India v South Africa, 2005-06

At Kolkata, November 25, 2005 (day/night). South Africa won by ten wickets. Toss: South Africa.

Graeme Smith lit up Eden Gardens with a superb century, his fifth and highest in one-day internationals, as South Africa stormed home to win without losing a wicket in front of a crowd of around 80,000, many with mixed feelings about the result as their local hero, Sourav Ganguly, was still missing from the Indian line-up. The crowd chanted "We want Sourav" and jeered both his replacement, Dravid, and coach Greg Chappell, who had to walk out into the cauldron for the presentation ceremony after this overwhelming defeat. Chappell maintained his dignity then but for days after the game India was convulsed by the row about the rude gesture that he allegedly made to crowds outside the ground. Local anger was further fuelled by news that Ganguly had scored 159 for Bengal earlier that day. Smith faced 124 balls for his unbeaten 134, and hit a six and 20 fours, many of which scorched past cover and point: he and Hall, a virtual spectator at first, galloped past the modest target of 189 with more than 14 overs to spare. Earlier, India had made another bad start on a well-grassed pitch, losing makeshift opener Pathan to the third ball of the innings and Tendulkar for his third successive score of two. Pollock did the early damage, and Hall finished things off; in between Johan Botha, South Africa's promising new off-spinner, trapped the top-scorer Yuvraj Singh in front to end the only sizeable stand of the innings, 81 with Kaif, who himself chipped a catch to midwicket shortly afterwards. It was the fifth time South Africa had won a one-day international by ten wickets, and the 27th instance overall.

Man of the Match: G. C. Smith.