Zaheer takes three, South Africa bowled out for 220

    By IANS,

    Cape Town: Debutant Faf du Plessis and Jean Paul Duminy rescued South Africa from a top-order collapse but India kept the noose tight at the death to bowl out the hosts for 220 in the third ODI here Tuesday.


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    South African captain Graeme Smith (43) elected to bat, but the Indian bowlers got good purchase from the track to reduce them to 90 for four.

    Zaheer Khan (3-43) and Munaf Patel (2-42), who scripted India’s brilliant comeback victory at Johannesburg and helped level the five match series 1-1, troubled the batsmen with their incisive spells upfront.

    Zaheer got the ball to dart around sharply, putting the openers on the backfoot.

    Khan bowled Hashim Amla (16) before Harbhajan Singh (2-23) and Yusuf Pathan (1-27) struck crucial blows.

    All-rounder Faf du Plessis and Duminy then steadied the innings, adding 110 for the fifth wicket, before the former was dismissed by Munaf, caught by Virat Kohli, that triggered another collapse.

    Khan soon rattled the stumps of Duminy, putting pressure on the South African tail in the last five overs.

    The South African lower order cracked as they lost six wickets for 20 runs and folded up with four balls left in the innings.

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