JACQUES Kallis helped to give South Africa the edge in his own match as the one-off Twenty20 against India turned into a rain-shortened run-fest at The Wanderers yesterday. Colin Ingram (78) and Kallis (61) powered the hosts to 219 for four – a total which was to be 11 runs too many on Duckworth-Lewis for unfortunate India under lights, on a wonderful batting wicket.
The tourists’ reply also got off to a flier, thanks largely to Gautam Gambhir who outdid even Kallis and Ingram with an unbeaten 49 from only 28 balls.
The left-hander dominated an opening stand of 71 in 7.5 overs with Robin Uthappa, only for a thunderstorm to intervene and thwart India who were behind the D/L rate when rain ended the contest early.
The New Age Friendship Cup match was played in honour of Kallis, and his supreme international career in all three formats – and opening the batting, he shared a second-wicket stand of 119 with Ingram.
Kallis’ fifth 50 in the shortest format arrived from just 36 balls, and contained three fours and two sixes after India had chosen to bowl first.
Ingram needed just one more delivery as he counted six fours and a six in his maiden Twenty20 international 50.
Then after Kallis had finally gone, caught in the leg-side deep off R. Ashwin, the left-handed number three took over in company with debutant Farhaan Behardien as South Africa ploughed on past 200.
Ingram eventually went, like Kallis, to a catch near the midwicket boundary – Rohit Sharma’s third of the innings – but Behardien, Justin Ontong and finally Albie Morkel kept the boundaries and sixes coming in South Africa’s second-highest Twenty20 score.
They had lost just one wicket in powerplay, despite new-ball swing, when Richard Levi was caught at slip off Irfan Pathan – although Ingram would have been run-out for only four if India had managed a direct hit from mid-on.
He and Kallis took advantage – and despite Gambhir’s impressive response, the South Africa surge and then the subsequent downpour proved marginally too much for India.