South Africa destroy sorry India in second Ahmedabad Test

Ahmedabad: South Africa handed India their fourth biggest defeat on home soil on the third day of the second Test on Saturday.

The visitors won by an innings and 90 runs with two days to spare despite defiant half centuries by Sourav Ganguly (87) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (52).

South Africa had declared their first innings closed at 494 for seven before play began after accumulating a lead of 418 runs.

India, shot out for 76 in 20 overs in their first innings, were dismissed for 328.

South Africa's pace attack grabbed three early wickets in bowler-friendly conditions in the morning before Ganguly put the brakes on them forging partnerships with Vangipurappu Laxman (35) and Dhoni.

Ganguly added 55 runs with Laxman for the fourth wicket and 110 with Dhoni for the next before falling to spearhead Dale Steyn in the final session.

Searing pace

Ganguly was caught behind poking outside the off stump, his exit setting off a collapse as the hosts lost their last five wickets for the addition of 93 runs.

Ganguly and Dhoni, who scored his first half-century in 12 innings, denied the visitors success for almost 36 overs after India had lost their first four wickets for 125.

Steyn turned on the heat in the afternoon, bowling at searing pace and testing Dhoni with a series of short-pitched deliveries and even striking the batsman on the body once.

But Dhoni survived that phase, although he was lucky to be let off by Makhaya Ntini at the fine leg fence when he miscued a hook while on 18. Ntini had the final say when he had the batsman edge to skipper Graeme Smith at first slip. All-rounder Irfan Pathan remained 43 not out.

Morne Morkel took the big wickets of Rahul Dravid and Laxman. Virender Sehwag who scored the fastest recorded triple century in the high-scoring drawn first test in Chennai last week, fell cheaply for a second time in the match.

The opener struck Steyn for two sixes in the very first over and then flicked Ntini to the fence. But Ntini, who ripped through India's top order in the first innings, trapped Sehwag lbw playing a half-hearted forward push.

Rahul Dravid and Wasim Jaffer (19) batted cautiously for 11 overs before both fell in the space of six runs.