CALCUTTA. Nov 10 : India dashed South African bo pea of a triumphant comeback to world sport Sun-

day. beating the Springboks by three wickets here In a historic one-day cricket International, reports AFP

Fast bowler Allan Donald

ensured the South Africans were not disgraced even if they were defeated at the Eden Grudens, where a crowd of 98,000 were on hand to watch them return to International cricket after 21 years of isolation.

The 25-ycar-old Warwickshire paceman took five for 29

In the first of three matches to have the vaunted Indian batting line-up struggling in Its bid to overtake the modest Springbok total of 177 for eight in 47 overs.

India achieved the target in the 41st over thanks to five batting by teenage sensation Sachin Tendulkar and newcomer Pravtn Amre.

Tendulkar smashed 62 off 80-balls and Amre compiled a neat 55 to put India on the road to victory after Donald had reduced the hosts to 20 for three by the seventh over.

Donald, a right-arm fast bowler who rates with the world's best, sliced through the Indian top order, removing Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Manjrekar and Navjot Sidhu in the space of 20 deliveries while conceding just five runs.

The Orange Free State cricketer, however, shared the man-of-the-match award with Tendulkar, a gesture that drew loud cheers from the frenzied fans who set off fireworks in celebration of India's victory.

Tendulkar, bom four years after South African skipper Clive Rice made his first class debut tn I960, hit eight boundaries and a six in his best one-day score and fourth, half-century in his 19th one-day international.

His previous beat was 53 against Sri Lanka tn last year's Asia Cup final at the same venue.

The dapper Amre. 24. whose consistent scores In domestic cricket earned him a place for India's tour of Australia starting next week, also hit eight fours and a six in his debut.

Amre was dismissed with

the score tied, but Kiran More stole a legbye to bring India victory with 6.2 overs to spare.

Put into bat. the South Africans looked uneasy on a alow Eden Gardens wicket before a raucous crowd.

Their Innings was restricted to the 47' overs bowled in the permitted 200 minutes' play before lunch.

The match opened to a huge roar as Kapil Dev bowled the first ball to Jimmy Cook, the crowd clearly alive to the drama of the match. But the South African batting lacked panache.

Left-hander Kepler Wessels

and so dramatically. 1 am overwhelmed by a huge sense of relief and joy," he said.

was top-scorer with 50 before he was bowled by Sachin Tendulkar's slow-medium

pace.

Adraln Kuiper, whose partnership with Weasels for the fourth wicket was worth 60, made 43.

Cook, a prolific scorer for Somerset in the English county championship, never looked comfortable and made only 17 off 48 balls before falling leg before to J a vagal Srlnath

South Africa's run rate was a modest 3.76 per over.

Manager All Bacher said the match was overshadowed by the history of the occasion.

It’s the end of a nightmare. It's a memorable day. a dramatic day for world cricket

1 never expected things would fall into place so soon