Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    116
    244
    360
    15
    0
    47.54
    85.1 good catch at second slip! Lands on a back of a good length outside off stump, Jaffer stands and prods at it well away from his body, takes the thick edge, and Kallis holds onto a good catch near his face and moving away, his 100th in Tests, to end Jaffer's vigil 240/3
    56.1 and he strikes first ball! Great start for South Africa! Tossed up on the stumps, Karthik loses balance in trying to flick it to leg, the ball lobs up to silly point, they all go up in appeal, and Asad Rauf lifts the finger! Karthik isn't happy...but he has to go...replays clearly show that there was no contact with the bat...in fact, Amla let it go as soon as he'd taken in, throwing it back to Boucher to try for the stumping, and even the 'keeper didnt appeal until he'd taken the throw in...a bad call from Rauf... 153/1
    71.5 gone! Pollock strikes and that's a crucial blow! Pollock hits the perfect line and length outside the off stump and Dravid goes fishing outside off stump and catches thin edge. Boucher behind the stumps makes no mistake. India two down. 202/2
    112.4 Harris strikes and that's a massive wicket! Peach of a delivery, bowled from over stumps, pitched outside leg and this one turned and bounced prodigiously. Tendulkar looking to defend it on the back-foot is beaten comprehensive and the edge is produced. Kallis at first slip swoops low and takes a sharp catch. India five down 337/5
    13
    46
    56
    3
    0
    28.26
    97.6 CRACKER! This time he got it all right, line was on middle and off stump and moving away, length was good and the ball moved away every so beautifully. Laxman shaped to defend it but was castled with the outswing. It's a delivery that fast bowlers dream off and Steyn pulls it off, watching the off stump uprooted from the ground. He's struggled with his line this morning but what a line that was! What seam position! A magic ball there 269/4
    131.1 Pollock finishes it off with a slow ball. Well disguised off-cutter on the middle and leg stump line, Ganguly comes down the track in an effort to loft it straight back over the bowler's head but only manages to scoop it high up towards silly mid-off. Amla running in from cover, calls for it and nicely settles under one of the easiest catches you will ever see. 414/10
    124.6 Sehwag tries to heave across the turn but fails to time it properly. The ball clips the top edge and soars to fine leg. Makhaya Ntini moves in from the boundary, dives well forward and plucks a superb catch a few inches from the ground. Once again the left-arm spinner provides South Africa with a crucial breakthrough. Sehwag, who was scoring quickly, is gone. What now? 395/6
    125.3 SUCKER PUNCH! Pollock unleashes the indipper after two straight deliveries. Back of a length, pitched outside off and cuts back in sharply, Kumble isn't ready for the movement and gets hit flush on the pad in front. Umpire Harper has no doubt and the ball would have probably gone on to hit the top of off stump as Kumble was well into his crease. 395/7
    128.1 GONE! Flighting it from over the wicket, dipping it in late, Zaheer is beaten by the flight and misses the length. Zaheer loses his balance once the ball is past him through the gap between pad and the stumps Mark Boucher, behind the stumps, whips the bails off in rapid motion. Fantastic work from Boucher. A few moments here and there and Zaheer would have been in the crease. His feet were in the air for a couple of seconds and Boucher has cashed in on that chance 398/8
    129.6 The return of polly! perfect line and length, pitched on and round the off stump line and shaping away late, Sreesanth had no option but to play at it and the thick edge goes straight to Gibbs at gully. India nine down and now Ganguly has just Munaf Patel for company. 407/9
    not out
    0
    2
    5
    0
    0
    0.00
    Extras
    19 (b 5, lb 4, nb 8, w 2)
    TOTAL
    414 all out (131.1 Overs, RR: 3.15, 580 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-153 (Dinesh Karthik, 56.1 ov), 2-202 (Rahul Dravid, 71.5 ov), 3-240 (Wasim Jaffer, 85.1 ov), 4-269 (VVS Laxman, 97.6 ov), 5-337 (Sachin Tendulkar, 112.4 ov), 6-395 (Virender Sehwag, 124.6 ov), 7-395 (Anil Kumble, 125.3 ov), 8-398 (Zaheer Khan, 128.1 ov), 9-407 (Sreesanth, 129.6 ov), 10-414 (Sourav Ganguly, 131.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    DW Steyn27125822.1404
    M Ntini26410704.1100
    SM Pollock29.197542.5700
    JH Kallis1243603.0020
    PL Harris37312943.4804
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    50.5 got'm! Fuller in length, pitched on leg and middle and turning in. Smith looking to drive straight fails to keep it down and Sehwag at short midwicket dives across to his right and pulls off a stunner. Kumble strikes and that's a big wicket. 173/2
