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India lost the second tri-series test match to South Africa, played at Ahmedabad. South Africa beat the home team by an inning and 90 runs and scored a mere 76 in the first innings. It has now become essential for India to win the third and final test match vs South Africa, to be held at Kanpur on April 11 to bounce back in the Future Cup series. At the match in Motera, Ahmedabad only Irfan Pathan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni were able to make a double digit score in the first inning. In fact four Indian cricketers returned to the pavilion without opening their account.
South African batsmen Jacques Kallis and AB De Villiers led South Africa to an out and out winning position with their respective scores. Kallis scored 132 and Villiers stood not out at 217. By the second innings Indian players were lagging behind by 418 runs. South African skipper Graeme Smith merely used three pace bowlers in the first innings, which sealed the fate of Indian players in the match. Ace bowler Dale Steyn took five wickets, Makhaya Ntini sent three Indian players to the pavilion and Morne Morkel took two wickets.
In the second innings the home team collapsed at the score of 328. India lost four wickets in no time with a mere score of 125 runs. Sourav Ganguly achieved the highest score among Indian players with 87 runs. Dhoni followed next with 52 runs. It was with the 110 run partnership between Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni that the team reached a respectable position. To equalize the series, the Indian team has to make sure that they win the third and final test match, to be played at Kanpur from April 11.
