Cape thriller!

India win second cliffhanger on the trot to lead five-match ODI series 2-1 against South Africa

Cape thriller!

India win second cliffhanger on the trot to lead five-matchu00a0ODI series 2-1 against South Africa

The third one-day international between South Africa and India here last night was a mere carry-over of the nerve-racking game at Wanderers last Saturday. It swung back and forth until the final few overs, but the visitors held their nerve to get past the line with a two-wicket win, handing South Africa their first defeat at Newlands since their loss to West Indies in the opening fixture of the 2003 World Cup. Now, South Africa's record at Newlands boasts of 25 victories and four losses from 29 fixtures.

In pursuit of 221, a balance of fanatical and distrustful strokeplay led to India's collapse. Opener Murali Vijay (1) stepped down the crease only to dab a short of a length ball to a diving Dale Steyn (2-31). A well-set Virat Kohli (28) edged one while chasing a sharp out-swinger from Morne Morkel (3-28). Rohit Sharma (23) stayed back to a ball that unexpectedly kept low, losing his middle-stump. When Johan Botha (1-48) was brought on in the 20th over, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (5) got away with a streaky cut shot, with the ball flying to the third man boundary. Two balls later, he repeated the stroke, but edged a rising ball to AB de Villiers. He was a victim of the pitch's up-and-down nature.

Yuvraj Singh (16), who scored a fifty in the previous game, looked in majestic form while cover driving Lonwabo Tsotsobe in just the third ball of his innings. It was highly aberrant of him to stay back to an off-spinner bowling from around the wicket. He did that on a few occasions before getting trapped leg-before off part-timer JP Duminy (1-9).

Pathan (59) joined Suresh Raina (37) with India requiring a further 128 runs to win, off 153 balls. The 30th over saw Yusuf annihilate Botha for three sixes in the space of five balls ufffd all over the deep midwicket fence. It brought the equation down to 85 off the last 20 overs. After the drinks interval, there was an evident lack of concentration on Raina's part. He had done well to leave rising balls away, but in the 37th over, he played a poor shot off Morkel, chasing a wide one and sneaking an edge to the safe gloves of AB.

It looked all but over for India in the 40th over when an instinctive Yusuf tried to clear the third man fence but holed out to Morkel, who had to back pedal and take an overhead catch.

Thereafter, former Mumbai Indians teammates Harbhajan and Zaheer Khan (14) added a crucial 26 runs for the 8th-wicket ufffd the partnership that brought them closer to the
target.u00a0

Scoreboard (3rd ODI)
South Africa 220 (49.2 overs)
lost to India 223/8 (48.2 overs) by two wkts with 10 balls to spare.

------------SA Innings------------
G Smith c Kohli b Harbhajan.....43
H Amla b Khan...........................16
C Ingram c Kohli b Harbhajan....10
AB de Villiers c Khan b Pathan..16
JP Duminy b Khan....................52
F du Plessis c Kohli b Patel.......60
J Botha b Khan...........................9
W Parnell run out........................5
D Steyn c Raina b Patel...............5u00a0
M Morkel not out.........................0
L Tsotsobe run out......................0
Extras (w 4)................................4u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Total (all out; 49.2 overs).......220

-------------Bowling-------------
Z Khan 9.2-0-43-3
M Patel 10-1-42-2
A Nehra 7-0-42-0
H Singh 9-1-23-2
Y Pathan 6-0-27-1
Y Singh 6-0-30-0
R Sharma 1-0-5-0
S Raina 1-0-8-0

----------India Innings-----------
R Sharma b Morkel...................23
M Vijay c & b Steyn.....................1
V Kohli c de Villiers b Morkel....28u00a0 Y Singh lbw b Duminy................16
MS Dhoni c de Villiers b Botha....5
S Raina c de Villiers b Morkel...37
Y Pathan c Morkel b Steyn.......59
H Singh not out.........................23
Z Khan c Smith b Tsotsobe.........14
A Nehra not out...........................6
Extras (lb 5, w 6)........................11u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Total (8 wkts; 49.2 overs)..... 223

-------------Bowling-------------
D Steyn 10-1-31-2
L Tsotsobe 10-0-41-1
WD Parnell 8-0-53-0
M Morkel 10-0-28-3
J Botha 7.2-1-48-1
JP Duminy 2-0-9-1
F du Plessis 1-0-8-0

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