PORT ELIZABETH
India were spared the embarrassment of having to follow on on the second dayof the second Castle Lager/MTN Test at St George's Park on Saturday, but thatwas about all the tourists could be thankful for as South Africa took control ofthe match and, probably, the series.
At stumps on Saturday evening India were 182 for eight in their first inningsin reply to South Africa's 362. That they are in this position is due almostentirely to a brave ninth-wicket stand between VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble whocame together at 119 for eight and, against most expectations, steered Indiapast the follow-on mark.
Laxman was 77 not out at the close after batting for 164 minutes with Kumbleon 21. Their partnership was worth 63 when they accepted an offer of bad lightevening, an offer made despite the fact that the floodlights had been on fornearly an hour. They will have to do as much again on Sunday, though, if theSouth Africans are not to trample all over the tourists.
This was the case for most of the afternoon as Shaun Pollock ripped the topoff the Indian batting with an inspired opening spell to reduce the visitors to15 for three inside the first 11 overs of the innings.
Shiv Das was trapped leg before for 1 – there was a suggestion that hemight have hit the ball, but umpire Ian Howell didn't think so – Rahul Dravidhas his middle stump knocked out for 2 and then Sachin Tendulkar swatted Pollockstraight to Lance Klusener at mid on, also for 1.
It was a parlous position, not greatly improved when Makhaya Ntini bowledDeep Dasgupta, who had opened, for 13 at 47 for four.
Sourav Ganguly then began to play his shots, at one point taking four foursoff a Jacques Kallis over as the all-rounder was hit out of the attack afterconceding 26 in his first three overs.
But Ganguly's resistance lasted only 69 minutes before Pollock came back toknock out his off stump for 42. Then it was the turn of Kallis who came backafter his unhappy first spell to have both Virender Sehwag and Ajit Agarkarcaught in the arc behind the wicket. Harbhajan Singh's run out – the result ofa dreadful mix-up with Laxman, so dreadful that Mark Boucher had time to fumbleHerschelle Gibbs' throw before breaking the wicket – seemed to sum up India'sday.
South Africa were quite obviously looking at the follow-on and perhaps even aresult inside three days, but Laxman and Kumble dug out, providing the type ofbackbone that had so clearly been missing during the early part of the innings.
Laxman is a poor runner between the wickets and he scarcely moves his feet,but he is blessed with a wonderful eye and anything slightly off line waspunished as he carried the attack to the South Africans for the first time inthe innings. He has done an exceptional job for his team, but he will have to doa good deal more on Sunday if India are not to be blown away.
Pollock ended the day with four for 38 and in two home Tests this season hehas firmly dispelled suggestions that he had lost much of his zip. In helpfulconditions he is as effective as he has ever been.
Earlier in the day, the South Africans upped the tempo of their batting,adding a further 125 in 29 overs to their overnight 237 for five before theinnings closed at 362.
The key figure here was Boucher who hammered out a pugnacious unbeaten 68 offjust 70 deliveries and stole the show somewhat from Herschelle Gibbs. Which isnot to disparage Gibbs around whose 196 the entire South African effort wasmoulded.
But where he had been almost carefree on the opening day, Gibbs was morecircumspect on Saturday. It may have been the prospect of his second Testdouble-hundred that caused him to rein in his instincts, but he failed to findthe boundary during the first hour of the morning after losing Pollock, caughtat point off Javagal Srinath, in the fifth over of the morning.
Boucher, though, suffered no such inhibitions, throwing his bat cheerfully ateverything he could reach as he dominated an 80-run partnership for the seventhwicket. Gibbs started to find his rhythm again after contributing just 15 to thefirst 50 of the stand and then Ganguly, casting around for something different,tossed the ball to Tendulkar.
It took Tendulkar just five balls to undo Gibbs who contrived to slap awidish long hop straight to point. It was a tame end to a quite wonderfulexhibition of batting, but Gibbs has quite clearly arrived at the very highestlevel and if he carries this type of form across to Australia next month, SouthAfrica's prospects will be considerably enhanced.
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Boucher was still there, though, carrying his bat through until the close ofthe innings which came two overs after lunch when Srinath castled NantieHayward. Boucher ended with 68 not out and Srinath with six for 76. Bothplayers, it must be said, fully deserved their returns.
