Tailenders guide India home after Pathan blitz

Yusuf Pathan

CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – Yusuf Pathan blazed a  half-century but India still had to call on their tailenders to  clinch victory over South Africa by two wickets in the third  one-day international at Newlands yesterday.

Yusuf Pathan

India, chasing a modest 221 for victory, were well set after  Pathan thumped six fours and three sixes in his 59. But when he  was brilliantly caught at third man by Morne Morkel, India still  needed 39 runs with three wickets in hand.
It fell to Harbhajan Singh, who scored a watchful but  defiant 23 not out, to see them home, with valuable support from  Zaheer Khan (14) and Ashish Nehra (6 not out).

India now lead the five-match series 2-1 following their  dramatic one-run victory in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Pathan lifted India from 93 for five and turned the tide  against the home team after Morkel had induced an early  collapse. He shared a 75-run stand with Suresh Raina (37) and  was particularly severe on the off-spin of Johan Botha, hitting  him for three sixes in the 30th over.

JP Duminy and debutant Faf du Plessis recorded  half-centuries for South Africa before India hit back to bowl  them out for 220.

Duminy scored 52 and Du Plessis 60 as they lifted the hosts  with a 110-run stand for the fifth wicket. South Africa  collapsed once the pair were parted, slumping from 200 for four  to add just another 20 runs.

Their partnership was a relatively dull affair with Duminy  and Du Plessis, both natural strokemakers, batting with  restraint.

Zaheer, who produced a fine spell with the new ball,  finished with three for 43, in-form Munaf Patel claimed two for  42 and Harbhajan took two for 23.