India paid the price for some atrocious shot selection, allowing South Africato take firm control of the second Test with a sizeable first innings leadtoday.
The Indians showed poor application on a sporting Kingsmead track to bebundled out for 240 in their first innings and concede an 88-run lead to thehosts who pressed home the advantage by reaching 64 for no loss at close on thethird day for an overall lead of 152.
South African skipper Graeme Smith, battling a miserable form slump, wasunbeaten on 28 while AB de Villiers was on 31 when play was called off early forthe third day running due to bad light.
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Heavy clouds throughout the day forced the match to be conducted underfloodlights but against all odds it did not rain.
India, who resumed at overnight 103 for 3, could not go beyond 240, builtlargely on half centuries by Sachin Tendulkar (63) and VVS Laxman (50) and aplucky 28 by tailender S Sreesanth.
South Africa then had their best start of the series -- in fact the bestopening stand for either side in this engrossing series which India lead 1-0.
Much of the drama centred around the final session when the match was stoppedbecause of power failure after 46 minutes of play; then resumed after 39 minutesof interruption and finally, stopped again, after only eight further balls hadbeen bowled.
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Initially, Smith and De Villiers were reluctant to go off the field afterpower had failed and three of the four floodlight towers had stoppedfunctioning.
But then VRV Singh bowled a lifting delivery which nearly took the head offDe Villiers and after couple of minutes, Smith from the other end sought to takethe option of poor light.
Once power was restored, umpires Asad Rauf and Ian Howell, substituting forMark Benson who left the field this morning after five minutes because ofpalpitations in the heart, asked for the game to be resumed but only after eightdeliveries, once again put an end to proceedings, this time at the behest of thefielding side because of poor light.
Smith and De Villiers tried to argue their case but it was a case of no go asthe match ended with 36 overs for the day still to be bowled, a shortage of 80overs from three days' proceedings.
The morning belonged to the hosts who reduced the Indians to 183 for 8 in theextended first session of two and half hours.
Earlier, Tendulkar brought up his first fifty in 2006 and Laxmanscored a patient 50 but finally ran out of partners at the other end.
Resuming on the overnight score of 103 for three India lost five wickets forjust 80 runs in the first session.
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Tendulkar fell after a 64-run partnership with Laxman. He was caught behindby Mark Boucher off Makhaya Ntini for 63. His knock included 11 hits to thefence.
Two balls later, Ntini had Sourav Ganguly caught at backward point byHerschelle Gibbs. The southpaw fell to a short delivery.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined Laxman and the two put on 54 crucial runs. Dhoni,who struck seven fours en route to his 34, became Morne Morkel’s first Testvictim, caught by de Villiers at second slip.
The bowler picked up his second Test wicket an over later. He had Anil Kumblecaught by Boucher for naught. Morkel added a third against his name, Zaheer Khancaught by Hashim Amla for two.
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In the post-lunch session, S Sreesanth and Laxman put on an invaluable 52runs for the ninth wicket to take India past the 200-run mark. Sreesanth made 28before he was dismissed by Andrew Hall, caught behind by Boucher.
VRV Singh was the last man to go, caught behind by Boucher off Shaun Pollockfor four.
PTI
