Heatstroke

India did here yesterday what the West Indies couldn't do eight days earlier.

They limited South Africa to ten runs from the last over of their semifinal in the ICC Champions Trophy under the lights at the Premadasa Stadiuum to claim a remarkable victory by ten runs.

They pocketed US$125 000 for the victory and stand to earn another US$300 000 if they win the final against the winners of tomorrow's match between World Cup champions Australia and hosts Sri Lanka.

As they watched the drama unfold on television at the Taj Sumudra Hotel across town, it was not difficult to imagine the emotions of the West Indies players.

They were effectively eliminated when Merv Dillon delivered his infamous wide off what was to be the last ball of their opening match with South Africa needing three for victory. The resulting bye brought scores level and an edged boundary off the additional delivery formalised the defeat by two wickets.

On the contrary, the Indians, catching and fielding brilliantly, kept their nerve to seize their chance amidst noisy celebrations on the field and among a crowd of around 10000 clearly partial to the team from their neighbour to the north.

The outcome hinged on cramps and dehydration that forced South African opener Herschelle Gibbs to retire, distinctly ill, after 37 overs when he had compiled 116 flawless runs from 119 balls with 16 fours.

He and Jacques Kallis had shared a second wicket partnership of 180 in 34 overs and, at 192 for one with 72 needed for the ticket to the final and as many 13 overs remaining, South Africa were all but home.

But, just as they were at a critical stage against the West Indies, Jonty Rhodes and Boeta Dippenaar were out in the same over. Both fell to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and South Africa suddenly found themselves effectively 194 for four with only Kallis and a cluster of unpredictable batsmen to come.

Rhodes, topedging a sweep, was out to the second breathtaking catch of the innings by Yuvraj Singh, flying through the air to clutch the ball with his right hand inches from the ground.

A couple of hours earlier, he lept high to his right at point to haul in left-handed opener Graeme Smith's fierce cut shot. Such brilliant pieces of cricket inspire a team and turn a match, as Rhodes' dismissal did.

With Gibbs unlikely to return, Rhodes and Dippenaar gone and Kallis unable to club the ball with his usual force on a sluggish pitch, India sensed their chance.

Their problem was selection that left them short of one front-line bowler. In the circumstances, captain Saurav Ganguly turned to opening batsman Virender Sehwag's off-spin for five of the last ten overs when South Africa's magic number was 64.

He obliged with three wickets for 25. When he began the last over, after left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan had conceded a mere four from the 49th, South Africa needed another 19.

Kallis hoisted his first ball into the stand at midwicket for only the second six of the match to reach 97 from 133 balls, but Sewag got him next ball to a skied catch to the keeper.

He fittingly rounded things off when a strangely feeble Lance Klusener (14 off 21 balls without a boundary) skied a catch to long-off with the result already settled.

Set alongside his blistering, run-a-ball 59 with ten fours that set South Africa back on their heels in the earlier sunlight, it was enough to earn Sehwag, the Tendulkar look-alike, play-alike, the Man-Of-The-Match award.

India raced to 118 for three off 20 overs like a ZR van on a mission. But once Sehwag miscued a hook to midon off Kallis and Tendulkar was run out by a swift pickup and return from cover by, who else, Jonty Rhodes, the Indian innings became stalled as if it had run into rush hour traffic.

Yuvraj, a tall, 20-year-old left-hander of whom plenty will be heard and written over the coming years, gave it some momentum with 62 off 67 balls with six fours, but 262 didn't seem enough on a fair pitch and a dry, lightning-fast outfield.

It looked even less so as Gibbs and Kallis set the foundation for a South African victory. Then Gibbs had to quit, South Africa went into reverse and India surged ahead.