India was comprehensively beaten, by four wickets, in their first league encounter against the South Africans at Hove on Saturday, May 15.

Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and elected to bat, making 253 runs for the loss of five wickets in 50 overs. The South Africans made this total with more than two overs to spare.

India's star batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, scored just 28 runs, in an uncharacteristic innings, and its total was always 20 or 30 runs short of what was required. Saurav Ganguly was top scorer at 97 made painstakingly.

The South African final assault was spearheaded by the quicksilver Jonty Rhodes, who made victory look like eating cake with his flurry of fours.

Captain Azharuddin appeared short of a bowler, especially as strike bowler Jawagal Srinath got quite some stick.

The match holds the lesson for India that it must think of new strategies according to the oposition and not play according to the traditional game.

It is clear that whan Tendulkar fails, it is difficult for India to win.

This was only a league match and not the end of the road for India, which must pull up its socks in the remaining four league matches to qualify for the super six.

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