sehwag 89 off 72, Tendulkar 38 off 61. India were 165 for 2 in 30.2 overs, with the bonus of South Africa's two best bowlers negated.

In between the hard-hitting there was some toying, with paddles from outside off, reverse-sweeps, clips past midwicket as Sehwag reached his hundred and Tendulkar his fifty without further incident. Harris eventually started bowling over the wicket, and was called wide 12 times because, unlike in Nagpur, he was not looking to get wickets here.

The runs slowed down post tea. When Sehwag was 128, AB de Villiers, the replacement keeper, missed an easy stumping. By the time Duminy made good his mistake, getting Sehwag in his first over, it might just have been too late. Not quite. Harris went round the wicket in the next over - inexplicably it took him until the Sehwag dismissal to do so - and got a false shot out of Tendulkar.

Steyn came back right away, got his swing back, and beat S Badrinath in the man-versus-boy contest. VVS Laxman struggled to fight the momentum and edged Harris in the next over. It flew wide of slip, the light deteriorated and India ended the day retaining the upper hand despite that late South African surge.

SR Tendulkar registered his 100th fifty when he scored exact 100 in this game. It was his 46hth hundred. Coupled with 54 half centuries, he scored his 100th fifty to become the only batsman in the annals of test cricket to register 100 fifties.

SR Tendulkar with his 100 in this game scored his 20th hundred at home. He became the third batsman in the annals of test cricket to register 20 plus hundreds on home soil. Other two are – RT Ponting {21} and ML Hayden {21}. ST Tendulkar became the first Indian batsman to register 20 hundreds on home soil.

SR Tendulkar registered his 44th fifty on home soil with his 100 in this test {20 C plus 24 C}. RT Ponting {54}, JH Kallis {49}, AR Border {48} and SR Waugh {45} are the four batsmen who have score more fifties than SR Tendulkar on home soil.

SR Tendulkar’s 100 at home in this test was in a losing cause. There are the other two occasions when his home test hundreds have gone in vain which are - 177 vs Australia at Bangalore in Mar 1998 and 136 vs Pakistan at Chennai in Jan 1999

SR Tendulkar and M Azharuddin have equal number of home test hundreds in a losing cause. Azharuddin’s hundreds which were in vain are – 105 vs England at Chennai in Jan 1985, 109 vs South Africa at Kolkata in Nov 1996 and 102 vs South Africa at Bangalore in Mar 2000.

amla score double ton

NAGPUR - Hashim Amla struck a double century as south africa piled agony on india, reaching 477 for five at tea, on the second day of the first cricket Test here Sunday.

Amla was unbeaten on 215 with Mark Boucher (0) at the other end.

AB de villiers(53) and JP Duminy (9) were dismissed in the second session in which South Africa added 98 runs.

Earlier, jacques Kallis was dismissed for 173 before lunch, ending a 340-run stand between Kallis and Amla.

Amla and De Villiers then scored 108 runs before the latter gave his wicket to part time spinner Virender Sehwag.

Amla showed sound temperament and application while playing the spinners, who were getting considerable turn and bounce from the track.

Apart from a couple of run out chances and a dropped catch of Amla, the South Africans coasted to a big first innings total without any trouble.

Amla’s 215 came in 410 balls with the help of 20 fours.

De Villiers’ struck five fours in his 88-ball knock.

In the morning session Kallis, who led the South African recovery after early blows Saturday, was dismissed by Harbhajan Singh caught by Murali Vijay at forward short leg.

Resuming at overnight 159, Kallis scored another 14 runs before bat-padding a Harbhajan delivery.

Kallis struck 15 fours and two sixes in his 351-ball knock.

Pakistan's tour of Australia has ended in defeat and disgrace, after stand-in captain Shahid Afridi was banned for two T20 internationals for ball tampering after he amazingly bit the ball during the two wicket defeat to Australia at the WACA.

Afridi was caught by TV cameras biting down on the ball more than once as Pakistan struggled to force the first win of an already tumultuous tour.

After being charged and admitting ball tampering, Afridi was ruled out of the T20 clash at the MCG on Friday, and another on top.

With rumours swirling that the man he replaced, Mohammad Yousuf, had not played because of a fall-out with coach Intikhab Alam, Afridi said he had disgraced himself in his attempt to help his bowlers.

"Actually I wanted to help out my bowlers,” Shahid Afridi told Geo News.

Match referee Ranjan Madugalle banned Afridi for two matches after holding a hearing following a complaint by on-field umpires Asoka De Silva and Paul Reiffel immediately after the match.

“It is unfortunate what has happened because Afridi was due to lead Pakistan in the Twenty20 match next week against Australia,” coach Intikhab Alam said.

Afridi already had a chequered disciplinary history after being banned for a Test and two one-dayers back in 2005 for deliberately damaging the pitch during a Test match against England.

The day was already a dark one for Pakistan, with the Press Trust of India reporting that the official line of a knee injury keeping Yousuf sidelined was a smokescreen.

"Before the match itself the management had advised Yousuf to take a rest from the fifth match so that Shahid Afridi could lead the team and get some captaincy exposure before the Twenty20 match against Australia next week," a source told PTI.

"But Yousuf flatly refused and insisted he would continue playing. Earlier he had differences with the coaching staff when he wanted TO promote Shahid Afridi up the order and allow Younis Khan to bat lower down the order as he was struggling for form, but again Intikhab refused.

"Apparently there were differences over the issue of dropping Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal for the match after which Yousuf had an argument with Intikhab and Waqar and refused to go for the toss or lead the team."

in the wake of another defeat in Perth, Iqbal Qasim, the chief selector of Pakistan cricket team resigned.

"I am very disappointed, like millions of Pakistanis, over the manner in which the Pakistan team lost the Test series 3-0 and One-day series 5-0," Qasim said.

"As I am responsible for the selection of the team, I quit from my post."

Shoaib Malik is one candidate to take charge of the team for the T20 clash with Australia.