Third one-day international, Cape Town:
India 223-8 (48.2 ovs) beat South Africa 220 (49.2 ovs) by two wickets
Match scorecard
 Harbhajan Singh produced a battling all-round display for India |
Harbhajan Singh starred with bat and ball as India reinforced their World Cup credentials by beating South Africa at their hosts' Cape Town fortress. The victory, by two wickets and with 10 balls remaining, gave India a 2-1 lead in the five-match one-day series. It was only South Africa's fourth defeat in 29 one-dayers at Newlands. India, who chased down a modest target of 221, also provided only the sixth instance in 27 day-nighters of a team winning when batting last in Cape Town. South Africa won the toss but were struggling at 90-4 in the 24th over after Harbhajan (2-23) had tied the upper order in knots. With only one run added things might have been much worse when Yusuf Pathan appeared to run out Duminy at the bowler's end following a mix-up.  | 606: DEBATE |
But despite numerous replays none could prove that the bails had been dislodged in time and the left-hander was given the benefit of the doubt. Duminy (52) took advantage in a composed partnership with debutant Faf Du Plessis (60) as they added a vital 110 in 21 overs. But with a score approaching 250 in the offing, Zaheer Khan (3-43) bowled Duminy and Johan Botha, Munaf Patel picked up two wickets and there were also two run-outs as South Africa subsided with four balls of their allotted 50 overs remaining. The Indian batsmen struggled in the early part of their chase, and on a wicket which had something in it for all the bowlers were in trouble at 95-5 with half their overs gone. But Pathan (59) transformed the game by hitting three sixes over cow corner off Botha in the 30th over, and suddenly the requirement was a modest 85 from 120 balls. Pathan continued to keep the runs flowing in wristy fashion, but the excellent Morne Morkel (3-28) returned to dismiss Suresh Raina, before Harbhajan was dropped by Duminy in the gully. With 39 runs needed from 10 overs and with four wickets in hand, the match turned again when Pathan cut Dale Steyn towards the boundary and Morkel took a spectacular catch above his head. But Harbhajan (23 not out) swung fiercely, clubbing two sixes, and Ashish Nehra struck the winning boundary as India scraped over the line. Soon after the Newlands match, South Africa named their 15-man World Cup squad. Imran Tahir, the Pakistan-born leg-spinner, was the only uncapped player picked. Reserve wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk was a surprise inclusion ahead of the vastly experienced Mark Boucher while others to miss out included Albie Morkel, David Miller and Rusty Theron. Du Plessis, who also bowls leg-spin, has managed to win selection for the subcontinent.
South Africa World Cup squad: Smith (capt), Amla, Botha, De Villiers, Duminy, Du Plessis, Ingram, Kallis, M Morkel, Parnell, R Peterson, Steyn, Tahir, Tsotsobe, van Wyk.
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