South Africa set India a daunting 340-run target to win third Test

Jacques Kallis defied a painful rib injury to complete a remarkable century in both innings as South Africa recovered from early jitters to set India a daunting target of 340 runs to win the Test series decider here today.

The experienced Kallis, who scored 161 in the first innings, played the saviour again with a gritty unbeaten 109 to not only pull the home team out of the pits, but also to virtually take the game away from India.

The hosts recovered from a precarious 64 for four to score 341 all out on the last ball of an absorbing penultimate day at Newlands.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of seven for 120 — after returning wicketless in the first innings — but the visiting side's quicker bowlers were disappointing.

India began the day in dramatic fashion with Harbhajan Singh claiming two wickets in quick succession in the morning, but the visitors' bowling lost its fizz, allowing the Proteas to wriggle to safety.

It was the brilliance of Kallis which held the innings together as he endured pain to achieve the 'double'. He was involved in a partnership of 103 runs for the seventh wicket with Mark Boucher (55) which was largely responsible for the turnaround.

With just one day left in the game, India have been left with the daunting task of chasing a stiff target on a fifth-day track to entertain any hopes of a historic series triumph on South African soil.

It will be interesting to see whether India go for the target or play for a draw tomorrow. Much will depend on the start they get tomorrow from the flamboyant Virender Sehwag who has not exactly been on fire in this series.

Resuming at the overnight score of 52 for two, the South Africans plunged into trouble straightaway with Singh removing Alviro Petersen (22) and Hashim Amla (2) in quick succession.

The wily off-spinner struck in his very first over, the day's second, by getting rid of Petersen with a ball that did quite a bit after landing in the rough just outside the off stump.

Petersen went on the backfoot and tried to defend the ball but missed it completely and was trapped leg before wicket.

Kallis, who did not bowl during India's first innings because of the rib injury, came in to bat and immediately went into an attacking mode by playing his strokes.

Realising that Singh was getting a lot of turn from the rough, Kallis used the reverse sweep to counter the spinner. He hit two boundaries by reverse sweeping, prompting India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to post a fielder for that shot.

The hosts suffered a big jolt when Amla, who has been in very good form, returned to the pavilion cheaply, falling prey to Harbhajan Singh.

Amla went down on his knee to sweep but the ball hit the pad and went on to dislodge the stump. He tried desperately to push it away with his bat but he had no chance.

Kallis and AB de Villiers then tried to rebuild the crumbling innings by playing cautiously, though they played and missed a number of times.

The pair put on 34 runs for the fifth wicket before pace spearhead Zaheer Khan evicted de Villiers (13) who was caught in two minds on how to deal with the delivery.

De Villiers shouldered arms to an incoming delivery but the ball bounced, hit the bottom of the bat and crashed into the stumps, reducing the hosts to 98 for five.

Kallis and Ashwell Prince ensured that there were no further setbacks for the team by holding fort till the lunch break.

South Africa suffered a huge jolt immediately after the lunch break with Ishant Sharma taking the wicket of Prince who cut a ball outside the off stump straight to Sreesanth at point.

Boucher, who was out for a first-ball duck in the first innings, began with a flourish by hitting a couple of boundaries. Sharma strayed down the leg side on a number of occasions and Boucher took full advantage.

Kallis and Boucher then went about the task of rebuilding the innings and took the score beyond the 200 mark with the Indian bowling losing its sting.

Kallis notched up his 55th half century by unleashing a delightful on-drive to the boundary, getting a standing ovation from the crowd. In the same over, he slammed another four, this time in the square-leg region.

Boucher, who grew in confidence as the innings wore on, completed his 34th half century soon after the tea break by taking a single off Harbhajan Singh.

Kallis and Boucher seemed to be in no trouble at all as they kept consolidating the position for the team and gradually began to take the game away from India.

With the seventh wicket partnership crossing the 100-mark, captain Dhoni brought on part-timer Sachin Tendulkar in a desperate move and the superstar delivered for his skipper.

Boucher fell to a shooter from Tendulkar as the ball kept very low and trapped the batsman leg before as he went for a pull.

Boucher's 55 came off 82 balls and contained five boundaries.

The wicket-keeper's dismissal brought an end to the resolute 103-run partnership which may play a crucial role in the outcome of the Test.

Next man Dale Steyn hit some meaty blows, including a huge six off Harbhajan Singh, before he fell to the same bowler for a 48-ball 32 after sharing a crucial 58-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Kallis.

Soon after, Kallis completed his 40th Test ton with a single behind square leg off Harbhajan Singh to the applause of his teammates in the dressing room and the Indian fielders.

Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe fell in the space of four balls, both to Harbhajan Singh, as South Africa's second innings folded at 341.

Scores:

South Africa 1st innings: 362 all out
India 1st innings: 364 all out
South Africa 2nd innings:
(Overnight 52/2)
Graeme Smith lbw b Harbhajan Singh 29
Alviro Petersen lbw b Harbhajan Singh 22
Paul Harris lbw b Harbhajan Singh 0
Hashim Amla b Harbhajan Singh 2
Jacques Kallis not out 109
AB de Villiers b Khan 13
Ashwell Prince c Sreesanth b Sharma 22
Mark Boucher lbw Tendulkar 55
Dale Steyn c sub (Vijay) b Harbhajan Singh 32
Morne Morkel c Sreesanth b Harbhajan Singh 28
Lonwabo Tsotsobe c Sehwag b Harbhajan Singh 8
Extras (lb 7, w 2, nb 12) 21
Total (all out in 102 overs) 341
Fall of wickets: 1-50 (Smith, 13.4 overs), 2-52 (Harris, 15.2), 3-53 (Petersen, 17.5), 4-64 (Amla, 19.5), 5-98 (de Villiers, 36.1), 6-130 (Prince, 46.4), 7-233 (Boucher, 79.1), 8-287 (Steyn, 91.6), 9-333 (Morkel, 101.3)
Bowling:
Zaheer Khan 20 2 64 1
S Sreesanth 24 3 79 0
Ishant Sharma 18 1 62 1
Harbhajan Singh 38 1 120 7
Sachin Tendulkar 2 0 9 1