Yusuf blasts India ahead

Some big hitting from Yusuf Pathan helped India beat South Africa by two wickets in Cape Town to take a 2-1 lead in their five-match ODI series.

Zaheer Khan took three wickets as India restricted South Africa to just 220 all out in their innings, with the home tail collapsing after a century stand between debutant Francois 'Faf' du Plessis and JP Duminy.

India were steady in their response but a quick-fire 59 from Yusuf, including three sixes in one over, gave them the boost they needed to comfortably get home at 223-8 with ten balls to spare.

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith made 43 from 79 balls at the top of the order, but he could not form a decent partnership with batsmen falling at the other end.

Du Plessis and Duminy combined for 110 for the fifth wicket, but the runs did not exactly come at great speed, and after they went in the 45th and 46th over respectively the Proteas tail was unable to hit some much-needed late runs.

Partnerships

Rohit Sharma (23) and Virat Kholi (28) made an early 52-run partnership, but India lost wickets alarmingly and slumped to 93-5 at the halfway point of their innings.

Suresh Raina (37) and Yusuf smacked 75 between them, including 19 runs in the 30th over when Yusuf bludgeoned three massive sixes, in what was a pivotal over for the tourists that allowed them to relax.

Yusuf also hit six fours in his 50-ball innings of 59 before he was caught by Morne Morkel as one of Dale Steyn's two wickets of the day.

Harbhajan Singh then did the final bit of work with an unbeaten 23 from 25 balls helping steer India to victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.

Morkel was the pick of the South African attack, looking dangerous but also keeping it tight as he to 3-28 from his ten overs, while Steyn offered the most assistance as he took 2-31.

Wayward

Elsewhere it was another story though with Wayne Parnell wayward and expensive during his eight-over spell of 0-53, while Johan Botha was clobbered by Yusuf for those three big sixes as he returned figures of 1-48 from 7.2 overs.

India certainly outbowled their hosts at Newlands, with Zaheer taking 3-43 from just 9.2 overs as he got the ball rolling by forcing Hashim Amla to inside-edge a good-length ball which uprooted his off stump on 16.

Harbhajan was also effective and ultra-stingy as he conceded just 23 runs from his nine overs while taking the prize wicket of skipper Smith and also seeing off Colin Ingram as he was caught behind.

Munaf Patel added 2-42 as India moved 2-1 ahead in the series heading into the fourth match at Port Elizabeth on Friday.

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