Dhoni left to regret final over howler

India's captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni jumps during the ICC Cricket World Cup group B match against South Africa in Nagpur March 12, 2011.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, left with the dilemma of who to bowl the last over in a World Cup thriller with South Africa needing 13 to win, made a brave decision on Saturday -- and watched it backfire spectacularly.

Rather than opt for the impressive spinner Harbajhan Singh, the Indian skipper decided seamer Ashish Nehra was the man to secure the two points the co-hosts needed to secure their place in the quarter-finals with one group match still to play.

Within four balls, Dhoni realised he had got it wrong. Very wrong.

South African tail-ender Robin Peterson hoisted a six and hit two fours off a shattered Nehra to take his team past their target of 297 and complete one of the most exciting games of a tournament which has already seen its fair share of drama.

How India lost this match will take Dhoni and his team mates a long time to fathom.

After 10 overs they were cruising at 87 without loss with Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, probably the most potent opening pair of the 14 teams competing here, at full throttle.

Even after Sehwag's departure for 73 in the 18th over, India looked to be heading for a repeat of their score in the opening day of the tournament, 370 against Bangladesh.

Tendulkar, the little master, continued apace after his partner's exit, rolling on inevitably to a 99th international century, his 48th in a one-dayers and a sixth in the World Cup.

When he was out for 111, attempting one majestic lofted off drive too many, India were sitting very pretty on 267-2 with just over 10 overs still left to pile up a daunting score.

BROKEN TEAM

Later, South African fast bowler Dale Steyn conceded that his team were expecting to chase at least 340 but the Indian middle and lower order batsmen failed to follow that script.

Instead no less than nine wickets -- counting Tendulkar's -- clattered for just 29 runs with Steyn collecting final figures of 5-50.

Suddenly, a broken team took to their dressing room with a spring in their step, believing what had appeared to be a lost cause an hour earlier was now a very achievable run chase.