Daily Cricket News

India-SA: India need 340 to win 3rd Test

Cape Town: Jacques Kallis defied a painful rib injury to complete a remarkable century in both innings as South Africa recovered from early jitters to set India a daunting target of 340 to win the Test series-decider here on Wednesday.

The experienced Kallis, who scored 161 in the first innings, played the saviour again with a gritty unbeaten 109 to not only pull the home team out of the pits but also virtually take the game away from India.

The hosts recovered from a precarious 64 for four to score 341 all out in the last ball of an absorbing penultimate day at Newlands.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the pick of Indian bowlers with figures of seven for 120 -- after returning wicketless in the first innings -- but the visiting side seamers were a bit disappointing.

India began the day in dramatic fashion with Harbhajan claiming two wickets in quick succession in the morning but the visitors' bowling lost the fizz, allowing the Proteas to wriggle out to safety.

It was the brilliance of Kallis which held the innings together as he endured the pain to achieve the 'double'. He was involved 103 partnership for the seventh wicket with Mark Boucher Boucher (55) which was largely responsible for the

turnaround.

With just one day left in the game, India have been left with the daunting task of chasing a stiff target on a fifth day track to entertain any hopes of a historic series triumph on South African soil.

It will be interesting to see whether India go for the target or play for a draw on Thursday. Much will depend on the start they get on Thursday from the flamboyant Virender Sehwag who has not been exactly on fire in this series.

Resuming at the overnight score of 52 for two, the South Africans plunged into trouble straightaway with Harbhajan removing Alviro Petersen (22) and Hashim Amla (2) in quick succession.

The wily off-spinner struck in his very first over, second of the day, by getting rid of Petersen, with a ball that did quite a bit after landing on the rough just outside the off stump.

Petersen went on the backfoot and tried to defend the ball but missed it completely to be trapped leg before wicket.

Kallis, who did not bowl during India's first innings because of the rib injury, came into bat and immediately went into an attacking mode by playing his strokes.

Realising that Harbhajan was getting a lot of turn from the rough, Kallis used the reverse sweep to counter the spinner. He hit two boundaries by reverse sweeping, prompting Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to post a fielder for that shot.

The hosts suffered a big jolt when Amla, who has been in very good form, returned to the pavilion cheaply, falling prey

to Harbhajan.

Amla went down on his knee to sweep but the ball hit the pad and went on to dislodge the stump. He tried desperately to

push it away with his bat but he had no chance.

Kallis and AB de Villiers tried to rebuild the crumbling innings by playing cautiously, though they played and missed a

number of times.

The pair put on 34 runs for the fifth wicket before pace spearhead Zaheer Khan evicted de Villiers (13) who was caught in two mind on how to deal with the ball.

de Villiers shouldered arm to an incoming delivery but the ball bounced, hit the bottom of the bat and crashed into the

stumps, reducing the hosts to 98 for five.

Kallis and Ashwell prince ensured that there were no further setbacks for the team by holding fort till the lunch break.

South Africa suffered a huge jolt immediately after the lunch break with Ishant Sharma taking the wicket of Prince who cut an outside the off stump ball straight to Sreesanth at point.

Boucher, who was out for a first-ball duck in the first innings, began with a flourish by hitting a couple of boundaries.

Ishant Sharma strayed down the leg side on a number of occasions and Boucher took full advantage.

Kallis and Boucher then went about the task of rebuilding the innings and took the score beyond the 200-mark with the Indian bowlers losing the sting.

Kallis notched up his 55th half century by unleasing a delightful on-drive to the boundary, getting a standing ovation from the crowd. In the same over, he spanked him for another boundary to the square leg region.

Boucher, who grew in confidence as the innings wore on, completed his 34th half century soon after the tea break by taking a single off Harbhajan.

Kallis and Boucher seemed to be in no trouble at all as they kept consolidating the position for the team and gradually take the game away from India.

With the seventh wicket partnership crossing the 100-mark, captain Dhoni brought in part-timer Sachin Tendulkar in a desperate bid to break the partnership and he obliged his skipper.

Boucher fell to a shooter from Tendulkar as the ball kept very low and trapped the batsmen leg before as he went for a pull. Boucher's 55 came off 82 balls and contained five boundaries.

The dismissal brought an end to the resolute 103-run partnership which may play a crucial role in the outcome of the match.

Next man, Dale Steyn hit some meaty blows, including a huge six off Harbhajan before he fell to the same bowler for a 48-ball 32 and after sharing a crucial 58-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Kallis.

Soon after, Kallis hit his 40th Test ton with a single behind square-leg off Harbhajan to the applause of his team-mates at the dressing room and Indian fielders.

Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe fell in the space of four balls, both off Harbhajan as South Africa folded their second innings at 341.