Kallis steers South Africa to five-wicket win

HYDERABAD, India, Wednesday (Reuters) All rounder Jacques Kallis anchored South Africa to a five-wicket victory in the first one-dayer against India on Wednesday.

Kallis top-scored 68 not out with typical patience to steer South Africa to 252 for five with seven balls left after Yuvraj Singh's valiant 103 had lifted India to 249 for nine.

The 30-year-old Kallis added 89 runs for the fourth wicket with left-hander Ashwell Prince (46) and 84 for the unbroken sixth with Justin Kemp (46 not out) after the loss of wickets at crucial stages.

Kallis struck just five fours facing 96 balls to ensure there would be no setback at the start of the five-match series.

The Proteas extended their unbeaten streak to 20 one-day games. The run is only behind world champions Australia's 21 victories on the trot achieved in 2003.

South African fast bowlers Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini grabbed two wickets each in seam-friendly conditions to reduce India to 35 for five after captain Graeme Smith opted to bowl first. Yuvraj, 23, struck 10 fours and three sixes facing 122 balls for his fifth one-day hundred and shared in a 75-run sixth wicket partnership with seamer Irfan Pathan, who made 46.

Harbhajan Singh lashed 37 not out from only 17 balls at the end after Yuvraj was run out in the 48th over, joining pace bowler Ajit Agarkar (21) to help add 83 runs in the final 10 overs.

Smith hammered a 36-ball 48 at the outset to give South Africa a solid start to their reply. Agarkar struck twice to reduce the visitors to 76 for three, trapping opening batsman AB de Villiers leg before for seven and having one-drop Justin Ontong caught behind for 11. Smith then dragged a ball from left-arm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh onto the stumps to leave the visitors in some worry. Kallis and Prince (46) avoided risky shots to deny any success to off spinner Harbhajan in his wicket-less but superb seven-over first spell.

India again fought back with two wickets off successive overs, Prince flicking Harbhajan to be caught at mid-on and Mark Boucher pulling Sachin Tendulkar's occasional spin to be caught at midwicket for two runs.

However, the big-hitting Justin Kemp curbed his natural instincts, hardly playing a shot in the air, to give Kallis company until the end.

Although Harbhajan finished with 1-35 in his 10 overs, India sorely missed a fifth bowler after substituting left-arm spinner Murali Kartik while batting.

Kallis completed his 55th one-day fifty before pulling Agarkar for four to clinch victory in the penultimate over.

The second game will be played in Bangalore on Saturday.