Jan. 4: The Master Blaster’s appetite for runs cannot be sated, a fired-up Dale Steyn (5/75) notwithstanding. Just days after breaching the 50-Test century landmark, Sachin Tendulkar added one more to the burgeoning tally to keep India’s chances of a win in the third Test against South Africa here burning brightly.
He made 146 off 314 balls (17x4, 2x6) and added 176 runs with Gautam Gambhir (93) for the third wicket on Day Three to help a fast-collapsing Indian batting winkle out a two-run lead in the first innings. The visitors replied with 364 just after tea to South Africa’s 362, but could easily had got more if the middle-order had pitched in as well. After the duo, 40 was the highest score managed by an India batsmen, Harbhajan Singh doing so in 67 balls.
The offie then removed rival skipper Graeme Smith (23) and night-watchman Paul Harris (0) to keep India just a shade ahead of the hosts at stumps, South Africa having reached 52/2 by then with Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla batting on 23 and nought respectively.
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be relatively happy with the situation, and also by news that the Proteas’ centurion Jacques Kallis picked up a rib injury during his marathon 161-run knock.
The match, though is so positioned that both teams will have to produce something special in the next two days to decisively steer the result their way, the series too locked at 1-1.
From 204/3, India lost their way in the face of menacing bowling by Steyn, who was at his very best. Steyn bowled magnificently before the lunch interval without much any luck, and returned determined to get some reward after the break.
He did not have to wait long. A beautiful away-swinger, that first moved in towards leg-stump, before swinging exaggeratedly in the opposite direction hit Chesteshwar Pujara plumb in front. It was the "Ball of the Test" thus far, and rookie Pujara did not even look like getting his bat in line to defend it.
It was the early breakthrough South Africa had been yearning for, and another followed soon after, as Steyn was by now floating in from the Wynberg End before unleashing his vicious second new ball missiles. He zoned in on Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who played and missed a few times at a couple of Steyn outswingers.
SCOREBOARD
South Africa I Innings 362
India I Innings (o/n 142/2): G. Gambhir c Boucher b Harris 93 (222b, 13x4), S. Tendulkar b Morkel 146 (314b, 17x4, 2x6), VVS Laxman run out (Harris) 15 (19b, 3x4), C. Pujara lbw b Steyn 2 (14b), MS Dhoni c Prince b Steyn 0 (3b), Harbhajan c sub (JP Duminy) b Steyn 40 (67b, 3x4, 2x6), Zaheer c Prince b Morkel 23 (22b, 1x4, 2x6), I Sharma c Boucher b Steyn 1 (2b), S Sreesanth (not out) 4 (5b, 1x4)
Extras (lb-20, w-1, nb-1) 22
Total (all out in 117.1 overs) 364
FoW: 3-204, 4-235, 5-237, 6-247, 7-323, 8-341, 9-350
Bowling: D. Steyn 31-11-75-5, M. Morkel 29.1-7-106-2, L Tsotsobe 26-5-82-0, P. Harris 29-8-72-1, A Petersen 2-0-9-0
South Africa II innings: G. Smith lbw b Harbhajan 29 (47b, 3x4), A. Petersen (batting) 22 (38b, 1x4), P. Harris lbw b Harbhajan 0 (8b), Hashim Amla (batting) 0 (0b)
Extras (nb-1) 1, Total (for 2 wkts in 16 overs) 52
FoW: 1-50, 2-52
Bowling: Z. Khan 5-0-25-0, S Sreesanth 5-1-20-0, I. Sharma 3-0-3-0, Harbhajan Singh 3-0-4-2.