CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – India’s determination to avoid defeat yesterday killed off any chances of a thrilling finale in the third and final test against South Africa. With the series between the world’s top two teams evenly poised at 1-1 and India needing 340 to win in 90 overs, the stage had been set for a dramatic fifth day.
But India’s batsmen abandoned their usual free-flowing strokes and instead seemed happy to tap away defensive shots as they crawled to 166 for three in 82 overs before settling for a draw.
After four thrilling days of action in Cape Town, it was a staggeringly slow run rate for the number one ranked team.
Virender Sehwag’s dismissal for 11, caught in the slips off Morne Morkel, effectively ended any ideas India had of tackling their daunting run-chase, and South Africa’s enthusiasm was also cooled by Gautam Gambhir’s staunch resistance.
The left-hander produced a top-class display of gritty defence as he scored 64 in four-and-a-half hours before gloving a lifter from Dale Steyn down the leg side, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher taking a good diving catch.
Gambhir found a perfect partner for his match-saving antics in Rahul Dravid, who plodded to a dogged 31 against a South African attack that looked ill-equipped to take advantage of a wearing pitch.
Sachin Tendulkar (14 not out) and Vangipurappu Laxman (32 not out) then batted together for the last 82 minutes before play was called off eight overs early as the captains agreed there was no prospect of an outright result.
Morkel, Steyn and Lonwabo Tsotsobe took a wicket apiece, while left-arm spinner Paul Harris bowled 30 overs without success as he failed to make the same use of the rough Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had relished on the fourth day.
South African captain Graeme Smith told a news conference: “I expected more from the pitch, especially this morning, but it didn’t swing like it did on the first four days.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t get closer, it was disappointing that we only had them three down.”
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said their failure to terminate the Jacques Kallis/Boucher partnership on day four when South Africa had been 130-6 early on had forced them to kill off the game on the final day.
“We were just that extra wicket short otherwise we would have been in a position to chase 260, 270. But Jacques Kallis batted really well along with Boucher and we couldn’t get that one side open. Dale Steyn scored runs too and then we were left with a target of more than 300, which was very difficult.”
Dhoni was satisfied with drawing a series in South Africa, especially as India face a flurry of overseas tours in the near future.
“I’m quite happy, it was a special series we went through and there were plenty of good individual performances,” he said.
