S.Africa in control after pacers rout India |
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Thursday April 3, 06:35 PM
By Sanjay Rajan
AHMEDABAD (Reuters) - Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers batted adroitly to help South Africa consolidate their position after their pace attack combined to rout India for 76 on the first morning of the second test on Thursday.
Spearhead Dale Steyn finished with five wickets after Makhaya Ntini claimed three victims in 12 deliveries to rip through India's top order in bowler-friendly conditions after the hosts won the toss and opted to bat.
Morne Morkel took two wickets as the middle-order crumbled in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, who missed the game with a groin injury.
At stumps, the visitors moved to 223 for four, with Kallis and de Villiers unbeaten on 60 and 59 respectively, for a lead of 147 after the hosts were dismissed for their second-lowest home total and for just 10 more runs than their worst tally against South Africa in Durban 12 years ago.
South Africa's openers complemented the work of the bowlers, providing a 78-run start before skipper Graeme Smith fell lbw to pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth for a sparkling 34.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh struck three times in the space of 20 deliveries to stall South Africa's progress before de Villiers joined Kallis for a commanding stand of 106 for the unbroken fifth wicket.
FIGHTBACK HOPES
Harbhajan dismissed opener Neil McKenzie for 42, Hashim Amla for 16 and Ashwell Prince for two either side of tea to raise hopes of an Indian fightback on a pitch that afforded bounce.
But Kallis and de Villiers used their feet remarkably to counter the bowler, who operated with a leg trap and helped regain the initiative.
Kallis, timing his five fours and a six to perfection for his 48th test fifty, lofted Harbhajan over the long-on fence and later swept and drove him for boundaries.
De Villiers, lucky to have survived a close lbw call off Sreesanth, was elegance personified as he struck seven fours, the pick being two off drives off the same bowler in one over.
On a greenish surface rarely seen in India, Ntini dismissed Indian opener Wasim Jaffer for nine, Vangipurappu Laxman for three and Saurav Ganguly for a duck to leave India reeling on 30-4 inside the first hour.
In between Ntini's onslaught, the 24-year-old Steyn had dismissed first-test triple centurion Virender Sehwag for six, the opener playing on while driving away from his body.
Steyn later dismissed batting mainstay Rahul Dravid with the first ball of his second spell before cleaning up the tail for his eighth five-wicket haul in his 22nd test.
Dravid, who scored a century in the drawn first test, was bowled, ending any hopes the hosts harboured of launching a recovery.
Morkel struck twice in three balls when he had Mahendra Dhoni caught behind for 14 and skipper Anil Kumble for a duck.
India's capitulation in exactly 20 overs came in marked contrast to the batting paradise both sides enjoyed in last week's opening test in Chennai that ended in a high-scoring draw.
The third and final test of the series in Kanpur starts on April 11.
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