South Africa open series with win

First one-day international, Hyderabad: South Africa 252-5 (48.5 overs) beat India 249-9 (50 overs) by five wickets

Scorecard

Kallis steered South Africa home with seven balls left

Jacques Kallis and Justin Kemp steered South Africa to a five-wicket win over India to open their one-day series.

The result marked South Africa's 20th successive match unbeaten, one behind Australia's all-time record.

Kallis, who finished 68 not out, shared an 89-run stand with Ashwell Prince (46) before Kemp (46 not out) helped add 84 to win with seven balls left.

Earlier, Yuvraj Singh hit 103 to drag India from early trouble at 35-5 towards a final total of 249-9.

There were gutsy batting efforts after a good bowling performance; Kallis controlled the middle brilliantly Graeme Smith More post-match reaction

Yuvraj struck 10 fours and three sixes from 122 balls after fast bowlers Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini grabbed two wickets apiece in early seam-friendly conditions.

The top four wickets fell in the first 11 overs, with none of the leading batsmen reaching double figures.

Yuvraj found a willing partner in Irfan Pathan, whose 46 occupied 63 deliveries, before he becam debutant Johan Botha's maiden international wicket.

Harbhajan Singh then smashed four fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 37.

Chasing 250 for victory, the tourists made a similarly blazing start, with skipper Graeme Smith hitting 48 from 36 balls.

Good display and a lovely way to finish off the game with a 4 from Kallis From AJ Have your say on TMS

His early partners AB de Villiers and Justin Ontong perished cheaply to Ajit Agarkar.

And Smith dragged a ball from left-arm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh onto the stumps to leave the visitors in some worry in the 13th over, with 76 already on the board.

Prince and Mark Boucher fell in successive overs to make South Africa sweat a little but Kemp resisted the urge to hit out, with five boundaries in his 49-ball knock.

South Africa just need to avoid defeat in Bangalore on Saturday to equal Australia's record, set between January and May 2003.