Date-stamped : 03 Nov93 - 05:16 Ind v RSA, ODI5, Report Springbok Park (Bloemfontein), 15 Dec 92 Andrew Hudson's 108 saw South Africa to a decisive victory in the one day series against India here on Tuesday. South Africa won by a thumping eight wickets to take a decisive 4-1 lead in the sev- en-match one-day series. Kepler Wessels' team, semi-finalists at the World Cup, confirmed their superiority over the listless Indians with another polished display at Springbok Park. Some 15,000 home fans at the day- night encounter watched a familiar tale as South Africa stopped India at 207 for four in 50 overs after making them bat on an easy-paced wicket. Hudson's maiden one-day century came in a 125-run opening stand with Wessels as South Africa raced to an easy win with 16 balls to spare. Hudson's score was also South Africa's highest in one- day cricket, surpassing Peter Kirsten's 90 against New Zealand at the World Cup. India paid the penalty for poor planning. Their batsmen failed to force the pace despite having wickets in hand in a match they had to win to keep their hopes alive. Skipper Mohammad Azharuddin played a lone hand slamming an un- beaten 86 off 101 balls, his 17th half-century in 143 interna- tionals. Azharuddin, who broke a lean spell in Sunday's match in Johannesburg by making 49, hit five boundaries and a six, but found little support. The match was interrupted for 20 minutes when the lights dimmed due to a power breakdown with South Africa on 35 for no loss in the 11th over. Match referee Clive Lloyd first ordered the game to go on, but the players tropped off the field when the lights dimmed further after three balls from Kapil Dev's sixth over had been bowled. As in the previous matches, the India found South African openers Hudson and Wessels tough nuts to crack. The pair continued the good form which gave their team fine starts of 56, 92 and 47 in three of their previous four games. Twenty-six year-old Hudson now aggregates 255 in five matches. Wessels, 35, is narrowly behind with a total of 207. Leg spinner Anil Kumble broke the stand in the 33rd over by accepting an easy return catch from Wessels who hit five boundaries during his 95-ball innings. Hudson reached his century in the 45th over driving Javagal Srinath for his seventh boundary, but fell when four runs were needed for victory. Earlier, the athletic Brian McMillan gave the home team a flying start by taking two good catches in the slips to remove openers Woorkeri Raman (16) and Ajay Jadeja (nine) with the Indian score at 47. McMillan dived to his right to hold Jadeja off Allan Donald and then plucked Raman's edge off Craig Matthews -- his sixth catch in the five one-day matches so far. Allrounder Manoj Prabhakar, promoted to number three, made 36 before falling victim to the electronic eye that judged him run-out when Dave Callaghan broke the striker's wicket with a direct throw from mid-off. The Indi- ans found runs hard to come by against the steady South African attack, making 97 for three by the 30th over and then moving to 136 without further loss before the last 10 overs began. Azharuddin reached his half century in the 43rd over, lofting Matthews over the covers for his second boundary and celebrated the landmark with another four to mid-on in the same over. Sachin Tendulkar, who made 32, helped his captain add 68 for the fourth wicket before playing on to Fanie de Villiers in an at- tempt to force the pace. Ravi Shastri made 21 not out during an unbroken 51-run stand for the fifth wicket in the last six overs. With South Africa's easy win here, the two remaining matches in Durban on Thursday and East London on Saturday are devoid of any competitive interest. With thanks to Peter Rosendorff (bpeter@*usc.edu), Thanks to vasa Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> MORE Conditions: It was a hot summers day. The wicket was hard with an even bounce but one or two did bounce twice before going through to the wick- etkeepers. The outfield was very hard (as both Kumble and Azharuddin found out) and also very very fast. Substitutions: Ind: Batting Jadeja running for Raman, Sharma for Raman, Banerjee for Azhar (who came back later on) Attendance: 15000, Capacity: 15000 Comments: With India having to win this match, to stay in the series, the winning of the toss was their first priority since both sides have shown an inability to set a score. Having lost the toss, In- dia got off to a slow start with the RSA bowlers maintaining line and length and the Indian's were finding it difficult to score off the opening attack of Donald and De Villiers. With Jadeja going in the 7th over, after being unable to control a Donald delibery which was rising Prabhakar was sent in to see of the first 10 overs by the opening pair. This he did and then he started playing at anything and everything. He could have been out on 5, if Callaghan had been able to hold onto a ball hit hard and low into the covers, however he did make the runs and for the first time in the series did an Indian experiment with their bat- ting order came off. When Raman departed, the captian