| GEO Sports | | India beat Proteas by 14 runs in tough contest | Updated at: 2204 PST, Sunday, May 02, 2010
 GROS ISLET, Saint Lucia: India after a tough contest defeated South Africa by 14 runs on the third day of the World Twenty20 here at the Beausejour Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a difficult target of 187 runs, South Africa made a great effort but in the end they lost their first match in the tournament making 172 for five.
Jacques Kallis, who opened the innings, smashed 73 runs off 54 balls with three sixes and three fours while captain Graeme Smith made 36 with two sixes and AB de Villiers scored 31 with three sixes. Albie Morkel also hit a six in his 12 runs.
Yousuf Pathan bagged two wickets while Ashish Nehra and Pyush Chawla took one wicket each for India.
Earlier, opener Suresh Raina’s brilliant century helped India pile up 186 runs for five wickets after South Africa won the toss and elected to field.
Raina's century, 101 off 60 balls, was the centre-piece of India's big total in the Group ‘C’ match. He smashed five sixes and nine fours and became only the third batsman to score a Twenty20 international century.
Only West Indies' Chris Gayle and New Zealand's Brendon McCullum had previously made centuries at this level.
Together with Yuvraj Singh (37) he added 88 runs in 10 overs for the third wicket partnership after the pair came together with India 32 for two in the sixth over.
However, no other batsman could make any good contribution in an effort to accelerate the run-rate.
South African pacer Rory Kleinveldt claimed two wickets while Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis and Albie Morkel took one wicket each.
India made two changes from the side that beat Afghanistan by seven wickets here on Saturday.
Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir was ruled out with stomach illness and his place was taken by Dinesh Karthik.
And, in a tactical switch, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla replaced fast bowler Zaheer Khan.
This was South Africa's first match of the tournament and the Proteas opted to use the big-hitting Loots Bosman as captain Graeme Smith's partner at the top of the order. |  |
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