Bhaji, Zaheer plot SA collapse
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Durban: Spinner Harbhajan Singh and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan plotted a dramatic South African collapse to give India a vital 74-run lead and a slight upper hand in the second cricket Test here today.
After dismissing India for 205 in the first innings in the morning, the hosts found themselves in disarray after being bundled out for a paltry 131 just before the tea break with Harbhajan (4/10) and Zaheer (3/36) doing the bulk of the damage.
It turned out to be a stunning session of play with the South Africans losing six wickets for just 57 runs as the Indians staged a remarkable fightback in the must-win match.
Resuming at the lunch score of 74 for 4, Harbhajan spun a web of magic to rip through the lower order South African line-up to finish with dream figures of 7.2-2-10-4.
But when play resumed after lunch, Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth were guilty of bowling a number of no-balls and erred in line and length also, allowing the two South African batsmen Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince to wriggle out of a difficult situation.
Prince, who appeared a trifle tentative early in his innings, unleashed his first attacking shot by hooking a short-pitched ball by Sreesanth to the square leg boundary.
With Ishant and Sreesanth proving to be quite ineffective after the lunch break, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni introduced Harbhajan into the attack in the 24th over. And the game changed from there on.
Harbhajan struck in his second over by getting rid of the in-form Amla, trapping him leg before wicket much to the delight of his teammates.
Amla failed to read Harbhajan's 'doosra' as he attempted to sweep but the ball held the line and hit him on the pad, reducing the hosts to a precarious 96 for five.
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