India dominated South Africa on Sunday to win the third Test by eight wickets inside three days, squaring the series 1-1 and retaining their world number-two Test ranking. In an extraordinary final day, India turned what had been an evenly poised match at the start of play into a rout.
Sourav Ganguly cracked a gutsy 87 on a difficult pitch to help India gain a slender advantage on the second day of the third and final Test against South Africa in Kanpur on Saturday. India were struggling at 123-4 before reaching 288-9 in their first innings at stumps in reply to South Africa’s 265 on a day of fluctuating fortunes.
Teenage paceman Ishant Sharma and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh shared six wickets as India restricted South Africa to 265 in the third and final Test in Kanpur on Friday. South Africa were comfortably placed at 152-1 before losing their way on a spin-friendly pitch. Skipper Graeme Smith (69) and Hashim Amla (51) led the way with solid half-centuries.
South Africa’s touring team has sought security assurances from the Indian cricket board following reports that militants plan to target the third Test match starting on Friday in the northern city of Kanpur. South Africa team manager Logan Naidoo had written to the board expressing concerns over the players’ security.
India and South Africa enter the third and final Test on Friday with the series on the line, and having to deal with the threat of a reported terrorist plot against the match, which is being played in Kanpur. Security was bolstered after police sources said that they had intelligence of a planned attack in the northern Indian city by Islamic terrorists.
A buoyant South Africa will be keen to capitalise on India’s form and fitness worries ahead of Friday’s third and final Test in Kanpur to complete a hat-trick in the subcontinent. The visitors lead 1-0 in the series following their crushing win by an innings and 90 runs in the second Test in Ahmedabad last Saturday after the opening match ended in a draw in Chennai.