By ICF Staff
January 4 2007

After the first two Tests between India and South Africa were split 1-1, the tiebreaker at Newlands is evenly poised, setting the stage for an exciting finish to the series. The tie-breaking third Test between India and South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town has seen fluctuating fortunes for the two sides.

When India chose to bat after winning the toss, Wasim Jaffer redeemed himself with a century and Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar contributed valuable 50s to take India to a challenging 414. Day 1 belonged to India.

However, Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla came back strongly on the second day, which went South Africa's way. They ended at an imposing 144/1, threatening to take the game away from India.

The third day has seen the resurgence of India on the back of a terrific performance from Anil Kumble, who grabbed four wickets, with part-time spinners Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar lending him a hand. India may yet regret selecting Munaf Patel instead of Harbhajan Singh on a pitch which is showing signs of wear. Even South Africa's rookie spinner Paul Harris grabbed 4 wickets against a side which has always been comfortable against spin.

At the end of the third day, India has managed a first-innings lead of 41. With Kumble looming, this Test may well lead to a historic series win for India in South Africa. That would be an outstanding result, given that India had never won a Test match in SA prior to this series.