Indian think-tank weren’t be able to read the pitch quite well as the much-hyped Indian batting line up fell like nine pins against some fine quality bowling by South African seamers as the hosts got all out in exact 20 overs after managing just 76 in their first innings of the first day of the second Test here on Thursday.
The seven Indian batsmen could not be able to get past two-figure mark with India struggling at 56 for 8 at one stage. The Delhi dasher Virender Sehwag who scored a scintillating triple hundred in the last Test could only be able to face 12 balls before being castled by speedster Dayne Steyn on the score of six.
Earlier in the morning, captain Anil Kumble passed a fitness test, won the toss and decided to bat first in the second Test against South Africa at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium here on Thursday.
The home team made only one change from the eleven by bringing in all rounder Irfan Pathan in place of the injured Sachin Tendulkar which meant that both Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif will have to await their turn to take a slot in the middle order.
Teams:
India: Anil Kumble (Capt.), M S Dhoni (Vice-capt., wk), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, R P Singh and S Sreesanth.
South Africa: Graeme Smith (Capt.), Ashwell Prince (Vice-capt.), Neil McEnzie, Hashim Amla. Jacques Kallis, A B De Villiers, Mark Boucher (wk), Morne Morkel, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini.
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