Durban, Dec 29:India completed an 87-run win on the fourth day of the Durban Test to square the three-match Test series against hosts South Africa. India’s victory means that the series will now be decided in the Cape Town Test which begins in a few days on January 2.

The Ashwell Prince and Paul Harris partnership, which had fetched South Africa 27 runs before Lunch, was broken soon after the second session began when Zaheer Khan bowled Harris with the score at 182.

Morne Morkel then frustrated India by playing a 20-run knock that included some hits and misses. But when Ishant Sharma had Morkel caught by wicketkeeper Dhoni and Cheteshwar Pujara had Lonwabo Tsotsobe run out by an athletic piece of fielding from short-leg, India registered a famous win. Ashwell Prince remained unbeaten on 39.

Earlier, the morning session began with each side anxious to establish control early in the day. But it was India that landed the first blow when Jacques Kallis, unable to fend off a snorter from S Sreesanth, managed to land an easy catch to Virender Sehwag at gully.

With Kallis (17) out of the way, Harbhajan Singh struck next by having AB de Villiers (33) trapped LBW with the score at 136. Mark Boucher, too, fell in similar fashion not very much later by not offering a shot to a Zaheer delivery that swung in.

But the real delight of the morning session came only after the fall of these wickets, in the battle between Zaheer and Dale Steyn. Steyn, yesterday, had peppered the Indian pace spearhead with several short deliveries, including one that hit his helmet, in his 70-run partnership with VVS Laxman. Today, it was Zaheer’s turn to dish out some of the same. He had Steyn ducking for cover every other delivery, and after bowling three continuous short balls to Steyn in the 49th over of the innings, he landed the knock-out punch by pitching one up. Cheteshwar Pujara at third slip took the catch ending Steyn’s troubled innings.

Man of the Match: VVS Laxman for scoring 96 crucial runs in the second innings.

Brief Score (At end of play on Day 4):India 1st innings 205 in 65.1 overs (VVS Laxman 38, Dale Steyn 6/50) and 2nd innings 228 in 70.5 overs (VVS Laxman 96, Lonwabo Tsotsobe 3/43) beat South Africa 1st innings 131 in 37.2 overs (Hashim Amla 33, Harbhajan Singh 4/10) and 2nd innings 215 in 72.3 overs (Ashwell Prince 39*, S Sreesanth 3/45, Zaheer Khan 3/57) by 87 runs

At Lunch: South Africa 2nd innings 182/7 in 59 overs (Ashwell Prince 28*, Paul Harris 7*)

After Day 3: South Africa 2nd innings 111/3 in 27 overs (Jacques Kallis 12*, AB de Villiers 17*)

After Day 2: India 2nd innings 92/4 in 30.5 overs (VVS Laxman 23*, Cheteshwar Pujara 10*)

After Day 1: India 1st innings 183/6 in 56.0 overs (MS Dhoni 20*, Harbhajan Singh 15*)