India beat South Africa by 6 wickets in 3rd ODI, claim series 2-1

Belfast, July 2 (UNI) Yuvraj Singh struck a gutsy unbeaten 61 to lead India to a series-clinching six-wicket victory over South Africa in the rain-truncated third and final ODI here.

With this win, India clinched the Future Cup series 2-1 and registered their first series win against the Proteas outside India.

Yuvraj was declared man of the match and Sachin Tendulkar man of the series.

Set to score 149 from 31 overs, India surpassed the target with four balls to spare. Yuvraj consumed 82 balls for his match-winning knock of 61, studded with five fours and a huge six to record his 28th ODI fifty.

Giving Yuvraj company till the end was wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 14 from 11 balls which was studded with two well-struck boundaries.

The highlight of the India innings was the crucial fourth wicket stand of 70 runs from 96 deliveries between Yuvraj and skipper Rahul Dravid who contributed 36 from 49 balls.

Yuvraj and Dhoni then carried India to victory, sharing an unbroken 36-runs partnership from 49 balls.

Earlier Ajit Agarkar, Sourav Ganguly and Tendulkar took two wickets each to help India restrict South Africa to 148 for seven after rain reduced the match to a 31-over-a-side affair.

Agarkar (2 for 21) was the pick of the Indian bowlers, claiming the wickets of last match top scorer Morne van Wyk and captain Jacques Kallis from his six overs. Ganguly (2 for 24) and Tendulkar (2 for 10) chipped in with their slow medium pace, while new ball bowler Zaheer Khan scalped the remaining wicket.

For South Africa, Justin Kemp top-scored with 61 while experience Herschelle Gibbs contributed 56 and the duo shared a 95-ball 99-run stand for the fifth wicket to revive the South African innings after Agarkar reduced the Proteas to eight for two in the fourth over.

Kemp displayed his batting skills by scoring a run-a-ball 61, which was studded with five hits to the boundary and two over it, while Gibbs played a mature innings of 56 from 67 balls which included three fours and two hits over the boundary.

Earlier, Rahul Dravid won the toss and inserted South Africa in after overnight rain delayed the match by more than five hours.

UNI