Late replacement Morne van Wyk upstaged the millionaires of the Indian Premier League, but couldn’t stop India beating South Africa by 21 runs in a one-off Twenty20 international at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday. Van Wyk hit the fastest half-century by a South Africa batsman in a 20-overs international, but when he was out for 67 his teammates subsided on a low, slow pitch.
India, spurred by an innings of 53 off 34 balls by Rohit Sharma, made 168 for six. South Africa, with icon Makyaha Ntini playing his last international, could only manage 147 for nine.
Van Wyk, 31, who played the most recent of his previous six one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals three seasons ago, was called up when Test captain Graeme Smith was ruled out by a heel injury.
PHOTO: REUTERS
On the weekend of the IPL auction, when the lowest-priced India player was signed up for US$700,000 and several of his South Africa teammates attracted substantial bids, van Wyk was the only South African to master the pitch and the India bowlers.
Van Wyk went to his half--century off 24 balls. He hit five sixes and five fours before being caught at deep square-leg for 67, made off 39 deliveries.
Van Wyk and A.B. de Villiers (14) put on 57 off 29 balls for the third wicket, but it was always going to be an uphill struggle after de Villiers was run out by a direct hit from Suresh Raina.
PHOTO: AFP
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that conditions had suited India better than the hosts.
The match marked the last international appearance of South Africa fast bowler Ntini, who got a rousing reception from a crowd of about 47,000, but conceded 46 runs off four overs without taking a wicket. He had the consolation of holding a good catch on the long-on boundary to end Sharma’s innings.
Sharma, fresh from the news that he had been bought for US$2 million by IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, hit five fours and two sixes. Suresh Raina hit 41 off 23 deliveries before being caught off the last ball of the innings going for a big hit.
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