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SA lose 3rd Test
13/04/2008 14:05 - (SA)
Kanpur - India defeated South
Africa by eight wickets with two days to spare in the third and
final Test on Sunday to square the series 1-1 after routing the
tourists for 121 in their second innings.
Indian spinners Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag shared
seven wickets to rip through the South African batting on a
crumbling pitch before coasting to their 62-run victory target.
The home team reached 64 for two wickets to level the series
and bounce back from their innings defeat in the second test.
South Africa conceded a 60-run first innings lead in the
morning after the Indian last wicket pair of Shanthakumaran
Sreesanth (29) and Ishant Sharma (14 not out) added 46 runs to
take the total to 325.
Their batting then collapsed on a dusty pitch after Sehwag
claimed key batsman Jacques Kallis (15) and skipper Graeme Smith
(35) in succession to end their dogged 38-run third wicket
stand.
Harbhajan struck straightaway after tea, taken on 88 for
four, before teenaged paceman Ishant Sharma struck twice in one
over as South Africa tumbled to their third lowest total against
India.
Harbhajan returned 4-44 and Sehwag 3-12, the last eight
wickets tumbling for 56 runs.
Opener Sehwag struck a 12-ball 22 with two successive sixes
against left-arm spinner Paul Harris before India sealed
victory, dashing South African hopes for an Asian treble after
series wins in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
India lost the second test by an innings and 90 runs after
the first test in Chennai ended in a high-scoring draw.
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Rugby
