Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma bagged a hat-trick as India Masters convincingly beat South Africa Masters by eight wickets in Vadodara on Saturday to continue their winning run in the International Masters League.
After India Masters skipper Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and elected to bowl, his spinners took full advantage of the conditions to restrict a strong South Africa Masters line-up to a meagre 85 in less than 14 overs.
Defending a small total, South Africa Masters’ captain Kallis chose to open the bowling with his spinners. The move paid off as off-spinner Thandi Tshabalala dismissed Tendulkar with a rather simple caught and bowled chance to silence the crowd.
After Tendulkar’s departure, fellow opener Ambati Rayudu, took charge of the chase in the company of Irfan Pathan (12), who was promoted up the order to take the spinners to task.
READ | Tharanga century powers Sri Lanka Masters to three-wicket win over Australia Masters
The ploy worked for a while with Pathan playing a couple of sweetly-timed boundaries before an attempted hoick off leg-spinner Eddie Leie saw him taking the long route back to the dressing room.
With India in a spot of bother at 27 for 2 inside the powerplay, Pawan Negi was elevated to No.4, and he showed his batting prowess with a couple of boundaries and a six as he combined with Rayudu for an unbeaten 62-run stand to take India over the line with 9 overs to spare.
Rayudu remained unbeaten on a 34-ball 41 with the right-hander finding the fence on seven occasions.
Earlier, Rahul accounted for the wickets of Hashim Amla (9), Kallis and Jacques Rudolph off the first three balls of his second over to clinch a hat-trick after the visitors had a blistering 35-run start.
Negi trapped Farhaan Behardien before packing back the only South African batter to offer some resistance — Davids, who top-scored for the side with a 28-ball 38.
Yuvraj Singh picked up the wickets of Vernon Philander and Garnett Kruger for golden ducks off successive balls to further dent the visitor.
Yuvraj castled a well-set Dane Vilas for his third wicket of the contest. The wicketkeeper-batter, who stuck a boundary off the previous delivery, perished while attempting another glory shot. Vilas’s 15-ball 21, was the only other double digit score from the tourist.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Stuart Binny then completed the formalities in his only over of the day, claiming the wickets of Makhaya Ntini and Eddie Leie.
Brief Scores:
South Africa Masters 85 (Henry Davids 38, Dane Vilas 21; Rahul Sharma 3/18, Yuvraj Singh 3/12, Pawan Negi 2/21, Stuart Binny 2/1) lost to India Masters 89/2 (Ambati Rayudu 41 not out, Pawan Negi 21 not out) by 8 wickets