India levelled the three-match Future Cup series, beating South Africa by six wickets in the second ODI in Belfast on Friday.

After losing crucial wickets early in the game, South Africa posted a total of 226 runs against India at the Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont. In return, Sachin Tendulkar's remarkable 93 helped India achieve the target with five balls and six wickets in hand.

Openers Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly started the chase on a positive note while keeping the wickets intact. Tendulkar reached the coveted 15,000-run mark in ODIs while also completing his 79th one-day fifty.

Charl Langeveldt broke the 134-run partnership between Tendulkar and Ganguly by removing the latter at 42. The southpaw gifted a catch to Herschelle Gibbs at backward point.

His next target was skipper Rahul Dravid, who gave the simplest of catches to the bowler.

In the 31st over, South Africa got a big wicket in Sachin Tendulkar. The Indian ace fell prey to a delivery off rookie spinner Thandi Tshabalala, failing to complete a century for the second time in a row. The ball crashed into the stumps as Tendulkar walked back at 93.

Kallis' decision to return the ball to Makhaya Ntini proved good. The paceman baffled Mahendra Singh Dhoni with a full delivery which ripped through the stumps. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who made a return to the team after missing the previous two matches of the tour, walked back without scoring.

Yuvraj Singh and Dinesh Karthik then led the chase for India. Both remained unbeaten as India won the match without much resistance from the Proteas.

Earlier, swashbuckling Indian batsman and part-time spinner Yuvraj starred among the Indian bowlers, scalping three wickets - Jean Paul Duminy (40), Morne van Wyk (82) and Andrew Hall (17). 

Electing to field, India got an early breakthrough as RP Singh initiated the run out of AB de Villiers for nought. The opener committed hara-kiri, calling in for a run which was not there.

Soon, the pacer removed skipper Jacques Kallis for a paltry score of two.

In the 14th over, Dinesh Karthik caught an easy catch at cover to dismiss big fish Gibbs off Zaheer Khan's delivery. The pacemen were evidently having a good time!

But, Duminy and van Wyk steadied the innings with a 85-run partnership. In the 29th over, opener van Wyk completed his second ODI fifty in three games in Ireland.

Yuvraj got lucky in removing three wickets. His first victim was Duminy, who fell to a not-so-good delivery. The batsman planted an easy catch to Rahul Dravid before returning at 40.

Next, keeper Dhoni caught a fine catch to remove van Wyk off Yuvraj's delivery. The opener returned at a successful score of 82 runs - so far, his career-best performance. In the penultimate over of the match, Yuvarj got his third wicket of the day in Andrew Hall.

Both Mark Boucher and Andre Nel remained not out as the Proteas finished on 226 for 6 in the stipulated overs. 

Paceman Ishant Sharma made his ODI debut for India while batsmen Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir, who played on Tuesday, were left out.The Proteas made one change in the squad - off-spinner Tshabalala came in place of all-rounder Vernon Philander.

Teams

India: Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Kaarthick, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ishant Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni

South Africa: AB de Villiers, Morne van Wyk, Jacques Kallis (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jean Paul Duminy, Mark Boucher, Andrew Hall, Thandi Tshabalala, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini.