Series leveled as Centurion awaits the decider

JP Duminy orchestrated a South African fightback to level the series after India had seemed set for a maiden series win in the country. The hosts had collapsed to 118 for 5 through a combination of some headless-chicken running and constricting bowling from India's part-time spinners. But Duminy's responsible knock hauled South Africa to a challenging total before India's batsmen, barring Virat Kohli, folded on a sluggish Port Elizabeth pitch.

On a blustery day, Hashim Amla returned to his awesome run-scoring form. He took his time initially assessing the pitch in the early overs, but soon unfurled his full range of strokes to pick up plenty of boundaries. Zaheer Khan was punched past backward point and later pulled to midwicket, Munaf Patel was crunched past mid-off while Ashish Nehra was caressed past extra cover. A slash to third man off Yuvraj Singh brought Amla his 12th half-century, during which he broke Zaheer Abbas' 28-year record for the fastest man to make 2000 ODI runs.

Graeme Smith rarely found the middle of the bat or his timing and finally miscued an attempted swat to mid-off. Morne van Wyk, a surprise pick in South Africa's World Cup squad who was playing his first one-dayer in more than three years, proved a more solid partner to Amla. Yuvraj Singh and the other part-timers were getting the ball to turn, though it was slow spin, but one of those deliveries moved enough to take the outside edge of van Wyk's bat to fly to first slip.

South Africa were 106 for 2, but India edged ahead when a mistimed pull from Amla trickled towards short fine leg, just outside the inner circle - Amla went for a suicidal second run and it ended in suicide, as he was caught well short.

The worries increased for South Africa when Yuvraj prised out another big wicket in the next over, that of AB de Villiers, adjudged caught-behind though it was unclear whether he edged the ball, but he can't complain much as he was stumped as well off that delivery. The misery continued when Faf du Plessis, who made such a composed half-century on debut on Tuesday, perished to some senseless running.

Duminy and Johan Botha then set about ensuring South Africa built a competitive score. Duminy cut out the Hollywood shots and nudged the ball around for singles, while Botha hit a series of leg-side boundaries, the pick of which was an effortless flick off Zaheer. Yuvraj ended that stand at 70, getting his third wicket with a tossed-up delivery that beat Botha's sweep.

Eyebrows were raised when left-arm spinner Robin Peterson was picked ahead of highly rated legspinner Imran Tahir, but he responded with an important 31, which ended with him sacrificing his wicket to save Duminy.

Duminy, meanwhile, had brought up his fourth half-century in five innings with a gorgeous off-drive, and eased South Africa's concerns over the performance of their lower-middle order. With four wickets still remaining heading into the batting Powerplay, Duminy helped plunder 45 runs off the final five overs and India's batsmen had a challenge ahead of them.

The Indian chase got off to a dreadful start as Rohit Sharma's batting woes continued, chasing and missing the first two deliveries from Lonwabo Tsotsobe, being carving the third to backward point. The other opener Parthiv Patel, who has had only one net session to adapt to South African conditions after flying in as a replacement for Sachin Tendulkar, was in far better touch but in the 10th over he was lbw missing a full delivery from Tsotsobe.

Kohli was the bright spot of the day for India, playing one of his finest international innings. He started with a couple of classy extra cover drives and was rarely troubled on a track where most found shot-making difficult. He was a touch tied down against the quicks , but opened out against the amiable left-arm spin of Peterson. Kohli hammered Peterson for 32 runs off 21 deliveries, including two effortless sixes over long-off.

While Kohli was crafting a stunning innings which will further his case for a starting spot in the World Cup, the rest of the middle order stuttered. Yuvraj fell to an outstanding diving catch from Smith after top-edging a paddle-sweep, Suresh Raina hung around for a while without really convincing , before missing an arm-ball from Peterson. India's hopes evaporated when MS Dhoni was dismissed after scratching around for eight balls, and lower-order game-changer Yusuf Pathan lasted all off three balls.

At 128 for 6, even with Kohli unbeaten on 76, the game was up for India. The climax was drawn out by a 50-minute rain interruption ,after which there was eight balls of play before the showers returned and South Africa were declared winners on the D/L method.

The series-levelling victory sets up a decider in Centurion on Sunday, though that match could be affected by rain.

India clinch yet another thiller

Yusuf Pathan swung the game India's way with three brutal shots and Harbhajan Singh sealed the win with two violent game-breaking hits. Morne Morkel had threatened to derail India's chase with an inspired performance but it was India who held their nerve, and took a 2-1 lead in the series. India were 104 runs adrift of the target when Yusuf cemented his World Cup spot by biffing Johan Botha for three sixes in an over to push India ahead. When he fell, 39 runs short of the target, Harbhajan crashed Wayne Parnell and Morne for stunning sixes at vital moments of the chase to clinch the game, with 10 balls to spare.

India had lost five wickets and looked down for the count on a sluggish pitch where stroke-making wasn't easy when Yusuf launched a violent assault on Botha. He muscled three sixes, the last of which flew out of the stadium, to loot 19 runs in the 30th over. Yusuf added 75 runs with Suresh Raina, who threw his wicket away with a wild shot in the 37th over, before falling in the 40th to a stunning catch by Morne, who arched back to pouch an upper cut over his head at third man. His dismissal put South Africa ahead but Harbhajan seized the moment. He added 26 runs with Zaheer Khan before stitching together another 15 with Ashish Nehra to take India home. Harbhajan took the Powerplay in the 43rd over, smote Parnell for a six over wide mid-off in the 45th, and flat-batted Morne, bowling his last over, beyond long-off in the 47th to kill the contest.

Control was a loose concept during the match as whenever South Africa got ahead, India pulled them back and vice versa. In the end Yusuf's innings proved the difference. Yusuf's strength is his mental tenacity. His short-ball woes are well documented but he rarely lets a delivery in his hitting arc go unpunished. Unlike Raina, he doesn't hang back and expect bouncers every ball, and today, too, that temperament was on display.

Until that game-breaking 30th over bowled by Botha, it was South Africa who held the edge, courtesy of Morne. He dismissed the in-form Virat Kohli to put India in trouble early, later got rid of Raina to resuscitate fading hopes, and grabbed a stunning catch to dismiss Yusuf, but still had to end up on the losing side.

In hindsight, South Africa will feel they were 25 runs short. A shaky Graeme Smith was the reason South Africa dawdled at the start, and it was also due to him that they stayed afloat for a while. However, his dismissal in the 23rd over left them wobbling at 90 for 4, but JP Duminy and the debutant Faf du Plessis showed admirable maturity to revive the innings and give it respectability.

du Plessis' serenity under pressure was reflected by the fact that he hit his first boundary - a crisp cut off Yuvraj Singh - after he had reached 39. It's not a criticism but a tribute to his mature approach that there were just two shots that stood out in his innings: the first was that cut shot and the second, which came after his half-century, was a skillful one that hinted at a larger repertoire that he had deliberately held under check. He went down the track to Munaf Patel, adjusted to the slower one, and managed to punch it on the up and over mid-off. Mostly, he kept things risk-free like an experienced pro and dealt in calculated nudges and pushes. He brought up his half-century with a dab to the on side and brought up the century partnership with Duminy, in the 44th over, with a swatted pull through midwicket.

For his part, Duminy, who set off South Africa's collapse in the second ODI at the Bull Ring by holing out to long-on, too remained patient and worked the angles. He flicked and square drove and adjusted to the slow pace. The ball didn't come on to the bat neatly but he waited on the front foot, to steer and dab his way through the difficult period. However, both batsmen fell in the space of four deliveries, after they took the Batting Powerplay in the 45th over, and South Africa crumbled in the end overs, losing their last six wickets for 20 runs.

It was a torrid time for Smith, first against Zaheer, and soon against everyone. However, perhaps due to the brittle nature of the lower order, he never dared to hit his way out of trouble. During a sequence of 11 deliveries from Zaheer when he was beaten nine times, Smith actually looked at the bowler and smiled. There was a touch of embarrassment in it but it was also a smile of a man who seemed to have accepted the situation he was in; he chose to graft and was willing to look ugly from then on. Considering what happened in Johannesburg, where Smith made 77 but the batting collapse after he was out, it was perhaps the right thing to do as his team needed its leader to fight. Inspired by his grit, Duminy and du Plessis batted with care to propel South Africa to a fighting total but Yusuf and Harbhajan did enough to chase it down.

India square series with a cracker

South Africa made a mess of what should have been a comfortable chase of a below-par total at Wanderers, stumbling in the batting Powerplay and then sinking to a dispiriting defeat in a thrilling finish. In conditions less favourable for batting than what the venue has offered in the past, Graeme Smith had put South Africa on course with a positive innings but his wicket in the 33rd over triggered a collapse that was a product of panic, ill-luck and some needling Indian bowling. Munaf Patel's spell proved decisive as he dislodged Smith and ended the South African innings with two wickets in the 43rd over, when the hosts were just a shot away from victory.

