India cruise to victory as Chahal puts SA in a spin

PRETORIA: Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took career-best figures as India cruised to a thumping nine-wicket One-Day International victory over a woeful South Africa yesterday, though their moment of triumph was reduced to a farce by the umpires.

Aleem Dar and Adrian Holdstock stuck to the rules and called for a lunch break with the tourists needing just two runs for victory at Centurion.

That ensured the final act was played out 40 minutes later in front of a sparse crowd, a decision that left both teams bemused.

Chahal finished with 5-22 in 8.2 overs, ripping through the middle-order as India won the toss and skittled their hosts for 118, South Africa’s lowest total in home ODI matches.

India then knocked off the victory target in 20 overs to humiliate their hosts.

After victory in the opening match of the six-game series in Durban, India always looked in control of the chase as opener Shikhar Dhawan (51 not out from 56 balls) and captain Virat Kohli (46 not out from 50 balls) made light work of the home attack.

The third match in the series will be played in Cape Town tomorrow.

•CHITTAGONG: Mominul Haque became the first Bangladesh cricketer to hit a century in each innings of a Test match as he and Liton Das helped the hosts secure a draw in the First Test against Sri Lanka yesterday.

Beginning the final day 119 runs behind and with seven second winnings wickets in hand after Sri Lanka had declared their first innings on 713 for nine, Bangladesh needed to bat out three sessions to save the match.

They eventually succeeded in their mission as Mominul followed up his 176 in the first innings with 105 and Liton made 94 after Bangladesh had resumed on 81 for three.

Stand-in skipper Mahmudullah faced 65 balls in his unbeaten 28 as Bangladesh reached 307-5 when players from both sides shook hands with 17 overs remaining in the batsman-dominated contest in which 1533 runs were scored for 24 wickets in five days.