Gambhir, Tendulkar steady India after early jitters

Tags: India tour of South Africa -2010-11, India v South Africa 3rd Test at Cape Town- Jan 2 -6, 2011, Jacques Henry Kallis, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir

Published on: Jan 03, 2011

Scorecard | Commentary | Graphs

Sreesanth brought India back in the third Test at Cape Town by taking two wickets in two balls that of Prince and Boucher to leave SA at a precarious 262 for 6.

Stumps on Day 2
India fought back tremendously in the final session through an unbeaten partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar to close the Second Day's play at 142 for 2 in 50 overs. The hosts are now trailing behind by 220 runs thanks to this unbroken third wicket stand of 114 runs. Gambhir stayed unbeaten on 65 from 159 balls with 8 fours while Sachin Tendulkar got to 49* from 106 balls with 5 fours.
Tea on Day 2
South Africa have put India on the backfoot at 49 for 2 in 16 overs after they were bowled out for 362. The visitors have lost the two big wickets of Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid. Sehwag played a rash drive uppishly towards mid off to be brilliantly caught by the diving Smith off Steyn's bowling. Dravid on the other hand needlessly attempted a suicide run to get out when a catch went down at gully offered by Gambhir in Tsotsobe's bowling.
Early on, South Africa stretched their first innings total to 362 before Kallis edged his cut shot off Zaheer to the keeper but not before cracking 161 from 291 balls with 19 fours. Kallis put up a valuable 52 runs for the last wicket with Tsotsobe.

Lunch on Day 2

Sreesanth brought India back in the third Test at Cape Town by taking two wickets in two balls that of Prince and Boucher to leave SA at a precarious 262 for 6. India made further inroads reducing the score to 283 for 8 but Kallis, the overnight batsman who knocked out a 39th Test hundred continued to remain firm and he pulled off two vital partnerships with the no.10 and no.11. South Africa as a result are still hanging in there by Lunch on Day 2 at 335 for 9 in 104 overs with Kallis on 140* from 253 balls (with 15 fours).

It was the second new ball that came to the aid of India and Sreesanth produced a lovely late inswinger to go through the forward defence of Prince (47) in the 84th over to end a 98-run stand. In the very next ball, Mark Boucher (0) was forced to nick behind an away going seamer from Sreesanth to the keeper. Two more quick wickets followed for India with Steyn fending off Zaheer Khan to gully and Morkel edging a big drive off Sreesanth to nick behind. Sreesanth captured a third 5-wicket haul with that. At 283 for 8, SA got in a crucial partnership of 27 runs before Paul Harris fended off Ishant Sharma to leg gully after a stubborn 41-ball stay.

By Lunch, Kallis got Tsotsobe to dig in to add up another 25 runs to the total to rescue the South Africans for the second consecutive day.

- BV Swagath

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