It did not come easily at all. If anything victory seemed all but lost. But the Indian team has shown a bit more resilience to fight off the biting cold and the South Africans to seal their first ever series victory abroad against them.
But the game was not cut and dry. In fact the wet conditions meant that fans waited over five and a half hours before play for the third and final one dayer could get underway. But thereafter the action on the field annihilated all disappiontments about rain and delayed start.
It seemed winning the toss was paramount in such conditions and Rahul Dravid did just that. While overcast conditions provided obvious juice for the early bowlers, the situation was not entirely dire.
South Africans found themselves battling their own fallacy as the Indian appeared pumped for the challenge while the wickets kept falling successively. It seemed India would seal it all too easy. But that was before Herschelle Gibbs and Justin Kemp joined hands. With the match reduced to 31 overs, the duo approached their task akin to a Twenty20 match and unleashed the assault to telling effect. From looking to fold in dire straits, South Africa's challenge seemed alive and threatening to India's cause.
The Indians did not have an impossible target but it was certainly stiff. But where South Africa applied early pressure by snaring three wickets, the breather came as Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh dug their heels in and used up the let up in pressure with the fifth bowling option coming into effect. As the Indians held out in hope, the South Africans suffered their nerves and their fielding in the outfield failed to live up their usual expectations. The Indians on the other hand were an aggrieved lot when Aleem Dar when AB de Villiers a reprive despite replays suggesting a clean catch by Sachin Tendulkar.
The match kept steady at a-run-a-ball but how could it go against India with wickets and advantage resting heavily in their hands? It was a tight affair till the very end. But despite that, victory for the India was always in sight. It would have to have been a pretty poor performance not to reach the finsihing line in style. But Dhoni occupied Dravid's role and together with Yuvraj Singh, ensured India would end up without hiccups!
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