Ingram, Kallis lift South Africa to 219

20 overs South Africa 219 for 4 (Ingram 78, Kallis 61) v India

Half-centuries from Colin Ingram and Jacques Kallis lifted South Africa to their second-highest T20I total, and the fourth-highest ever. With all his three medium-pacers going for runs, MS Dhoni was forced to overuse his part-time spinners, who collectively went for 87 in seven overs.

Kallis showed no sign of any jet lag after having flown halfway across the world from New Zealand just in time for this game. Ingram, with a T20I strike-rate of 117.85 before this match, stroked his way to his maiden half-century in the format, his 78 taking 50 deliveries.

There was no respite for India right from the start as their three medium-pacers - with similar pace and reliance on swing - were easily taken for boundaries. Richard Levi provided India a sampler of what was in store for them, dismissively swatting Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan for a couple of fours each. Irfan provided temporary relief to his captain when he got Levi to edge one going across to slip but Ingram signalled there would be no let-up with an exquisite punch past point for four off his first ball.

Vinay Kumar began promisingly with an over that went for just two but Ingram and Kallis ensured South Africa were always in charge. Both the batsmen charged out to carve the medium-pacers through the off side for fours.

India seemed to have stopped the torrent of runs to some extent as R Ashwin and Suresh Raina got through a couple of tight overs but Kallis and Ingram responded in style. Ashwin and Rohit Sharma were dispatched over midwicket for huge sixes.

Dhoni turned to the slow-mediums of Virat Kohli. Kallis lofted him past long-on for four and crashed the next two deliveries past sweeper cover. After having slog-swept Ashwin over deep midwicket, Kallis found the fielder on the second attempt to depart for 61 off 42 but by then the second-wicket stand had realised 119 off 80.

More punishment lay in store for India as Vinay disappeared for 20 in the 17th over, 14 of those coming in three deliveries against Ingram who slashed, flicked and cut for boundaries.

Though Ingram holed out to deep midwicket off the first ball of the 18th, Farhaan Behardien and Justin Ontong took 14 off the 19th over bowled by Irfan. With Praveen and Vinay available to bowl the last over, Dhoni went for Raina.