India edge South Africa in Durban Twenty20 clash
One-off Twenty20 international, Durban:
India (168-6, 20 overs) beat South Africa (147-9, 20 overs) by 21 runs
Match scorecard
South Africa's Makhaya Ntini (left) and Indian captain MS Dhoni
Ntini was given a rapturous farewell by the capacity crowd
India defeated South Africa by 21 runs in Proteas fast bowler Makhaya Ntini's final match for his country in Durban.
Morne van Wyk put on 67 to lead the hosts' chase of 169 in the first cricket match at Moses Mabhida Stadium, a 2010 football World Cup venue.
But India took 4-20 midway through the innings as South Africa fell short.
Earlier, India made 168-6 with Rohit Sharma top-scoring with 53 before he was caught by Ntini, the first black player to play for his country.
The 33-year-old Ntini failed to take a wicket as he conceded 46 runs in his farewell match, but that detail failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the 47,000-capacity crowd, who gave the 101-Test veteran a rousing reception.
606: DEBATE
Wow!! what a way to retire from cricket. This is one of the best send-offs I have seen in cricket. Nitini deserves it, he has been a great servant for South African cricket. Enjoy your retirement!!
pensacric
"Thank you each and every one," said Ntini, who has taken 390 wickets during his Test career at a 28.82 average, as well as 266 dismissals in 173 one-day internationals.
"It has been a wonderful 12 years."
But while the attention before and after the match was focused on the man known as "Mdingi Express", the star of the show was undoubtedly Van Wyk.
The 31-year-old opening batsman, playing in his third T20 international, was a late addition to the South Africa squad in place of the injured Graeme Smith.
After losing Hashim Amla and Colin Ingram cheaply, Van Wyk raced to his half-century off 24 balls, beating the previous South Africa record of 25 balls, jointly held by Smith, Loots Bosman and AB de Villiers.
De Villiers had joined Van Wyk with the score on 31-2 and the pair added 57 in just 27 balls to seemingly put the Proteas in control.
But when De Villiers was run out for 14 in the 10th by a direct hit from Suresh Raina, South Africa's resistance began to unravel.
JP Duminy was pinned lbw by Yuvraj Singh for a duck to reduce the home side to 89 for four, and Van Wyk was the next to go as he hit a Praveen Kumar delivery straight to Ashish Nehra.
South Africa's Morne van Wyk
Van Wyk fired the fastest South African Twenty20 half-ton
David Miller made 10 and Wayne Parnell hit 14 before John Botha fired 25 from 22 balls, but the captain fell to Nehra in the final over to seal the victory for India.
As well as their potent attack, India could reflect on a solid performance at the crease - especially considering superstar Sachin Tendulkar had been rested ahead of the upcoming five-match one-day series between the countries.
The 23-year-old Sharma celebrated being picked up by Mumbai Indians in Saturday's Indian Premier League auction by hammering five fours and two sixes to win the man-of-the-match award after India chose to bat first.
Virat Kohli struck five fours on his way to figures of 28 off 19 balls, while number six Raina launched two fours and three sixes to put on a crucial 41 off 23 deliveries.
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