Daily Cricket News

Ind-SA: SA reach 111/3 at stumps on day three

Durban: India removed South Africa's top three batsmen in the final session on Tuesday to edge toward a series-levelling win in the second Test at Kingsmead.

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth took 2-30 and Harbhajan Singh 1-29 as South Africa was 111-3 in its second innings at stumps on day three, still 192 runs short of a challenging target of 303. Jacques Kallis was 12 not out and AB de Villiers 17 not out, with India's bowlers eyeing victory on a quick, bouncy Durban pitch.

Sreesanth broke a 63-run opening partnership when Graeme Smith top-edged a hook shot and was caught by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 37. Alviro Petersen (26) and Hashim Amla (16) were also out to leave the home team under pressure after losing three wickets for 19 runs.

Kallis and De Villiers then put on a 29-run partnership to take South Africa to an early close when bad light ended play.

Earlier, VVS Laxman made an impressive 96 — the only score above 50 in the match so far — to guide India to 228 all out in its second innings, over 300 runs ahead.

"It was important to get a good lead and give the bowlers a decent target," Laxman said. "I'm a little disappointed not to get 100, I've never got 100 in South Africa. But, doing well for the team is the only motivation for me.

"Tomorrow's morning session is very important. If we get the wicket of Jacques Kallis early it will be crucial for us."

With two days to play, South Africa has to make the highest innings total of the game to take a 2-0 lead and wrap up the three-Test series. Victory for top-ranked India will take the series between the leading two teams in the five-day game to a deciding match in Cape Town.

South Africa set about its chase with attacking strokeplay from Smith and Petersen. Smith hammered five fours in his 38-ball 37 and Petersen hit four boundaries as the openers raced to 63 in 12 overs.

But, Smith skied his attempted hook shot off Sreesanth — soon after a confrontation between the two players — to start the mini-collapse. Petersen was caught at short leg after steep bounce from Harbhajan and Amla flashed an edge behind to Dhoni before Kallis and De Villiers consolidated.

The home team was bundled out for 131 in its first innings after India made 205 batting first as 18 wickets fell in Durban on day two and nine on day three. Only twice has a team made more than 300 in the fourth innings to win a Test at Kingsmead.

"We're still quietly confident," South Africa spinner Paul Harris said. "We have seven wickets in hand. All we need is one partnership and we've got the game in the bag."

Laxman's 49th half-century in Tests was the standout performance of the day as he combined with Zaheer Khan for a 70-run partnership for the eighth wicket that pushed the game away from South Africa.

The classy Laxman — who top-scored with 38 in the first innings — hit 12 fours to boost India after three quick wickets had seen the tourists slip to 148-7 halfway through the morning session. He finally fell after facing 171 balls when he cut at a wide delivery from Dale Steyn and edged to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher to end India's second innings.

Continuing on 92-4, India had lost Cheteshwar Pujara for 10 in the second over of the day when he was bowled by Morne Morkel (3-47). Dhoni (21) was out to Lonwabo Tsotsobe (3-43) and Morkel then had Harbhajan caught by Kallis at slip with India 148-7, a lead of 222.

But Laxman and Zaheer combined for the best partnership of the match so far to raise Indian hopes of drawing level in the series.

Zaheer smashed four fours, including two in two balls off Steyn after surviving a huge lbw appeal from South Africa's main strike bowler, to frustrate the Proteas. He was out in the second over after lunch when he misjudged the bounce from left-arm spinner Harris and was caught by De Villiers.

Ishant Sharma followed for a duck to give Kallis his only wicket of the match and Laxman chased a wide delivery to fall four runs short of a 17th Test century.