India rout South Africa to level series

KANPUR (India)—India romped to an eight-wicket win over South Africa 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 occasional bowler Virender Sehwag shared seven wickets to rip through the batting on a crumbling Green Park pitch after tea before India coasted to their 62-run victory target. The hosts reached 64 for two wickets in 13.1 overs after losing the second test last week in three days on a green top. The defeat dashed South African hopes for an Asian treble after series wins in Pakistan in November and in Bangladesh last month.
South Africa conceded a 60-run first innings lead in the morning after the last wicket pair of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth (29) and Ishant Sharma (14 not out) added 46 runs to take the Indian total to 325. Their batting collapsed on a dusty pitch after Sehwag claimed key batsman Jacques Kallis (15) and skipper Graeme Smith (35) in quick succession after their dogged 38-run third wicket stand.
Harbhajan struck straightaway after tea, taken on 88 for four, before the 19-year-old paceman Ishant Sharma struck twice in one over as South Africa tumbled to their third lowest total against India. The last eight wickets fell for 56 runs. Opener Sehwag returned to lash 22 runs from 12 balls, including two consecutive sixes against left-arm spinner Paul Harris before India secured victory. Rahul Dravid (18 not out) swept Harris for a four to fineleg to bring up victory with Saurav Ganguly (13 not out), the first innings top-scorer with 87.
Ganguly was named man of the match and Harbhajan the player of the series after claiming 19 wickets. The spinner took 4-44 to return seven wickets for the match and Sehwag three for 12. Harbhajan, who opened the bowling, removed number three Hashim Amla for a duck after opener Neil McKenzie (14) fell to reduce South Africa to 27 for two at lunch.
Smith and Kallis failed to push the scoring on a pitch where the odd ball exploded or scooted through from the cracks. They had just wiped out the arrears when Sehwag, brought on after the regular bowlers could not break through, struck. Kallis, South Africa’s leading batsman, failed to control a spinning delivery and offered a simple catch to Wasim Jaffer at forward shortleg, making it 65-3.
Smith was left stunned seven runs later when a harmless delivery down the legside spun in sharply to hit the stumps and end his three-and-half hour vigil. Harbhajan had AB de Villiers (7) caught in the close cordon after tea before Sharma had Mark Boucher (5) caught behind with a brute of a delivery and bowled new batsman Morne Morkel (0). India lost the second test by an innings and 90 runs after the first test in Chennai ended in a high-scoring draw. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni credited his side’s disciplined bowling on a turning pitch after they defeated South Africa by eight wickets in the third and final test on Sunday to square the series.
India skittled the tourists out for 121 in their second innings, their third lowest total against India, before coasting to the small victory target of 62 on the third evening. “Most of the times we got wickets just after bowling changes, but the appreciation and credit should go to the bowlers,” he told reporters. “There was assistance, but they bowled really well, especially the fast bowlers. “In the second innings, everybody knew what lengths to bowl.”
Indian off spinner Harbhajan Singh and part-time slow bowler Virender Sehwag grabbed seven scalps in the South African second innings as the last eight wickets fell for 56 runs. Harbhajan took seven wickets in the match while young pacemen Ishant Sharma bowled impressively to claim five. “The way Harbhajan and Viru bowled, it was just a matter of time,” he said. “There were no easy singles on offer, so we put a lot of pressure on them.” Dhoni rejected criticism that the pitch was prepared only because India slumped to an innings defeat on a green surface in the second test.

—Agencies