South Africa clinched the series with an 80-run win after India were swept aside for 163.

Herschelle Gibbs, caught off a no-ball when he had two, made 93 not out to anchor the South African innings after the home side again lost early wickets.

Pointing to a lack of substantial partnerships among the top order batsmen, Sehwag said: "We have a long tour with three Test matches. We have lost the one-day series but we are looking forward to the next games."

Sehwag said experienced batsman VVS Laxman, on his way to replace injured captain Rahul Dravid, would strengthen the batting for the final one-day game at Centurion Sunday.

South African captain Graeme Smith said: "We haven't batted at our best but we have shown a lot of character and we have bowled and fielded well. The energy the guys have shown has been terrific and we haven't given them a chance to get a sniff."

India made a promising start, with Wassim Jaffer and Sehwag putting on 23 before Jaffer was caught at slip off Makhaya Ntini in the sixth over.

Within the next four overs, the match was effectively over as a contest with Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag, the side's most senior batsmen, falling to Shaun Pollock and Ntini respectively.

Mohammad Kaif was run out and Mahendra Dhoni played one extravagant shot too many as India slumped to 82 for five on a ground where conditions are generally more difficult for the side batting second under floodlights.

Left-handed all-rounder Irfan Pathan was defiant to the end, making 47 not out to give the total some respectability.

Justin Kemp took three wickets and Pollock and Ntini two each as South Africa took a winning 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The first match was rained out.

It was yet another disappointing result for India after they had put the home side under pressure early on.

Indian opening bowler Zaheer Khan continued his dominance over Smith as the host nation had to fight back after losing early wickets for a third successive match.

Sehwag, captaining the side because of a fractured right middle finger suffered by Dravid, handled his bowlers skillfully on a slow pitch, making good use of his slower bowlers as South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals.

Smith again won the toss but the left-handed opener was out for the third consecutive time to the left-armed Khan. In three matches he has faced just seven balls from Khan and failed to score a run against him. The only run he has made in the series was against Munaf Patel in the first match.

Khan trapped his man leg before wicket playing across the line, his second such dismissal. Smith was bowled in his other innings.

Opening partner Loots Bosman was also out for nought, bowled by Shanthakumaran Sreesanth. Jacques Kallis made an impressive 49 with nine boundaries as he and Gibbs put on 69 for the third wicket after Gibbs, on two, pulled a no-ball from Sreesanth straight to Sehwag at square leg.

Veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble dismissed Kallis with his first ball and followed up with the wicket of AB de Villiers. Kumble took two for 42 and was the only bowler to complete his quota of ten overs.

The sides meet in a Twenty20 international in Johannesburg Friday before the fifth and final one-day international in Centurion Sunday.