    3.6 got'm! fuller in length and this one nipped back in after hitting the deck. de Villiers goes for the drive and is beaten comprehensively, ball clips the inside edge and Karthik holds on well to a fairly easy chance. Sreesanth with the early breakthrough. South Africa one down and in a spot of bother here. 14/1
    53.6 wide delivery outside the off stump. Once again Amla plays a loose shot outside the off stump and this time he pays the price. Hardly any foot movement there and Karthik gleefully accepts the gift. So both the set batsmen are back in the hut, South three down and in spot of bother here. 177/3
    92.1 Tendulkar strikes! The golden arm! Flighted delivery, outside the offstump, Kallis fetches it from there, swings it across to deep midwicket and Munaf Patel takes a smart catch. Dravid rushes across to Tendulkar and jumps on to him.. Huge huge wicket and now with all the turn and bounce, the lower-middle-order will have to play really well 260/4
    26
    112
    154
    1
    0
    23.21
    93.6 Got him! One wicket leads to another, as often is the case. It was a delivery that Kumble had bowled all afternoon. Landed outside the offstump, turned in but Prince went back, may be he should have gone forward as it was full in length, and jabs at it as the ball keeps a touch low. It takes the inside-edge and crashes into the leg stump. India are hot here! 260/5
    101.2 Big wicket before tea. GIven out as a bat and pad catch to short-leg.Unlucky at the first glance. Think it went just off the pad. Sehwag landed it around the offstump, slightly short of a length, turned in, Gibbs went back, tried to work it to the on side, and it bobbed off the thigh pad to Jaffer at short-leg. They go up in appeal and after some delay, given out. 281/6
    127.3 Boucher falls flirting outside the offstump. Delivered from close to the sticks, full in length, just outside the offstump, shapes away a touch, Boucher fishes at it , only to nick behind a simple catch. A valiant effort comes to an end. Well played Sir! 372/8
    120.1 Zaheer nails Pollock! Full in length, around the offstump and slanting away, Pollock tries to drive, gets a edge and it nestles into Ganguly's palms at first slip. Just when Pollock and Boucher had the opportunity to put South Africa really in front, he falls. Bad timing as far as SA are concerned. 350/7
    not out
    11
    29
    39
    2
    0
    37.93
    128.2 Does him in with the quicker one. Typical Kumble dismissal. The tailenders almost end up looking surprised at the pace, wasn't this supposed to be a gentle spinner?! This one landed on the off and middle, and rushed off the track, the bat came down in an angle and the furniture was disturbed. Nine down. 373/9
    128.3 Ntini falls first ball! Topspinner on the middle stump line, it went on straight, Ntini jabs at it and the ball hits the pad, just before the bat hit the cherry, and is caught right in front. 373/10
    Extras
    35 (b 7, lb 13, nb 14, w 1)
    TOTAL
    373 all out (128.3 Overs, RR: 2.9, 539 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-14 (AB de Villiers, 3.6 ov), 2-173 (Graeme Smith, 50.5 ov), 3-177 (Hashim Amla, 53.6 ov), 4-260 (Jacques Kallis, 92.1 ov), 5-260 (Ashwell Prince, 93.6 ov), 6-281 (Herschelle Gibbs, 101.2 ov), 7-350 (Shaun Pollock, 120.1 ov), 8-372 (Mark Boucher, 127.3 ov), 9-373 (Dale Steyn, 128.2 ov), 10-373 (Makhaya Ntini, 128.3 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    Z Khan2037413.7012
    S Sreesanth2495822.4102
    A Kumble42.3611742.7502
    MM Patel2054312.1504
    V Sehwag1203112.5803
    SR Tendulkar1023013.0000
  • BATSMEN
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    4s
    6s
    SR
    2.2 Ntini joins the party! short of a good length and this one swings in and gains some height, Jaffer leans back in an attempt to leaves it through to the keeper but fails miserably, ball clips the gloves and pops up towards the slip cordon. de Villiers at second nicely settles under it. India two down and in big trouble here on this crucial day. 6/2
    1.6 that's the end of that! fuller length delivery outside the off stump, shaping away. Sehwag flashes at it well away from his body and the thin edge goes straight to the Boucher behind the stumps. Thanks for coming. 6/1
    46.5 caught and bowled! Tossed up on middle and leg, Dravid gets a step forward and chips it straight back to Harris for the tamest dismissal 114/4
    31.4 and gone! As they say 'Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once' good length and wide outside the off stump, not sure if the ball reverse but Ganguly plays away from his body, once again in an attempt to run the ball down to third man. This time the result is fatal, ball slides off the outer half of the bat and goes straight to Gibbs at gully. 90/3
