It was India’s first match in the T20 format, whereas South Africa were playing their fourth.
The match was closer than what the result shows.
India, led by Virender Sehwag, were asked to bowl first. The pitch was damp and stroke-making difficult. Moreover, South Africa were under-strength; they mustered a paltry score of 126 runs and lost by nine wickets.
Zaheer Khan’s figures of 4-0-15-2 were then the most economical by a bowler in this format.
India lost Tendulkar early, but Sehwag and Dinesh Mongia put the team back on track. After Sehwag was out, Dhoni was dismissed for a duck. However, Mongia and Dinesh Karthik -- playing as a specialist batsman -- set up India’s chase with measured aggression. There were some nervous moments towards the end, as India needed nine runs off the last over, but Karthik virtually sealed victory by depositing the first ball of the 20th over from Robin Peterson in to the stands.
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