India crush SA by eight wickets to level series

  Even the most optimistic Indian fan could not have predicted the end of the third Test would be so abrupt and the Indian win so convincing. An eight-wicket victory here at the Green Park Stadium by India meant the home side had successfully managed to draw the three-match Test series, chances of which looked slim before the Test began with India playing without Anil Kumble and having to bat last on the crumbling surface. India could not have hoped for a better day. The third day, which began with the game tentatively poised, swung the match India’s way completely. First, the home side’s tail-enders stretched their first innings lead to 60. And then bowlers made full use of the worn out pitch to bowl out South Africa for a measly 121 in just 55.5 overs. Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer took India off to a flier, making the small 62-run target miniscule. Sewag after slamming Paul Harris’s first two deliveries for two towering sixes edged the third one to point for 22. And Jaffer, like the first innings after hitting two crisp boundaries, followed Sehwag back to the pavilion with Morkel trapping him leg-before for the second time in the match. It went all wrong for the visitors in their second innings. South Africa, who began steadily, started to collapse just before tea. From 65-2, the Proteas innings fell apart with Ashwell Prince left stranded on an unbeaten 22. They had South Africa by the scruff of the neck and were not willing to relent. After a double-strike by Virender Sehwag (3-12) in the second session, Ishant Sharma (2-18) and Harbhajan Singh (4-44) ripped through the visitors in the last session. A few minutes into the tea interval and AB de Villiers became Harbhajan’s second victim of the day, caught at short mid-wicket for seven. The pitch was playing all kinds of tricks and it looked like a wicket would fall every ball. Paul Harris too did not bother the scorers as he edged a Harbhajan delivery to Rahul Dravid in the slips. The off-spinner then bowled Dale Steyn, who was looking to slog every ball, for seven. Sehwag then scalped Makhaya Ntini to finish the South African second innings. After South Africa wiped out the 60-run deficit, MS Dhoni introduced Sehwag’s gentle off-spin in the attack and on the very first ball the move paid off. Kallis was caught bat-pad for 15 and the threatening 38-run stand was brought to an end. Three overs later, the visitors received a telling blow. Sehwag bowled Smith, who was solid as a rock in his 35 runs, around the legs. After the Indian pace duo of S Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma expanded India’s lead to 60 runs, South Africa had started off well with both openers playing cautiously to watch out for the tricks by the devilish pitch But just before lunch, India drew first blood as Sreesanth trapped Neil McKenzie leg-before for 14 to give the pacer his 50th Test victim. McKenzie, who has been in terrific form in the Test series paid the price of trying to play across the line on the back-foot And in the next over, Hashim Amla was caught bat-pad for no score to Harbhajan Singh, who had opened the bowling in the second innings. South Africa were reduced to 27-2 at lunch. In the Indian innings Sreesanth (29) and Ishant (14 not out) strung a plucky 46- run stand for the last wicket to take the home side to 325. The duo battled for nearly 12 overs in the morning before Sreesanth gave a regulation catch to Ashwell Prince at short-cover off left-arm spinner Paul Harris.

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