India too strong for SA

Durban - India's innings of 168 proved to be too many for the Proteas, who failed in their bid to win the T20 International in Durban where the visiting nation won by 21 runs.

Morné van Wyk hit the fastest half-century by a South African in a T20 match, but his 67 from 39 balls was not enough as India took 4-20 in 3.4 overs in the middle of the innings to restrict the home team to 147-9, well short of India's 168-6.

Van Wyk reached 50 off 24 balls for the new record, but Ashish Nehra and Yusuf Pathan took two wickets each to rein in South Africa.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma made 53 and Suresh Raina added 41 for India to set South Africa a victory target of 169 in the first cricket match at Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium, one of the venues for the 2010 football World Cup.

In his final international performance, Protea Makhaya Ntini, despite having little influence with ball or bat in the match, received prolonged applause and cries of support and thanks during a golf buggy-led lap of the pitch.

India

V. Kohli b Botha 28

M. Vijay c Van Wyk b Parnell 14

R. Sharma c Ntini b Duminy 53

Yuvraj Singh run out (Miller) 12

Y. Pathan b Theron 6

S. Raina c Miller b Theron 41

M. Dhoni not out 10

Extras (lb1, w3) 4

Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 168

Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Vijay), 2-67 (Kohli), 3-109 (Sharma), 4-110 (Yuvraj), 5-136 (Pathan), 6-168 (Raina)

Bowling: Parnell 4-0-25-1 (w1), Ntini 4-0-46-0, Theron 4-0-39-2 (w1), Peterson 3-0-20-0 (w1), Botha 3-0-25-1, Duminy 2-0-12-1

Did not bat: R. Ashwin, P. Kumar, A. Nehra, M. Patel.

South Africa

M. van Wyk c Nehra b Kumar 67

H. Amla b Nehra 1

C. Ingram c Kumar b Patel 2

A. de Villiers run out (Raina) 14

J. Duminy lbw b Yuvraj 0

D. Miller lbw b Pathan 10

J. Botha c Sharma b Nehra 25

R. Peterson c Kohli b Pathan 2

W. Parnell c Pathan b Ashwin 14

J. Theron not out 1

M. Ntini not out 1

Extras (b4, lb3, w3) 10

Total (9 wkts, 20 overs) 147

Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Amla), 2-31 (Ingram), 3-88 (De Villiers), 4-89 (Duminy), 5-93 (Van Wyk), 6-108 (Miller), 7-120 (Peterson), 8-141 (Parnell), 9-144 (Botha)

Bowling: Kumar 3-0-17-1 (w1), Nehra 4-0-22-2, Patel 2-0-26-1, Ashwin 4-0-33-1 (w2), Yuvraj 4-0-20-1, Pathan 3-0-22-2

Result: India won by 21 runs

Toss: India

Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Brian Jerling (both RSA)

TV umpire: Johan Cloete (RSA)

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)