LATEST: Tea, Day 5, SA vs India, Third Test, Sahara Park Newlands: India second innings 114/2 (56 overs), SA second innings 279/7 (88 overs). India first innings 364 all out (117.5 overs), SA first innings 362 all out (112.5 overs). India need 226 runs, with 8 wickets in hand, to win on the final and fifth day.
Apart from the loss of Rahul Dravid, India are well on course to force a draw as they reached the tea break on the fifth and final day of the Third and series-deciding Test at Sahara Park at Newlands on Thursday.
The fall of Dravid (31) meant that Lonwabo Tsotsobe finally snared a stick after several catches were dropped of his bowling earlier in the match. When Dravid departed India were reduced to 106/2 but that meant that their first innings centurion Sachin Tendulkar would enter the fray.
As the post-lunch session moved towards the tea break opening batsman Gautam Gambhir and Tendulkar were keeping their wits about them and were all concentration as the absorbed everything that the SA attack could throw at them.
Gambhir (62 not out) and Tendulkar (7 not out) will resume India's second innings when play resumes for the final session in the Test.
And at the rate things are going, there's every chance that play might be called off within the next hour or so as the prospect of an inevitable draw looms large.
But in cricket, miracles, do happen!
SCOREBOARD
Toss: India, opt to field
South Africa 1st innings - 362 all out (112.5 overs)
India first innings 364 all out (117.2 overs)
South Africa second innings 341 all out (102 overs)
India second innings (target 340 runs)
G Gambhir not out 62
V Sehwag c Smith b Morkel 11
R Dravid c Prince b Tsotsobe 31
S Tendulkar not out 7
Extras (b 2, nb 1) 3
Total (for 2 wicket; 56overs) 114
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Sehwag, 11.6 ov), 2-106 (Dravid, 48.5 ov)
Bowling: D Steyn 12-3-33-0, M Morkel 10-4-11-1 (1nb), LTsotsobe 11-3-21-1, P Harris 19-11-17-0, G Smith 4-0-27-0
*India need another 226 runs, with 9 wickets in hand, to win on the final and fifth day