Cricket: Tendulkar's gamble gives India a chance

India 410 and 266-8 dec South Africa 321 and 4-1

An enterprising declaration by India's Sachin Tendulkar gave his side an outside chance of a win on the fourth day of the third and final Test against South Africa in Johannesburg yesterday.

Leading by 89 on first innings, the Indian batsmen took their second innings to 266 for 8 before Tendulkar set South Africa 356 to win from 95 overs. The declaration allowed Tendulkar five overs at the South African openers and he was rewarded when Andrew Hudson played around the penultimate ball of the day and was bowled by the leg-spinner Anil Kumble for three.

India, well beaten in the first two Tests, will fancy their chances today. The first-innings centurion Rahul Dravid again top-scored for the tourists, this time with 81. When he swept Paul Adams straight to Daryll Cullinan at deep square leg to be eighth out, Tendulkar declared.

Nayan Mongia set the tone with 50 from 89 balls and his opening partner Vikram Rathore made a Test-best 44. Tendulkar made only nine before he fell to Hansie Cronje for the second time in the game, but Dravid and Saurav Ganguly added 108 for the fourth wicket.

Ganguly fell to the left-arm wrist-spinner Adams, who turned the ball massively between the left-hander's bat and pad to bowl him for an enterprising 60, and Shaun Pollock trapped Mohammad Azharuddin lbw for two. Azharuddin was later reprimanded by match referee Barry Jarman for dissent, having appeared to react to abuse from Pollock on his way back to the pavilion. Jarman, who did not question Pollock, said: "I have taken into consideration his unblemished record during 13 years in Test cricket."

Fourth day; India won toss

INDIA -First Innings 410 (R S Dravid 148, S Ganguly 73).

SOUTH AFRICA - First Innings 321 (S M Pollock 79; J Srinath 5-104).

INDIA - Second Innings

V Rathore lbw Donald 44

N R Mongia c McMillan b Donald 50

R S Dravid c Cullinan b Adams 81

*S R Tendulkar c Richardson b Cronje 9

S Ganguly b Adams 60

M Azharuddin lbw Pollock 2

A Kumble b Adams 6

J Srinath lbw Donald 4

D Ganesh not out 0

B K V Prasad not out 1

Extras (lb3 nb2 w4) 9

Total (for 8 dec) 266

Fall: 1-90 2-109 3-124 4-232 5-235 6-256 7-265 8-265.

Bowling: Donald 18-6-38-3 (w4); Klusener 13-1-41-0; Pollock 11-0-28-1 (nb1); McMillan 11-0-48-0 (nb1); Adams 21-1-80-3; Bacher 1-0-4-0; Cronje 8-3-24-1.

SOUTH AFRICA - Second Innings

A Hudson b Kumble 3

G Kirsten not out 1

Total (for 1) 4

Fall: 1-4.

Bowling: Srinath 2-1-2-0; Prasad 2-1-2-0; Kumble 0.5-0-0-1.

Umpires: P Willey (Eng) and C J Mitchley (SA).