CAPE TOWN – Francois ‘Faf’ du Plessis scored a half-century on debut as he and JP Duminy rescued a floundering South African innings in the third one-day international against India at Newlands on Tuesday.
The five-match series is tied at one-all.
Du Plessis made 60 and Duminy 52 before South Africa were bowled out for 220 on a pitch of inconsistent pace and bounce.
The pair came together with their side in trouble at 90 for four in the 24th over. They put on 110 off 129 balls before Du Plessis slipped as he went down the wicket to attack Munaf Patel and sliced a catch to cover.
Du Plessis, 26, a former schoolboy team-mate of AB de Villiers who has been signed to play for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, made his runs off 78 balls.
He showed composure at the crease and the only sign of nerves came when he needed treatment for cramps in his forearm.
Du Plessis was out in the first over of the batting powerplay, which was taken in the 45th over, and as in the second international in Johannesburg, the lifting of fielding restrictions heralded a flurry of wickets.
Duminy was bowled in the next over and the innings folded rapidly, the last six wickets falling for 20 runs. Zaheer Khan with three for 43 and Harbhajan Singh led a superb Indian bowling performance, which was backed up by good fielding. Khan repeatedly beat South African captain Graeme Smith with swing and movement off the pitch at the start of the innings, although Smith survived to make a laboured 43 off 79 balls before falling to Harbhajan’s off-spin.
Khan also took a spectacular diving catch in the outfield to dismiss De Villiers.
Harbhajan mesmerised the batsmen, taking two for 23 in nine overs, helped by two diving slip catches by Virat Kohli.
Only 11 boundaries were scored in the South African innings as the batsmen struggled in conditions which were unusually helpful to bowlers.
