Jan. 6: In the end, there weren’t any ecstatic or disappointing scenes — two emotions that had been at the forefront regularly over the last 20-odd days of riveting and fluctuating cricket. India, left to chase 340 runs on a crumbling Day Five strip, chose not to tempt fate and stoutly resisted the Proteas’ hopes of pulling off a victory in the third and final Test here on Thursday, managing 166/3 in 82 overs.

Despite an elbow injury, Gautam Gambhir went about his job of gobbling up time, from the first ball to until tea, scoring a patient 184-ball 64 with nine boundaries. The task later fell on Sachin Tendulkar, and he was even slower. He finished unbeaten on 14 off 91 balls without a single hit to the fence!

The stubborn resistance ensured the series ended at 1-1, perhaps an apt reflection of how hard the two teams have gone at each other in the tour so far. But given that the last two series between India and South Africa had also ended with a similar scoreline, the two skippers Graeme Smith and Mahendra Singh Dhoni would walk away from here with a slightly empty feeling in their stomachs.

India won more sessions in the Test than the hosts, but after Jacques Kallis’ rescue work (109) on the penultimate day to guide the hosts to a strong second innings’ total, it would have been a huge ask from the tourists to tilt the game back in their favour. South Africa, despite pacers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel bowling tirelessly the whole day, were left rueing a quality spinner.

India’s scoring rate barely scratched the two runs per over mark for most of the day and the intention was obvious from the first over itself. Off the fourth ball of the morning from Steyn, Virender Sehwag poked weakly at an away-swinger, almost edging it behind.

Once Sehwag (11) lost his wicket to Morkel, it was clear India would defend to the end. Morkel bowled back of a length and the ball nipped away and just caught the edge of Sehwag’ s bat and flew into the hands of Graeme Smith at first slip. The third umpire had to confirm it was a legitimate delivery and Sehwag had to go.

Gambhir, injured on the elbow at the end of his first innings, received another blow to the same spot in the second over of the morning but played with plenty of grit and determination as he shared a 79 run second-wicket stand with Rahul Dravid. Lonwabo Tsotsobe dismissed Dravid, a wicket he richly deserved after he’d seen several catches put down off his bowling in the Test.

Gambhir, after a 271-minute stay, was sent back by Steyn just after tea, but could have departed much earlier. He was dropped earlier by AB de Villiers at silly point off Paul Harris when on 42. He then defied the hosts bowlers in the company of Tendulkar.

In the final moments, Smith took the new ball in the hope that Steyn could hustle up the batsmen, but the Master and Laxman, who up their game by several notches in such situations, had closed shop. Tendulkar spent 146 minutes at the crease and was more than happy when Smith gave up trying with eight overs remaining.

SCOREBOARD
South Africa I innings 362
India I innings 364
South Africa II innings 341
India II Innings (Target 340)
Gautam Gambhir c Boucher b Steyn 64, Virender Sehwag c Smith b Morkel 11, Rahul Dravid c Prince b Tsotsobe 31, Sachin Tendulkar (not out) 14, VVS Laxman (not out) 32.
Extras (b-7, w-5, nb-2) 14
Total (three wkts, 82 overs) 166
FoW: 1-27, 2-106, 3-120
Bowling: Dale Steyn 18-6-43-1, M Morkel 15-6-26-1, L Tsotsobe 13-4-29-1, P Harris 30-19-29-0, G Smith 4-0-27-0, A Petersen 2-0-5-0.