TRUMP CARD: Makhaya Ntini (left) was aggression personified, claiming five second innings wickets to set up South Africa's series-levelling victory. — Photo: AP

Durban: Wonder what must have gone through the minds of Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar as the Indian top and middle order crumbled at Kingsmead.

The two men had orchestrated stirring Indian fourth innings fightbacks of the 70s and 80s. Now, they saw a much-celebrated line-up not even being to hold out on a truncated day. It must have hurt.

When the Indians began the daunting chase of 364 on day four, they had a possible 146 overs to make the runs in. And when India was dismissed half an hour after tea on the final day of the second Castle Test for 179, they had faced just 55.1 overs on a surface where survival called for application. The host required only 42.1 overs on Saturday to bundle out the Indians. The series now stands level at 1-1.

Wicket-keeper batsman Mark Boucher's boast — that South Africa would not need more than 50 overs on day five to bowl India out — was not an empty one.

The third and final Test begins in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Sustained hostility

The South African pace pack did the damage. Makhaya Ntini, the leader of the pack, radiated aggression. His five for 48 off 19 overs of sustained hostility forced the Indians on to the back-foot.

Rhythm and intensity mark Ntini's ways. He bowled accurately at a lively pace.

Ntini still releases the ball from wide off the crease but has a lot more variety. The ball angling into the right-hander, the delivery that straightens, the ball that is aimed at the rib-cage and the full length toe-crushers, were all visible.

Crucial blows

Andre Nel attacked the batsmen with pace, bounce and movement and struck crucial blows. He found a way past V.V.S. Laxman's iron-clad defence with a sizzling off-cutter, ended a fighting Mahendra Singh Dhoni's resistance by taking the ball away from the right-hander as he attempted a drive, and sent back the tenacious Zaheer Khan with a lifting delivery around the off-stump. Andrew Hall, who snared Anil Kumble and S. Sreesanth, peppered the tail-enders with short-pitched balls. Shaun Pollock was consistent and nagging.

The South African fielding and catching were sharp. Skipper Greame Smith, for a change, rung in the changes smartly.

Umpiring errors

This was also a Test of umpiring errors. Asad Rauf got it wrong again when he adjudged Sreesanth caught behind off a short-pitched delivery from Hall; this was the last Indian wicket to fall. The ball had brushed Sreesanth's shoulder.

The match concluded under fading light and considerable tension. The light was, predictably, deteriorating after tea and appeals to go off the field by Zaheer and Sreesanth were turned down by the umpires.

The South Africans ran into resistance from Dhoni (47, 67b, 4x10) and Zaheer (21 off 56 balls). The eighth-wicket pair added 59 in 10.4 overs

Dhoni, showing admirable restraint, made just two off the first 34 balls. He then launched into strokes on both sides of the wicket and was especially severe on Hall. The wicketkeeper took blows on his body — he was struck painfully on his knuckles by a lifter — but fought hard. However, he would rue attempting the stroke — the ambitious cover-drive — that led to his downfall. Tea was just minutes away and runs were meaningless.

Poor shots

But this was a day when some of the Indian shot making was inexplicable. Wasim Jaffer fell attempting to pull Ntini from outside the off-stump while Sourav Ganguly hung his bat out to steer the ball straight into gully's hands.

India, perhaps, did not deserve to draw the Test.

Play got underway on Saturday after a 55-minute delay. The pressure on Jaffer and Sachin Tendulkar was enormous. Ntini let rip. Tendulkar swayed away from a short-pitched lifter, his eyes on the ball. The South African had an ace up his sleeve though.

Ntini altered his length. The ball came in with the natural angle of a wide-of-the-stumps release. Tendulkar, caught at the crease, was trapped leg-before for nought.

There was an urgency about the South Africans. The host also had to beat the weather.

Jaffer seemed assured before his rush of blood. Soon, the light deteriorated and the cricketers returned. Yet, in just 4.3 overs of play, India had lost Tendulkar and Jaffer.

The light improved, and after an early lunch, the contest resumed at 12.10 p.m. Laxman, his feet moving well and bat staying close to body, was looking good.

Firing on all cylinders

Ntini, firing on all cylinders, tested Ganguly with short-pitched deliveries, and cut Laxman into half with a ball that nipped back. Conditions were not easy for the batsmen under a cloud cover and the resultant gloomy light.

Ganguly essayed a fluent off-drive, but was otherwise tentative and chancy at the crease. Ntini, in his Saturday's spell of 9-3-18-3, had cut through the Indian top and middle-order.

He was, rightly, the Man of the Match.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa — 1st innings: 328.

India — 1st innings: 240.

South Africa — 2nd innings: 265 for eight decl.

India — 2nd innings: W. Jaffer c Nel b Ntini 28, V. Sehwag c Smith b Ntini 8, R. Dravid c Boucher b Ntini 5, S. Tendulkar lbw b Ntini 0, V.V.S. Laxman b Nel 15, S. Ganguly c Gibbs b Ntini 26, M.S. Dhoni c Boucher b Nel 47, A. Kumble c Amla b Hall 11, Zaheer c Hall b Nel 21, S. Sreesanth c Boucher b Hall 10, V.R.V. Singh (not out) 0; Extras (b-2, lb-1, w-1, nb-4) 8; Total (in 55.1 overs) 179.

Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Sehwag), 2-34 (Dravid), 3-38 (Tendulkar) 4-45 (Jaffer), 5-83 (Ganguly), 6-85 (Laxman), 7-101 (Kumble), 8-160 (Dhoni), 9-179 (Zaheer).

South Africa bowling: Nel 16-4-57-3, Ntini 19-6-48-5, Pollock 9-5-20-0, Morkel 6-0-25-0, Hall 5.1-1-26-2.

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