South Africa in India, 2008 (India)

India vs South Africa, TEST

PRESENTATION

Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels that this is a total team effort which has helped his side win. He is happy with the way Saurav batted and Harbhajan's bowling efforts were special. He feels that these 3 days were those times when whatever he did bore productive results. On being asked about the Midas touch, he smiles and says that it's all with the team, he is a proud man to have captained this side.

Graeme Smith feels that India were clinical throughout. He is happy that his side performed well in such testing conditions. Ofcourse, he is sad that they couldn't maintain their hold in the crucial moments and lost out on a series winning opportunity. It would have meant a lot special but the positives they will take from here are very vital too. Steyn's bowling on the docile tracks, AB de Villiers' batting form, Amla's brilliance and a lot more are some reasons to cheer for.

Harbhajan Singh is the Man of the Series. He gets to drive home a brand new Tata Sumo Grande

Saurav Ganguly is the Man of the Match

Saurav Ganguly is happy that his performance has helped his side to register a win. He feels that his knock in the first innings was one of the best he has played, if not the best. His team was under a lot of pressure and his batting effort would have been very crucial. The time he saw Dravid walking back with a sore wrist, he said himself that there is no way that those snorters could be handled, he put them behind and batted on the merit of the deliveries.

On his way back to join the team mates, Dhoni asks Anil Kumble to share the Future Cup with Graeme Smith. This is a great gesture shown by him and is applauded by the many people present at the ground.

Well, friends, this has been a memorable Test series. The South Africans should be applauded for the kind of fearless cricket they played in the sub-continent where the conditions never got easy for them, they showed great character and entertained us with some high quality cricket. The first Test ended in a high scoring draw, the second Test match recorded a horrendous defeat for the home side and now in this game, the Indians came back with a bang. The visitors did well for most of the time in the series but it was the crucial moments which were stolen away by the Indians. This has been a challenging series for both the sides in testing conditions. Hope you have enjoyed our coverage. Do join us again for the forthcoming games from the other parts of the globe. Till then from all of us here in the comm box, Adios...

India remain on the Number 2 spot in the ICC Test Team Rankings.

This is the first instance when two consecutive Test matches in India have got over in three days.

Handshakes all around. Happy faces in the Indian dressing room. Remember, the hosts were under tremendous pressure after being mauled in the second test match inside 3 days. It didn't get any better when Kumble missed out on a turning track, since then... India has slapped all it's critics with some fighter attitude and have dished out the same medicine to the Proteas. "You finished the last game in three days and we have done it here", this is what the Indians would be saying!

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be an extremely happy man. This is his first Test as the skipper and he has led his side to victory. It just can't get better than this. Remember, he is the first Indian wicket keeper to lead the side in Test matches. No doubts that he is a proud man...

India win by 8 wickets and level this series on 1-1

13.1 Harris to Dravid, FOUR!!, drifting down the leg side, Dravid kneels down and paddles it very fine, races away down to the fine leg fence for four, that is it, all over, India win!!!

Only two more runs to go...

12.6 Morkel to Dravid, 1 run, drifting into the right hander, clipped it to wide mid on for a single, retains the strike

12.5 Morkel to Dravid, no run, that went through everything, pitched up in the corridor of uncertainty and never rose, missed the off stump not by much, good stop by Boucher

12.4 Morkel to Dravid, no run, full on the stumps, Dravid comes on the frontfoot and shows the full face of the bat, plays it straight back to the bowler

12.3 Morkel to Dravid, no run, swinging into the right hander very very sharply, Dravid closes the face of the bat and turns it to short mid wicket, great stop by Amla, that was firmly struck by Rahul Dravid

12.2 Morkel to Dravid, no run, another rock solid defense on the off side

12.1 Morkel to Dravid, no run, good length delivery on the stumps, Dravid gets right behind and defends it watchfully

11.6 Harris to Ganguly, no run, flat on the off, curving into the left hander sharply, Ganguly backs away and looks to go for the cracking punch, changes his mind and defends it nicely in the end

11.5 Harris to Ganguly, no run, pushed in a touch quicker, Ganguly gets right behind and defends it solidly

The crowd is behind Ganguly now... Go for a big shot and finish it in one go would be the call!

11.4 Harris to Ganguly, no run, quicker and flatter, Ganguly defends it

11.3 Harris to Ganguly, FOUR!!, tossed up on the middle and leg, Ganguly gets a big stride forward and lap sweeps it to fine leg fence for four, deftly done this time, in total control!

11.2 Harris to Ganguly, 2 runs, Harris tosses it up on the middle and leg, Ganguly comes down the track and looks to go downtown, too full really to play the lofted shot, inside edges it past the stumps for a couple... streaky!

11.1 Harris to Ganguly, no run, flighted delivery outside the off stump, Ganguly gets right behind and defends it solidly

10.6 Morkel to Dravid, no run, blocked again!

10.5 Morkel to Dravid, no run, back of a length delivery on the stumps, defended firmly to cover

10.4 Morkel to Dravid, no run, full outside the off stump, Dravid looks to drive through covers, goes a touch too hard at that one, mistimed straight back to the bowler

10.3 Morkel to Ganguly, 1 run, pitched up outside the off stump, Ganguly pushes it to extra cover for a single only

10.2 Morkel to Ganguly, no run, fullish delivery outside the off stump, Ganguly pushes it gently to cover

10.1 Morkel to Ganguly, no run, angled into the left hander, Ganguly looks to tickle it very fine, inside edge onto the pads, wanted a quick single but Rahul Dravid denies

Morkel to continue...

9.6 Harris to Dravid, no run, Dravid defends it watchfully to end a costly over

9.5 Harris to Dravid, no run, fractionally short and Dravid looks to slog it away on the leg side, mistimed to mid on, straight to the fielder this time

9.4 Harris to Dravid, no run, angled into the right hander, Dravid comes on the frontfoot and shows the full face of the bat, plays it straight back to the bowler

9.3 Harris to Dravid, no run, Dravid stretches out a long way, defends it solidly on the off side

9.2 Harris to Dravid, FOUR!!, strays down the leg side, Dravid kneels down and paddles it to fine leg for four, deftly done, beautiful shot really...

9.1 Harris to Dravid, FOUR!!, way full toss on the middle and leg, Dravid backs away and looks to slog over mid wicket, mistimed straight down the ground for four, Dravid smiles and so does his partner, that never went in the direction he planned to hit!

8.6 Morkel to Ganguly, no run, good length delivery on the stumps, Ganguly gets right behind and defends it solidly on the off side

8.6 Morkel to Ganguly, no ball, Morkel oversteps now, no ball signalled

8.5 Morkel to Ganguly, no run, strays down the leg side, great collection by Boucher