McKenzie hits 155 as S.Africa draw with India |
|
Sunday March 30, 04:35 PM
By N.Ananthanarayanan
CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - In-form opener Neil McKenzie struck an unbeaten 155 to guide South Africa to a draw against India on the final day of the first test on Sunday.
The 32-year-old batsman scored his fourth test century after falling six runs short of a ton in the first innings, guiding South Africa to 331 for five wickets in their second innings.
McKenzie held firm after off spinner Harbhajan Singh had grabbed two wickets in successive overs after lunch -- dismissing Jacques Kallis (19) and Ashwell Prince (5).
McKenzie, on 88 in South Africa's lunch score of 212 for two, reached triple figures in the second over after the interval by hitting spinner Anil Kumble for two fours in an over.
He hit 13 fours and a six in a determined knock spanning five-and-a-half hours.
McKenzie has been in sparkling form of late, notching 226 in a test in Bangladesh earlier this month as part of a world record 415-run opening partnership with skipper Graeme Smith.
McKenzie, ignored for years before being recalled into the test squad in January, added 157 runs for the second wicket with Hashim Amla, the top-scorer with 159 in the first innings, making 81.
He struck part-time spinner Virender Sehwag over midwicket for six, rarely looking troubled as the home bowlers struggled on a flat pitch.
SLOPPY MORNING
India were sloppy in the morning, dropping Amla on 55 and 72.
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth first failed to hold on to a running attempt at backward square leg after Amla top-edged a sweep against Harbhajan, who remonstrated angrily with the fielder.
Left-arm paceman Rudra Pratap Singh, without a wicket on his return from a hamstring injury, then dropped a sharp return catch.
However, Amla failed to cash in with a second hundred when he edged an Anil Kumble leg break to Rahul Dravid at slip.
Harbhajan then struck twice in quick succession.
He removed key batsman Kallis cheaply for a second time in the match after his sweep was caught superbly by RP Singh at square leg. Kallis made 13 in the first innings.
Left-hander Ashwell Prince then pushed a delivery that spun and jumped to Wasim Jaffer at forward shortleg.
Kumble went off the field after lunch due to a groin strain.
India scored 627 in reply to South Africa's first innings 540 all out.
Sehwag hit an Indian record 319 and Dravid 111 for his 25th hundred before fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini shared seven wickets to restrict India's first innings lead on the fourth day.
Sehwag was named man of the match.
The second test starts in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
|
More Cricket News
Dilshan leads Sri Lanka rallyAkhtar decision worries KolkataIPL blow for ShoaibStatPackNagpur 2004: The memory remainsHarbhajan slams Motera pitch, Steyn says Indians got scaredThree-Test tour, and too many IPL detoursThe green mist takes overEdwards strikes twice for West IndiesWest Indies v Sri Lanka - scoreboard, lunch