Azharuddin came and played a fluent innings. A scare did come again in the 19th over when taking a quick single Prabhakar was sent back by Azharuddin and wicket keeper had managed to make a direct hit with Prabhakar's bat not grounded. The South African's did not appeal and Prabhakar lived to see another ball. Still playing ag- gressively he was finally run out after a direct hit by Callaghan in what is the closest decision yet in the series after being re- ferred to the third umpire. Tendulkar then joined his captain to- gether they went about trying to compile a good target for the South African's. Once again the Indian's would be frustated with some good bowling by the South African bowlers and excellent fielding especially on the boundary where with a very fast out- field fours were restricted to twos or threes. Once again the Indian's were unable to get the 5th bowler pair of Cronje and Callaghan away and out of the attack, even after taking 12 of their first two overs. With some good running between the wick- ets, the Indian's were able to keep the score board turning, but a large total was looking very far away. Finally a frustated Ten- dulkar was bowled, trying to force the pace. This then Shastri to the crease, who together with his captain finally got into the South African attack in the last five overs, but alas it was too little too late. The South African's were once able to contain the Indians. Chasing a moderate total, Hudson and Wessels started off as though they were going to miss their plane. With 22 runs off 4 overs, Azharuddin had only 4 players in the inner circle and no slips. Even the suspension of play due to bad light was not enough to stop the South African's marching on. The lights failed after 10.3 overs and play had to be suspended until power was re- stored to one of the pylons, With the pressure off the South African batsman, they slowed the pace content on taking the sin- gles and two's. For the first time in the series, the introduc- tion of the spinners did not result in a wicket. The first wicket was to fall in the 33rd over when Wessels was caught by Kumble off his own bowling after Wessels had played early on the slow ball (this wicket coming in Kumble's 2nd spell). This then brought Kirsten to the wicket and as if this was some sort of signal, Hudson started playing the ball into the air and was looking as if he wanted to get out. Once having passed his highest score of 87 (scored at Centu- rion Park in the 3rd ODI), it seemed as if he was impatient in coming home because more and more balls were going in the air. The only question was whether he will survive until the end of the innings. He did not, giving Azharuddin a catch to the left of mid off. But he had done enough damage already for South Africa needed only 4 runs to win when he departured (A pity he could not have carried the bat). With his departure, Rhodes came to crease, and saw off the last ball of the over. Amre was given the honour of bowling the winning runs with Kirsten playing the first defensively into the inner circle and then hitting the next over mid wicket for a four and victory for South Africa in a most convincing way. The one shadow left after this match, is the behaviour of the spectators with pitch invasions after Wessels reached his 50, Hudson reaching his 50 and 100. What must be worrying for the ad- ministrators is that with South Africa's return to International Cricket, this will hurt the image of South African cricket, for the invasion must surely disrupt the concentration of batsman and fielders and more importantly damage can be done to the wicket. As a more drastic step, we might see that spectators are not al- lowed on the fields at all. Currently, spectators can come onto the fields when play is not in progress. Most of them play mini cricket and others visit the wicket and inspect it. SCORING CHART: India: 12 * * 12 11 * * * 11 10 * * * 10 R 9 * *** 9 8 * * * **** 8 U 7 * * * * ***** 7 6 * * ** * * ** * * ***** 6 N 5 * * *** ** ** * ** * * ***** 5 4 * ** * *** * * ** ** * ** ** *** ****** 4 S 3 * ** * *** * * ** **** * ********** ****** 3 2 * *** ** **** * ***** **** ************ ****** 2 1 ****** ************************************ ****** 1 1 2 3 4 5 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 O V E R S South Africa: 11 * * * 11 10 * * * 10 R 9 * * * * 9 8 * * * * * * 8 U 7 * * * * * * * * 7 6 ** * * * * **** * * ** * 6 N 5 ** * * ** * * * **** ** * ** * 5 4 **** * ** * ** ***** **** ** * ***** 4 S 3 **** * ** ****** ********** ** * ****** 3 2 ***** ** * *********** ************************* 2 1 ********** ************************************* 1 1 2 3 4 . 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345672 O V E R S HISTORICAL EVENTS: 1. V Yadav (India) makes his ODI debut. 2. Hudson (RSA) is the first South African to make a century in ODI's. 3. Hudson's (RSA) 108 is his highest ODI score (previous 87 - 3rd ODI). 4. 1st wicket partnership between Hudson and Wessels (RSA) of 135 highest for any wicket in this series. Thanks to Feroz Khan on r.s.c. Contributed by probal (probal@*rutgers.edu)