The New Nation - Internet Edition

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India earned a thrilling eight-wicket victory within three days in the third and final Test against South Africa in Kanpur to level the series 1-1.

The home side dismissed the tourists for 121, with Harbhajan Singh (4-44) and Virender Sehwag (3-12) leading the attack on a vicious, turning pitch.

Only captain Graeme Smith (35) managed an innings of any genuine substance.

Set a target of 62 to win, India lost openers Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer, but Rahul Dravid hit the winning runs.

The victory ensures India maintain their position in second in the ICC Test rankings - as well as earn stand-in captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni a memorable debut victory.

South Africa's prospects of setting the home side an intimidating fourth-innings target on a spiteful and demonic pitch were frustrated by a stubborn final-wicket partnership between Sree Santh and Ishant Sharma.

The fast bowlers yielded 37 priceless runs in the morning session to extend India's first innings lead, batting out 11 overs for a 60-run advantage.

Left-arm spinner Paul Harris eventually made the breakthrough when Santh was caught at short cover by Ashwell Prince for 29.

But the deficit proved a significant burden for South Africa, who lost opener Neil McKenzie, adjudged lbw by umpire Asad Rauf attempting to pull a straight delivery off Santh.

Hashim Amla followed for a duck immediately after - on the stroke of the lunch interval - lobbing up a diving bat-pad catch for Jaffer.

With the tourists in serious danger of capitulating at 27-2, Smith and Jacques Kallis set about rebuilding their fragile innings.

The experienced pair had put on 38 when Kallis was undone by off-spinner Sehwag's first delivery, which spat and turned viciously and took the top of the bat into the hands of Jaffer at short leg.

The part-timer then ended Smith's resistance with the score on 72, bowling the left-hander around his pads with a full-length delivery just before the tea interval.

The dismissal of second Test double centurion AB de Villiers - who managed seven before gloving Harbhajan to VVS Laxman at leg slip - sparked a six-wicket collapse as South Africa capitulated for 31 runs in 16.5 overs in the final session.

Sharma accounted for Mark Boucher (5) - the first of three quick wickets - with a sharp delivery that extracted steep bounce and a faint edge into Dhoni's gloves.

And the 19-year-old sent Morne Morkel (0) back to the pavilion three balls later, cartwheeling the left-hander off stump with a delivery that kept low.

Harbhajan took care of Harris (0), providing first slip Dravid with his 172nd catch of his Test career.

The off-spinner bowled Dale Steyn (7) from around the wicket as he attempted to smash him over mid-wicket.

And Sehwag wrapped the innings up when Makhaya Ntini (0) gloved yet another vicious turner into the hands of Sourav Ganguly at short point.

With just 62 runs to chase, openers Sehwag and Jaffer began the final innings like a one-day international.

Jaffer smeared two aerial fours off Morkel and Steyn while Sehwag smashed two successive straight sixes off Harris's first two balls.

But the left-armer earned his revenge with his next delivery as Sehwag attempted to repeat his antics, but top-edged a simple catch to Prince at point.

Morkel subdued the exhuberant home crowd when Jaffer was trapped lbw for nine with India teetering at 32-2.

But the experience of former captains Ganguly - named man of the match for his crucial 87 in India's first innings - and Dravid ensured no further alarms in the Indian dressing room.

And Dravid clinched the win with a fine sweep off Harris, sparking joyous scenes of celebrations for the hosts.

Harbhajan earned the man of the series award thanks to his 19 wickets in the three-Test series.