The game was still South Africa's when Munaf began bowling the 43rd over. Four runs were needed with two wickets in hand but what clinched the game for India were two short-of-a-length deliveries that the tailenders, Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell, who had batted calmly until then, felt were too good to resist. With three needed for victory, Morkel slashed one straight to the substitute fielder Yusuf Pathan at point and, off the last ball of the over, Parnell, keen to finish off the game, cut Munaf to Yuvraj Singh, sparking wild celebrations in the Indian camp while leaving South Africa shell-shocked at their sudden capitulation.

The result had seemed unlikely with Smith's assured presence at the crease. He had been ruthless in his treatment of the bad balls, which the Indians doled out more often than their opponents had earlier in the day, and had eased the pressure despite periodic breakthroughs at the other end. Munaf was punished for consecutive boundaries through mid-off and point, while Zaheer Khan was pulled through midwicket when he pitched short. Initially a little rusty against Harbhajan Singh, Smith stepped out to the offspinner to combat the turn and take the ball off a length. He kept threading the gaps in the outfield to squeeze boundaries off the seamers and went past 6000 runs in ODIs.

Smith's shaky yet productive stand with Colin Ingram, a fluent partnership with JP Duminy and an increasingly threatening association with David Miller had continued the one-way traffic set up by South Africa's bowlers. But at 152 for 4, in the second over of the batting Powerplay, a reversal began.

South Africa's bowlers had exploited the movement off the pitch in restraining India, and Munaf had managed to prise out the wicket of Hashim Amla with a delivery that nipped back in. In the 33rd over, he managed to dart one back in from outside off towards Smith, who played on. In the next over, after he had been flicked to the fine-leg boundary, Zaheer shortened his length and dismissed Miller with an offcutter that the batsman failed to pull and gloved to short fine leg. And when he returned in the 36th over, Zaheer was fortunate to dismiss Johan Botha, who was given out lbw playing back to a good-length delivery, when it seemed the ball had only made contact with the outer half of the bat, not with the pad.

Parnell calmed the nerves of a capacity Wanderers crowd with a square-cut boundary and a promising vigil with Dale Steyn. But Steyn's attempt to risk a single and retain strike for the 39th over resulted in a run-out when Yuvraj barely managed to break the stumps before the ball slipped out of his hands. From 177 for 8, Parnell and Morkel braved a determined spell from Zaheer, managed a streaky boundary off part-time offspinner Suresh Raina and took South Africa to within four runs of a 2-0 lead. Only to throw it all away in the next over from Munaf.

South Africa's bowlers may have unable to finish the job with the bat but they had impressed with disciplined bowling performance under overcast skies on a slowish track. India approached their innings cautiously and, using the movement, South Africa's bowlers capitalised on their circumspection. Lonwabo Tsotsobe was the best. His role in ODIs has largely been a containing one but his accuracy amid India's pressure to accelerate earned him his best match haul of 4 for 22. India, too, faltered in their batting Powerplay, losing four wickets for 14 runs to undermine what Yuvraj and Dhoni had achieved during their fighting recovery stand.

The pair had to build from scratch following the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in quick succession. Displaying little signs of getting bogged down, neither batsman felt compelled to take undue risks and instead ensured a steady scoring-rate by working the field. Both used the sweep and the paddle, while Yuvraj often drove straight to pinch twos because long-on that was wider than usual. Bad balls were a rarity but Yuvraj was prompt to punish them when on offer: he slashed Morkel over point and glanced Tsotsobe to the fine-leg boundary to raise his half-century. The stand was worth 83 and with 13 more overs to go, a score of 240 was on. India didn't get that far, though given the manic developments towards the end, they didn't need to.

Indian top order colapses as South Africa go one up

India had to survive the new ball if they were going to make a fist of chasing 290 but they were gasping for breath within 11 overs, after slipping to 43 for 4, and never quite recovered. South Africa had threatened twice to run away to a mammoth total in their innings. India pulled them back on both occasions to keep the target below 300, but the chase went nowhere. South Africa were 82 for 2 in the 14th over before Munaf Patel removed Hashim Amla to slow the innings down, but the hosts bounced back to reach 213 for 3 in the 36th over, when AB de Villiers fell and India clawed their way back once again.

