India were 359-6 at close of the third day's play in the second and final Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday. At tea on the third day, India reached 293-5 in reply to the visiting side's 305 with Venkatsai Laxman (24) and Dinesh Karthik (13) the not out batsmen. Earlier, Rahul Dravid came up with a well-grafted knock of 80. Dravid played the sheet-anchor role as he batted for well over five hours, hitting eight boundaries in his 217-ball knock.
Dravid, 33 overnight, played some fine shots early in the morning but went back into a shell after the fall of opener Virender Sehwag's wicket.
Dravid was out trying to cut a ball from seamer Andrew Hall but brought the ball back onto the stumps.
SOUTH AFRICA (1st innings): 305 (J. Kallis 121, J. Rudolph 61, Zaheer 3-64, Pathan 3-72):
INDIA (1st innings - overnight 129-1):
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V.Sehwag c Smith b Ntini 88
G.Gambhir lbw b Pollock 7
R.Dravid b Hall 80
S.Tendulkar b de Bruyn 20
S.Ganguly lbw b de Bruyn 40
V.Laxman c Ontong b Ntini 38
D.Karthik not out 35
Irfan Pathan not out 21
EXTRAS: (LB-18, NB-7, W-5) 30
TOTAL: (for six wickets) 359
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