Close South Africa 362 and 211 for 5 (Kallis 84*) lead India 201 (Laxman 89, Pollock 5-40) by 372 runs
Scorecard

South Africa ended the third day at Port Elizabeth well on top, with a lead of 372 and five second-innings wickets still intact. India seemed to have a sniff when Javagal Srinath bowled a superb spell with the new ball. South Africa slumped to 26 for 3, but Jacques Kallis came to the rescue with a controlled and chanceless 82.

Kallis entered in the fifth over, and looked unruffled even as wickets fell around him. He saw off the rampaging Srinath, then set about rebuilding the innings with a couple of useful partnerships. He put on 65 for the fourth wicket with Boeta Dippenaar, 48 for the fifth with Lance Klusener, and an undefeated 72 so far with Shaun Pollock, who had earlier taken another five-for as India were dismissed for 201.

The lack of bite in the Indian attack stood out again. Srinath was outstanding, ending the day with figures of 15-9-19-2, but the rest of the bowling lacked penetration. And with Srinath tiring towards the end of the day, the batsmen had a comfortable time at the crease.

Trailing by 161 runs on first innings, India made a sensational start with the ball. Srinath dismissed Gary Kirsten for the second time in the match, with a superb lifter that was edged to VVS Laxman at second slip (14-1).

Ajit Agarkar then got into the act with a beauty to dismiss first-innings centurion Herschelle Gibbs. The ball pitched a shade outside off, nipped back, and went through the gap between bat and pad to clip the off bail (22-2).

Srinath's dream spell continued when he got rid of Neil McKenzie with one that pitched in the corridor and straightened. McKenzie poked at it, and Deep Dasgupta gleefully held on to the nick (26-3).

The pressure eased after lunch when, quite inexplicably, India opened up with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. South Africa took advantage, as Kallis straight-drove Tendulkar and Dippenaar flicked and pulled Ganguly for fours.

Sensing the game slipping away, Ganguly made a double change. Harbhajan Singh gave India the much-needed breakthrough, dismissing Dippenaar for 28 with one that spun viciously (91-4). Dippenaar lunged forward, and the deflection off his pad was collected by Virender Sehwag at silly point. Replays indicated that Dippenaar might have been unlucky – he didn't seem to touch it.

Klusener strode in and got stuck into Harbhajan, depositing him for two huge sixes over long-on in one over. And when Harbhajan tried to adjust his length and pitched a trifle short, Klusener just rocked back and slammed it past point for four.

Kallis, meanwhile, brought up his fifty in style with a short-arm pull off Agarkar that raced to the square-leg boundary. But he was almost out a couple of balls later, with a waft at a wide one. The edge went fast and high to Laxman's left: he got a hand to it but couldn't hold on.

Harbhajan had been tonked around by Klusener, but got his own back when Zulu tried to turn the ball to leg, didn't connect, and the ball again went off the pad to Sehwag at silly point. But according to umpire Ian Howell it hit the bat, and he gave Klusener his marching orders. He had made 29 off only 32 balls (139-5).

Kallis and Pollock frustrated the Indians after tea, adding 64 in 19 overs without being separated. Harbhajan believed he had Pollock, when Sehwag at short leg dived to take a deflection off the pad. The Indians were noisily convinced there was an inside edge, but the replays were inconclusive. The umpire in the hot seat was Howell again.

Pollock was in an attacking frame of mind. He pulled Srinath for four in the first over after tea, and deposited Harbhajan over the sightscreen in the next. And when Kumble was brought on, Pollock charged down the track and hit him back over his head for another four.

The beleaguered Indians got a reprieve when, despite the floodlights being switched on, indifferent light stopped play with 14 overs left for the day. The umpires said the batsmen were having trouble seeing the red ball in the gloomy conditions.

Earlier, India's first innings folded for 201. They added only 19 to their overnight score. Laxman began well, and got the first runs of the day with an effortless pull off Nantie Hayward. He followed that with a lofted on-drive off Nicky Boje.

But Pollock struck the crucial blow, ending Laxman's classy knock with a delivery that came in after pitching and struck him on the pad in front of middle stump. Pollock launched into an appeal that seemed to last an eternity. It was worth the effort, though, for umpire Howell's finger finally went up. Laxman had made 89, with a dozen classy fours (199-9).

Hayward wrapped up the innings when Anil Kumble's fierce cut off a wide one was nonchalantly snapped up by Kirsten at point. Pollock finished with superb figures of 5 for 40, and had secured his side a lead of 161. It is likely to prove more than enough.

S Rajesh is a sub-editor with Wisden.com in India.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd