India win sets up series decider
India completed an 87-run win on the fourth day of the second Test
against South Africa at Kingsmead on Wednesday to set up a series
decider in the final match in Cape Town.
Set a target of 303, South Africa were bowled out for 215.
The match finished an hour after lunch but South Africa’s hopes were
effectively ended when overnight batsmen Jacques Kallis and AB de
Villiers were dismissed in the first hour of the day.
It was a remarkable fightback by India, who lost the first Test in
Centurion by an innings and 25 runs and whose chances seemed to have
nosedived when they were sent in at Kingsmead and bowled out for 205.
But India’s bowlers shot out South Africa for 131 to take control of
the match and an innings of 96 by man of the match VVS Laxman meant that
South Africa had to score by far the highest total of the match to
snatch victory. The win ensures that India will retain their number one
ranking in Test cricket, irrespective of the result in the final Test.
Second-placed South Africa needed to win the series 3-0 to displace the
tourists at the top of the rankings. Sree Sreesanth struck the first,
crucial blow of the day when he produced a vicious bouncer that star
batsman Kallis could only fend off his glove to Virender Sehwag at
gully.
Kallis was out for 17 after he and De Villiers had added 12 runs in
half an hour to the overnight total of 111 for three.
It was Sreesanth’s third wicket of the innings and came during a fine
spell of one for seven in five overs from the start of play.
South Africa’s hopes were effectively snuffed out by two debatable
leg before wicket decisions in the space of three overs.
De Villiers, who had looked solid in making 33, was struck on the pad
when he pushed forward to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. He appeared
dismayed when he was given out by umpire Asad Rauf and replays suggested
the ball would have gone over the top of the stumps by several
centimetres. AFP
INDIA, first innings: 205
SOUTH AFRICA, first innings: 131
INDIA, second innings: 228
SOUTH AFRICA, second innings (target 303; overnight 111-3)
G. Smith c Dhoni b Sreesanth 37 A. Petersen c Pujara b Harbhajan 26 H. Amla c Dhoni b Sreesanth 16 J. Kallis c Sehwag b Sreesanth 17 A. de Villiers lbw b Harbhajan 33 A. Prince not out 39 M. Boucher lbw b Khan 01 D. Steyn c Pujara b Khan 10 P. Harris b Khan 07 M. Morkel c Dhoni b Sharma 20 L. Tsotsobe run out (Pujara) 00 Extras (lb1, nb8) 09 TOTAL (72.3 overs) 215
Bowling: Khan 17-3-57-3, Sharma 11.3-0-36-1 (nb6), Sreesanth 14-2-45-3
(nb2), Harbhajan 29-5-70-2, Tendulkar 1-0-6-0. |