    51.3 he's a goner! After struggling all through his painful innings, after hardly working the ball off the pads, or in the gaps, Tendulkar gets a hard-luck decision! The ball pitches on middle and leg and moves down with the reverse swing, Tendulkar plays all over it going for the flick, misses and gets rapped on the pad, they all go up in appeal and Asad Rauf gives it! In real time it looked good, but replays show it was clearly missing leg stump; a poor call, but to many Indian supporters this will be the age-old tale of Sachin getting out when the chips are down 121/6
    48.3 RUN OUT! Flat and quicker on leg stump, he rocks back and flicks with the wrists past Amla at forward short leg, they run the first and then there's a very bad call from Laxman going for the second, Tendulkar's very quick to get back to the other end but a very, very slow Laxman is caught on the line as a good throw from the fielder at deep square leg is collected superbly by Boucher 115/5
    not out
    38
    48
    75
    6
    0
    79.16
    59.4 and raw pace works! short rising delivery, pitched on middle and off and coming in with the angle and the result is the replay of the cartoon 'Rabbit in the headlight'. Too quick a delivery for Kumble, who fends at it on the hop, ball clips the shoulder of the bat and goes straight to Gibbs at gully. India seven down. 147/7
    63.1 believe it or not the Indians have managed to pull off another run out! good length delivery outside the off stump and Karthik drives it past the fielder at cover. Zaheer Khan takes off for the second run but Karthik stands his ground. In the end it's a big mix-up. Harris fires in the throw at the striker's end, ball comes in at a nice height and Boucher drags it on to the stumps. Zaheer is well short of his crease. 165/8
    63.6 short of a good length delivery, in the channel and shaping away. Perfect line and length to the number ten batsman. Sreesanth had no option but to play at it and the edge goes low towards the slip cordon. Kallis at second slip swoops low to his left and takes it as clean as a whistle. India nine down. 169/9
    63.7 Good length delivery, close to the off stump line. Munaf Patel backs away and drives it straight to Pollock at mid-off. India fold up for 169. Done and dusted in 63.7 overs! 169/10
    Extras
    6 (lb 5, nb 1)
    TOTAL
    169 all out (64 Overs, RR: 2.64, 299 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Virender Sehwag, 1.6 ov), 2-6 (Wasim Jaffer, 2.2 ov), 3-90 (Sourav Ganguly, 31.4 ov), 4-114 (Rahul Dravid, 46.5 ov), 5-115 (VVS Laxman, 48.3 ov), 6-121 (Sachin Tendulkar, 51.3 ov), 7-147 (Anil Kumble, 59.4 ov), 8-165 (Zaheer Khan, 63.1 ov), 9-169 (Sreesanth, 63.6 ov), 10-169 (Munaf Patel, 63.6 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    M Ntini812913.6200
    DW Steyn703044.2801
    SM Pollock1552411.6000
    PL Harris2265012.2700
    JH Kallis1203112.5800
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    9.2 edged and gone! Zaheer pitches one on a good length and gets it to swing away, de Villiers gets half-cock forward and plays away from his body, ends up tickling an edge through to Karthik, and walks before the umpire needs to raise the finger 36/1
    31.1 what a catch! short of a good length delivery, in the channel outside the off stump and shaping away late, Smith dabs at it with no real conviction and the ball flies of the edge. Karthik behind the stumps dives across to the left and takes it at full stretches with his left hand. That's a stunner and that's the wicket they were looking for. 127/3
    10
    22
    29
    2
    0
    45.45
    16.2 Kumble! Beaten! Quick and flat on middle and off, thats the flipper that skids on and raps Amla plumb in front of middle and leg, they all appeal confidently and thats an easy decision from the umpire, and we have stumps on day four 55/2
    35.3 got'm! it's game on here at Newlands. Two short of a good length deliveries and then the sucker ball outside the off stump, full and angling across. Pollock is sucked into the drive like a child to a candy and the edge goes straight to the Laxman at wide first slip. Zaheer has done it again, two quick wickets and this match is back in the balance. 132/4
    63.2 would you believe it? Zaheer bangs one in short, and Kallis, looking to finish it with a four, gets under the pull shot and ends up lobbing it up to Dravid at midwicket, who holds an easy catch 209/5
    not out
    38
    103
    130
    2
    0
    36.89
    not out
    0
    2
    4
    0
    0
    0.00
    Extras
    17 (b 11, lb 1, nb 5)
    TOTAL
    211/5 (64.1 Overs, RR: 3.28, 294 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-36 (AB de Villiers, 9.2 ov), 2-55 (Hashim Amla, 16.2 ov), 3-127 (Graeme Smith, 31.1 ov), 4-132 (Shaun Pollock, 35.3 ov), 5-209 (Jacques Kallis, 63.2 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    Z Khan2126242.9503
    S Sreesanth1325003.8401
    A Kumble2547412.9600
    MM Patel10202.0000
    V Sehwag10808.0001
    SR Tendulkar3.12300.9400

Match Details

Toss

India , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Player Of The Series

Series result

South Africa won the 3-match series 2-1

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

10.30am start, Lunch 12.30-1.10pm, Tea 3.10-3.30pm, Close 5.30pm

Match days

2,3,4,5,6 January 2007 (5-day match)

Test debut

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Close of Play

  • Tue, 2 Jan - day 1 - India 1st innings 254/3 (SR Tendulkar 28*, VVS Laxman 4*, 90 ov)
  • Wed, 3 Jan - day 2 - South Africa 1st innings 144/1 (GC Smith 76*, HM Amla 50*, 41 ov)
  • Thu, 4 Jan - day 3 - South Africa 1st innings 373
  • Fri, 5 Jan - day 4 - South Africa 2nd innings 55/2 (GC Smith 21*, 16.2 ov)
  • Sat, 6 Jan - day 5 - South Africa 2nd innings 211/5 (64.1 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

  • The duke of hazard

    Graeme Smith's decisive twin half-centuries at Cape Town were a welcome return to form and sealed a great Test series win for South Africa

  • When the tide turned

    Cricinfo picks eight phases where the momentum shifted in the series.

  • A rare fightback

    South Africa completed a 2-1 series victory by winning the third Test by five wickets. It was a significant achievement considering they were 0-1 down. Not many have done it. Cricinfo looks at the stat highlights

  • Heart and the hard yards

    Most of all, this was Smith's victory. When his team needed to be shown the way,he was the first one out of the trenches

  • 'There will be a few guys under pressure' - Chappell

    Greg Chappell, the coach, was candid in his assessment of the gains andlosses after yet another Indian campaign overseas ended with the bittertaste of defeat

South Africa 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st36GC SmithAB de Villiers
2nd19HM AmlaGC Smith
3rd72SM PollockGC Smith
4th5SM PollockJH Kallis
5th77JH KallisAG Prince
6th2HH GibbsAG Prince