India tonight snatched an incredible 10-run victory over South Africa and moved into the final of the Champions Trophy with Virender Sehwag coming up with a brilliant all-round performance. The victory looked highly improbable for most part of the match and at one stage South Africa were cruising along on 192 for one in reply to India’s 261 for nine. But Herschelle Gibbs, who top-scored with 116, retired hurt and Yuvraj Singh took a stunning catch to dismiss Jonty Rhodes off Harbhajan Singh, turning the course of the match.

Harbhajan, who bowled a superb second spell, sent back Boeta Dippenaar in the same over before Sehwag came up in an unlikely role of wicket-taking bowler. Having hit a blazing 59 off 58 balls to set up India’s total earlier in the day, Sehwag bowled some unbelievable final overs, to seal the fate of the South Africans who were restricted to 251 for six in their stipulated 50 overs.

Sehwag finished with three for 25 from his five overs and deservedly won the man of the match award. Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh struck fine half-centuries as India posted a competitive 261 for nine against South Africa in the first semifinal of the Champions Trophy cricket tournament here today. Sehwag once again gave a blazing start to the Indian innings and hit 59 off just 58 deliveries while Yuvraj Singh came up with the finishing touches. Yuvraj was the top-scorer of the innings with 62 runs from 72 balls.

The Indian innings faltered slightly in the middle overs before Rahul Dravid, who scored 49 off 67 deliveries, did the resurrection in the company of Yuvraj Singh. The South Africans, who were punished severely by Sehwag, did well to pull themselves back into the game, particularly in the last ten overs when India managed only 56 runs while losing five wickets. South African captain Shaun Pollock conceded 28 runs in his first four overs but came back strongly and gave just two runs in his last two while claiming three wickets.

Sehwag, who had struck a brilliant century in the previous league match against England, continued with his terrific form and treated the new ball bowlers with utter contempt. He took a liking for Pollock, hitting him for his first six boundaries, two of them in the very first over of the innings. Ganguly, who too had hit a century in the last match, also joined in the party, taking two consecutive boundaries off Makhaya Ntini.

He played a nice straight drive off the same bowler in the sixth over that also raced to the boundary but fell on the very next ball. A miscued hook shot landed straight in the hands of Boeta Dippenaar at backward short leg and a dejected Ganguly walked back to the pavilion after scoring just 13 runs. Sehwag, meanwhile, unleashed some ferocious shots from the backfoot and quickly reached his forties. V V S Laxman, who had missed out on a big score in the match against England, made a good-looking 22 before edging an Allan Donald delivery to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Sehwag, who completed his half-century with just 46 balls, fell soon after, lobbing a tame catch to Lance Klusener at mid-on while attempting a big hit off Jacques Kallis. The loss of two quick wickets, coupled with some good bowling by Donald and Kallis, put the brakes on the Indian scoring and the batsmen suddenly found the runs very hard to come by. The Indians, who brought up the 100 of the innings in the 16th over, suffered another jolt when Sachin Tendulkar was run out for just 16.

Dravid and Yuvraj were forced to play cautiously after that. They took the score to 207 in 41st over before Dravid was trapped leg before wicket by Klusener. India’s latest batting sensation Mohammad Kaif made 19 off 21 balls and put on 47 runs for the sixth wicket with Yuvraj in seven overs before Pollock dismissed both the batsmen off successive balls. Pollock sent back Zaheer Khan three balls later to finish with three for 43 from nine overs. Donald claimed two for 41 from eight overs.

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