/ 29 December 2010

India level series

India levelled the three-match series as they beat South Africa by 87 runs in the second Test at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

India levelled the three-match series as they beat South Africa by 87 runs in the second Test at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

Chasing 303 to win, South Africa slumped to 215 all out as Sree Sreesanth took 3/45 and Zaheer Khan.

Ashwell Prince top-scored for South Africa with an unbeaten 39.

The odds were in favour of India when South Africa resumed day four on 111 for three with Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers at the crease.

The fourth-wicket partnership was crucial to the chase but Sree Sreesanth made the vital breakthrough for India half-an-hour into the morning session.

The pair had only added 12 runs to the total when a ball from Sreesanth reared up at Kallis and caught him on the glove. Virender Sehwag had no problem taking the catch at gully and Kallis was gone for 17.

There was some doubt about the delivery and umpire Steve Davis called for a referral but television replays showed it was a legal ball and Kallis had to go bringing to an end the 41-run partnership.

De Villiers (33) looked reluctant to go when he was adjudged lbw to Harbhajan Singh with a straight delivery which struck him plumb in front of the stumps — the only issue was height.

It was all downhill from there as Boucher (1) fell to a controversial lbw decision, this time to Zaheer Khan.

Morne Morkel added a bit of a spark to the innings and was given a life on 13, when when he was caught by Sehwag in the gully but it turned out to be one of Ishant Sharma’s six no balls.

Sharma got his scalp in the end when Morkel (20) was caught behind playing an overly-ambitious shot.

Apart from VVS Laxman’s 96, a few batsmen got scores in their 30s.

India will be relieved to go into the third Test at 1-1.

As a precaution, Kallis went for X-rays after his dismissal and was found to have soft-tissue bruising and should be fit to play in the next game. – Sapa