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Indian collapse sets up tense last day

South Africa's batsman AB de Villiers survives a run out attempt on the fourth day of the third and final Test match against India at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, on Friday. PHOTO: AP

India's dream of an historic series win in South Africa suffered a heavy blow when they collapsed in their second innings on the fourth day of the third and final Test at Newlands on Friday.

Needing 211 to win, South Africa were 55 for two at the close, 156 short of winning the series.

India were bowled out for 169 in their second innings after captain Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly had seemingly batted them to a position of safety with a third wicket stand of 84.

But India lost their last eight wickets for 79 runs, including two run-outs.

South Africa are likely to be made to struggle for their runs on the final day when leg-spinner Anil Kumble is expected to do much of the bowling on a pitch on which scoring has been difficult, especially when the ball loses its shine and becomes soft.

Kumble came into the attack in the ninth over and revived Indian hopes in the last over of the day when Hashim Amla was palpably leg before wicket to a ball that skidded through straight.

South African paceman Dale Steyn took four for 30 but the momentum was sapped from the Indian innings by strangulation tactics similar to those employed by India the previous day.

Debutant left-arm spinner Paul Harris bowled an unbroken spell of 22 overs, conceding only 50 runs and claiming the key wicket of Dravid, while Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis both troubled the batsmen with reverse swing on a slow, dusty pitch.

Steyn took the final two wickets of the innings with the sixth and seventh balls of an over which brought three wickets, starting with the run-out of Zaheer Khan.

A drinks break was taken after Shantha Sreesanth was caught at second slip. The umpires consulted with the scorers and were told there was one ball left in the over.

It was enough to account for last man Munaf Patel who prodded a simple catch to mid-off. It was later confirmed that the official scorers had made a mistake.

This left Dinesh Karthik stranded on 38. The Indian wicketkeeper was the only batsman able to score freely on a day of attritional cricket, making his runs off 48 balls with nimble footwork and creative stroke play.

India, starting their second innings with a lead of 41 runs, lost both opening batsmen in the first 12 minutes of the day and then were told Sachin Tendulkar could not bat at number four after being off the field for 18 minutes at the end of South Africa's first innings on Thursday.

There was a six-minute delay before Ganguly appeared on the field.

India restored Virender Sehwag to the top of the order in a sign that the tourists intended to bat positively in an effort to win the match and series. But Sehwag slashed wildly at Steyn in the second over to be caught behind for four.

Three balls later first innings century-maker Wasim Jaffer tried to avoid a bouncer from Ntini and the ball looped off his glove to AB de Villiers at first slip

Tendulkar was padded up but was told by match officials that he could not bat until another six minutes had elapsed.

Dravid and Ganguly batted together for 131 minutes before Ganguly (46) steered a catch to gully off Kallis.

India's scoring rate dropped dramatically before Dravid, on 47, went down the wicket to Harris. He failed to get fully to the pitch of the ball and pushed back a simple catch.

VVS Laxman was run out when he was too casual in taking a second run. Pollock rifled in a return from the midwicket boundary and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher broke the wicket with Laxman's bat on the line, no more than a centimeter from safety. He was given out by third umpire Marais Erasmus.

Tendulkar struggled for 88 minutes and 62 balls in scoring 14 before he was out in the last over before tea, adjudged lbw to a ball that reverse-swung sharply back into his pads.

It completed a poor afternoon for India, who scored only 48 runs for the loss of four wickets between lunch and tea.

The slide continued after tea with Graeme Smith's decision to bring back Steyn proving a master stroke, with the fast bowler having Kumble caught at gully in the first over of his second spell.

Khan was run out by a good throw from deep cover by De Villiers after being sent back by Karthik, who then watched helplessly from the other end as the innings subsided.

Smith and De Villiers started South Africa's run chase confidently, putting on 36 before De Villiers was caught behind off Khan for 22.
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