Harbhajan Singh finishes what he started

Down to three bowlers, India, led by an exceptional Harbhajan Singh, found a way around Hashim Amla and got the rest of the batsmen out. As was fitting, it was Harbhajan, the best bowler on show, who brought about the final wicket with a slider to the left-hand Morne Morkel, after he had put together a 76-minute last-wicket stand with Amla.

With Zaheer Khan out because of a knee injury, Harbhajan answered India's call with spin bowling aggressive and patient, smart and persistent, and coming up with that wicket-taking delivery when it had deserted the other bowlers. If Amla never looked like getting out, Harbhajan never looked like letting anybody else settle.

India woke up to a bright and sunny day, but were thwarted in the first session by Amla and Ashwell Prince. Just when the draw started to become the favoured result, Harbhajan started his magic.

In his second spell, he went over the stumps and made it difficult for Prince to judge which deliveries to leave. The leg line troubled Prince, and finally he jabbed at one outside off and lobbed it to mid-off. In that spell, six overs each either side of lunch, Harbhajan looked menacing with almost every delivery. After lunch, he went on to suggest JP Duminy might become his new Ponting. Offbreak, offbreak, slider. Duminy caught in front again. Dale Steyn didn't have a clue about deliveries spinning down the leg side, and kept getting beaten. Harbhajan smartly moved round the stumps, and trapped him too.

Thereafter Amla found support from the tail and denied India and took the match to the last two mandatory overs. Harbhajan had six more balls left, from the High Court End. The first pitched middle, turned away. The second pitched leg, and broke towards off. The third was the killer slider, Morkel made his first mistake in 60 deliveries. Harbhajan roared, so did the Eden.