The ball was expected to do a bit under lights and the top order, barring Virat Kohli, collapsed without much fight. The dismissal of Yuvraj Singh perfectly captured South Africa's dominance on a bouncy track. Morne Morkel got one to kick up and jag away from Yuvraj, who got his feet into an awful tangle, and ended up stabbing the ball to second slip.

It was that kind of a night: the India batsmen struggled to adapt to the conditions and they went down in a heap. M Vijay was trapped in front in the first over of the innings by a full delivery from Dale Steyn and Sachin Tendulkar perished to a pre-determined move to shuffle across his stumps. There was a short fine-leg in place for Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Tendulkar moved across to drag a short-of-length delivery past that fielder but only succeeded in top-edging a dolly to Steyn.

India recovered from 13 for 2 to reach 41 without further damage but a double strike by Morne Morkel pushed them further back. Morne had hustled and hurried Rohit Sharma into having a few injudicious wafts outside off but Rohit was eventually unlucky to be given out, caught behind by AB de Villiers. It was a gem of a delivery that kicked up and straightened just outside off and Rohit hit his pad with the bat as he pushed inside the line but the umpire mistook the sound for an edge.

Yuvraj proved a walking wicket in these seaming conditions and India were left staring down the barrel after MS Dhoni's run out just before the half-way mark. Kohli hit a straight drive but the bowler Wayne Parnell got a hand on it to accidentally run out Dhoni and leave India with a mountain to climb. Kohli hung around for a while but once he fell to Steyn, the lower order just crumbled.

South Africa's bowlers blew away India but it was their batsmen who set up the win. It was a fascinating late afternoon at Durban after Amla's exit. There was an imminent threat of a collapse in the air: South Africa had a long tail, JP Duminy can be an iffy starter against spin and the ball was starting to stop on the batsman a touch. de Villiers and Duminy initially batted like men who were aware of these threats. They added 47 runs in a little over 12 overs and the hosts had reached 132 for 3 in 25.4 overs when a single shot turned things around for them. de Villiers charged down the track to Harbhajan Singh and didn't quite seem to connect well, but his sliced golf shot sent the ball into the screaming fans beyond long-off. When Duminy slog swept Yuvraj Singh for a six in the next over, it was official: they had broken free of the shackles.

They followed it up with a smart move: they took the Batting Powerplay in the 28th over and looted 45 runs off the five overs. de Villiers made 28 of them, with a hat-trick of fours - a pull, a skillful inside-out hit over cover, and a slice over point - against Ashish Nehra in the final Powerplay over to leave South Africa sitting pretty at 192 for 3.

Things were looking dire for India and Dhoni decided to bring in part-time spinners Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina. de Villiers pulled Rohit straight to deep midwicket in the 36th over, David Miller played inside the line to lose his off stump against Raina in the 39th, and then in the 42nd Duminy missed a reverse sweep and was trapped in front by Rohit. The tail didn't have the skill to add too many and South Africa meandered along to their final score.

It was quite a contrast to the frenetic start to the innings, with Amla going after Nehra in some style. The bat-speed was rapid, and time and again he played on the up and through the line. There were some trademark cover drives on a stretched front foot and the highlight was the hat-trick of fours he unleashed against Nehra in the seventh over. Amla whacked a short ball to the midwicket boundary, then walked down the pitch to lace a length delivery to the left of mid-off before he pinged that region with an off drive. There was a caressed straight drive for three runs in the same over and he put away a couple of slower ones from Munaf for boundaries. His dismissal put pressure on the middle order but de Villiers and Duminy ensured that their bowlers had a score to defend.

Indian batters save test

An insipid performance from India's bowlers on the fourth day had broken their aspirations of a maiden Test series victory in South Africa but, on the fifth, the batsmen ensured they achieved at least a draw for the first time in the country. In an anticlimactic end to an enthralling contest, Gautam Gambhir was at the forefront of the Indian resistance, Rahul Dravid blocked lots of balls, and South Africa's bowlers toiled 82 overs for three wickets, when they needed ten.

South Africa fell behind early in their pursuit of victory and eventually took only one wicket in each session. The key to their chances lay in how many they dismissed with the new ball, and India won a decisive battle by surviving the first 11 overs without damage. Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel weren't as hostile as they were in the first innings but still bowled aggressively in the morning. Once that threat passed, India's passage was easier. They survived one more flutter of anxiety, soon after Dravid fell late in the second session, when AB de Villiers failed to catch an extremely tough chance off Gambhir. The game was called off with umpteen fielders waiting for catches that never came, and South Africa were still winless in a series at home since Bangladesh's visit in