Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall grabbed three wickets each to help South Africa bowl out India for 188 in the fourth one-dayer at the jam-packed Eden Gardens in Kolkota on Friday.
Pollock struck thrice in his first four overs as India, sent in to bat on a seamer-friendly wicket, collapsed to 23-3 and later 71-5.
Yuvraj Singh (53) and Mohammad Kaif (46) kept the 90 000-strong crowd entertained by adding 81 for the sixth wicket.
Hall, however, bowled superbly to ensure South Africa were left chasing less than four runs an over in the crucial day-night game.
The five-match series is locked 1-1 after the tourists won the first game in Hyderabad. India took the second match in Bangalore and rain washed out the third in Chennai.
The last match will be played in Mumbai on Monday.
Pollock struck with the third ball of the match when Irfan Pathan, promoted to open the innings, played on to his stumps without scoring.
Sachin Tendulkar managed just two runs in his record 357th one-day appearance — surpassing Pakistani Wasim Akram’s tally of 356 — as Pollock forced him to edge an outswinger to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.
Gautam Gambhir (11) was caught in the slips off Pollock and Virender Sehwag, who hit a robust 30 off 21 balls, edged Hall to Boucher.
India slipped to 71-5 in the 19th over when captain Rahul Dravid, who took 32 balls to score six, was clean-bowled by Charl Langeveldt.
South Africa were made to wait till the 36th over for their next success as Yuvraj and Kaif built the innings in the middle overs.
Yuvraj had hit seven boundaries when he was trapped leg-before-wicket by off-spinner Johan Botha to make India 152-6.
Kaif fell soon after when he pulled Andre Nel’s second ball of a new spell to skipper Graeme Smith at mid-wicket.
Hall claimed the last two wickets, including that of in-form Mahendra Dhoni for 14, in the space of four deliveries to terminate India’s innings in the 46th over. — Sapa-AFP