India, outplayed for most of the South African innings came back from the dead to register a thrilling 10-run victory in the first of the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo on Wednesday.

The Indian total of 261 did not seem enough as the South African batsmen, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Jacques Kallis in particular, had put the Indian bowling to the sword while they put on 178 runs in 204 balls.

But at 192, Gibbs on a well-made 116 (119b, 16x4) left the crease due to exhaustion and fatigue. He had badly cramped up and was unable to hold the bat even. This provided the much needed spark that was missing from the Indians. And shortly thereafter, the Turbanator, Harbhajan Singh (2 for 37), wicketless so far in the series, snared Jonty Rhodes (1) and Boeta Dippenaar (0)in a single over to get India back into the match.

From thereon it was a struggle for the Proteas as a badly out of form Klusener struggled against the spinners. Kallis (97, 133b, 6x4, 1x6) had to hit out when they required 25 runs off the last two overs but a brilliant penultimate over by left-armer Zaheer Khan meant that to enter the final the South Africans had to get 21 from the last over bowled by Virender Sehwag.

Kallis sent a shiver among the partisan Indian supporters at the venue after a six off the first ball but fell the very next delivery caught by wicket-keeper Dravid.

To cap off an excellent performance, Man-of-the-Match Sehwag got Klusener off the last ball of the game.

At the beginning of the innings, the Indians had made a promising start with left-armer Zaheer Khan sending back opening batsman Graeme Smith courtesy of an acrobatic catch by Yuveraj Singh - the first of his two brilliant efforts. The other one was to send back the bubbly Jonty Rhodes.

Earlier, South Africa picked up five wickets in the last ten overs to restrict a powerful Indian batting line-up to 261 for 9 after Sourav Ganguly had won the toss and chosen to bat.

Ganguly (13) and Sehwag (59 58b, 10x4) began at a terrific rate bringing up the 50 in just the eighth over. But by then Ganguly had perished to his nemesis - another short-pitched delivery.

Sehwag the latest in the line of exciting stroke makers in this form of the game started from where he let off the other day against the English. It was absolute orthodox batting from the Delhi lad. He was once again in top boundary-hitting form reaching his half-century in 46 balls.

V.V.S. Laxman (22) who came in at the fall of Ganguly, began slowly but with Sehwag at the other end the scoreboard kept ticking over as the Indians brought up their hundred in the 15th over.

But just after that the Indians lost three quick wickets. First Laxman edged to keeper Mark Boucher off Allan Donald and then a well-set Sehwag fell victim to Kallis, who got the flamboyant opener to play another expansive shot, only to find Lance Klusener’s safe hands at mid-on.

If that wasn’t bad enough, soon thereafter the usually sound Sachin Tendulkar ran himself out in going for a non-existent single to the king of all fielders, Jonty Rhodes, to leave India at 135 for 4.

The ever reliable Dravid and youngster Yuveraj Singh, another cricketer to have graduated from the India under-19 level, then shared in a retrieving stand of 72 to get the total to over 200 when the Indian wicket-keeper/batsman was found plumb in front to a fastish off-cutter from Klusener.

Yuveraj struck some terrific shots en-route to his half-century to prop India past the 250-mark. But in the penultimate over bowled by South African skipper Shaun Pollock, India lost three wickets including the scalps of Yuveraj and Kaif off successive deliveries.

South African debutant Robin Peterson, who replaced an injured Nicky Boj, played his part well, bowling his entire quota of ten overs for 47 runs while quickie Donald, not a hundred percent match-fit, took 2 for 41 off eight overs.

Statistical Highlights:
---By Daniel Puran Singh

• This was the 43rd ODI match between India and South Africa.
• All-rounder Robin Peterson became the 70th cricketer to play ODIs for South Africa.
• Virender Sehwag (59) struck his seventh half-century in his 41st limited-overs game.
• Playing his 43rd ODI Yuvraj Singh registered his seventh fifty while on the other end of the scale, Zaheer Khan made his third ODI duck
• The unbeaten 116 by Herschelle Gibbs was the eighth hundred scored by a South African batsman against India in ODIs. It was also the second for Gibbs against the Indians and his ninth overall in 104 ODIs.
• Kallis (97) registered his 39th ODI half-century. He has now got four scores in the nineties, including two against India.
• The second-wicket unbroken partnership of 192 (Gibbs had retired ill) between Gibbs and Kallis betters the 120 by Gary Kirsten and Daryll Cullinan made at Kochi in 2000.
• The 10-run victory margin is the second least runs win margin by India over the Proteas. The best stil being the triumph by 2 runs in the Hero Cup semi-final in 1993.
• This victory gave the Indians their 236th in all ODIs and the 15th versus South Africa.
• Sehwag with his consecutive Man-of-the-Match awards has now five such awards.