KANPUR India.

I Dec I 1 A mixture I of Mohammad

Azharuddin bril-| liance and South African blunders put India on the brink of a series-clinching success here WedncMlay, reports AFP

The former Indian captain s awraome 163 not out helped set the tourists a rnasatw 461 -run victory target on the fourth day of the thtrd and final Test

Then the South African bat Ung order, dismissed for a dismal 177 in the first Innings, rawd In again before ending on 127 for flw

That left India In total control and virtually assured of taking the three-match series 2 1 on Thursday

The contrast between Azharuddin • scintillating inasterr lass and the lame resistance of Hansie Cronje s top batsmen could not have been more stark.

The former Indian skipper made a mockery of the slow, low-bouncing Green Park Stadium surface, taking India to 400 lor seven declared as he recorded his third century in three Tests In Kanpur and his second to suecesaiw matches.

South Africa, meanwhile, floundered disastrously against some vice like pace and spin bowling.

Needing to bat for one-and-a-half days to save the game and the series. Gary Kirsten. Herschelle Gibbs and Daryll Cullinan ail fell within an eight-run spell as the team slumped to 29 for three.

First strike bowler Javagal Srinath trapped Gary Kirsten lbw with a ball slanted across the left-hander that straightened. Then Gibbs softened up by Srinath. miscalculated disastrously as he played Inside a Venkatesh Prasad In-swinger and lost his oft stump.

Worse was to come

Cullinan, with survival the priority, chanced a sharp single to Sachin Tendulkar at mid off and was still a metre short when the Indian captain threw down the stumps at the non striker s end

Then Cronje, after reaching 50 and his best score of the se rles fell to a sucker punch

He hit three consecutive fours oft Sunil Joshi s left arm spin, two with the sweep, before Tendulkar beefed up his leg side field to counter the stroke

The South African captain responded Immediately by Uy Ing to drive Joshi through Ine covers Instead but only succeeded In offering a catch at extra cover

His dismissal left his side tottering on 97 for four. Andrew

Hudson who had scratched together 31 runs, followed soon after, caught off bat-pad off Anil Kumble at short leg. to complete the debacle

Srinath and Kumble were the pick of the Indian bowlers, both going for just over a run an over.

The tourists' sorry show, meanwhile, only underlined the extraordinary Innings that had captivated the crowd In the morning.

Azharuddin batted as if he were performing on batsman's paradise while all those around him treated the strip like a si lake,pit.

drives and leg -ilc Hicks.

His innings, lull of his trademark, wristy strokes, earned him his 16tn Test cen-turv and included 25 font s and one six.

Azharuddin. sacked earlier this season as Indian captain, scored 122 against England here in 1985 and 199 against Sri Lanka in 1986 in his only other Kanpur appearances. He also came here tresn from scoring a century and a half-century in the previous Test against South Africa.

Victory for India on Thursday will not only prolong the team’s record of not losing a home series for a decade but will also give them their 13th victory in 18 home Tests since 1990.

The 33-year-old former Indian captain, beginning the dav on 88 not out. smashed spi.-ir>eis ?aul Adar.is. who had taken stx wickets In the first innings, and Pat Symcox out of the attack with a flurry of off