The game of glorious uncertainties cricket was at its best with the third and final Test match between India and touring South African team oscillated between either sides with each passing sessions of the first day of the Test played at the green Park stadium here on Friday.
The Proteas started off well and soon had a firm grip on the proceedings but the visitors squandered the early advantage as they were bowled all-out for 265 just before the end of day’s play.
India was already on back foot after the loss of Indian skipper Anil Kumble at the eleventh hour due to persisting groin injury. The reigns of the Indian team were given to MS Dhoni, who will be a relatively pleased man after his first day at the office as India’s Test captain.
India raised the level of their game with each passing sessions as they picked up one wicket in the first session, three in the second and six in the last to end the South African innings in 87.3 overs. Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh captured three wickets each.
South Africa once again got off to a confident start on a relatively easy pitch to bat on. But the tourists weren’t able to capitalise as none of their batsmen converted their starts to big scores.
Skipper Smith (69) provided his team a firm start with a 61-run opening stand combining with Neil McKenzie (36) and then consolidated with Amla (51) before India struck back on a spinning track.
Skipper Graeme Smith top scored with 69 and Hashim Amla notched up a half-century and was looking threatening for a big score but he was soon cleaned up by Ishant Sharma who made his comeback into the match after Australian tour.
The 19-year-old leggie Piyush Chawla, playing his first Test in two years, provided the much-needed breakthrough in his very first over when he foxed McKenzie in the flight resulting a swift stumping by stand-in skipper Dhoni in the morning.
The Proteas were comfortably placed at 152-1 in the second session but then Smith departed as India resurrects fightback by making inroads into the game after striking at regular intervals from thereafter.
South Africa slipped to 175-4 at tea from 152-1 at lunch on the opening day. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, paceman Ishant Sharma and part-time spinner Yuvraj Singh further picked up wickets in the second session with Ashwell Prince (10) and AB de Villiers (three) were the not out batsmen at the tea-break.
AB de Villiers and Ashwell Prince held the fort in the post-tea session but an over ambitious stroke from de Villiers led to his team further collapse. Chawla struck back again in his second spell as de Villiers' ostentatious attempt against the turn went high on sky eventually landing up in the safe hands of Sourav Ganguly.
Prince (16) and Morne Morkel (17) soon followed their way back to pavilion after some disciplined bowling by Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh with the South African tail was left exposed.
A deadly spell by Ishant Sharma saw cleaning up Mark Boucher (29) and after that Harbhajan dismissed Dale Steyn for duck, the lanky pacer struck again to send Paul Harris’s off-stump cartwheeling for 12 to wind up South African innings.
It’s a do or die match for India as they are trailing the three- match Test series 0-1 and has to win this game to level the series.
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