Top 5 South African ODI chokes against India

#1 Champions Trophy Semi-Final 2002, Colombo (Premadasa)

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar celebrate the fall of another wicket

As far as South African chokes go, not many come close to the one that unfolded in humid Premadasa in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against India, back in 2002. Having won the toss, India decided to bat first and put up 261 on the board. Opener Virender Sehwag scored 59 (58 balls, 10 fours) while Rahul Dravid made 49 (67 balls, 2 fours) and Yuvraj Singh top scored with a fluent 62 (72 balls, 6 fours) at number 6. It was an excellent total in those days and India were definitely in with a chance to reach the final.

Things started looking better when Yuvraj took a stunning catch at point to send back Graeme Smith in the 3rd over but after that, it was hard work for India. Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis then played superbly and put together an outstanding partnership that seemed to have put the game beyond India. Gibbs scored 116 but the humidity got to him and with 70 needed at around run a ball, he had to retire hurt since he was not able to move.

That gave India the opening and Ganguly's introduction of the slow off-spin of Virender Sehwag further complicated matters for the South Africans. On a sluggish pitch, they simply could not get going and wickets started falling one after another. In the space of around 5 overs, they lost 3 wickets and added only 21 runs. Kallis was still there but even he eventually mistimed a shot in the last over of the game and South Africa finished 10 runs short.

Three years after their shock exit from the 1999 World Cup, this game must have been another bitter pill for them.