Saurav Ganguly’s fighting 87 ably supported by VVS Laxman’s gritty 50 guided India to crawl past South Africa’s first innings score, gaining a slender lead of 23 runs, ending on 288 for the loss of nine wickets on the second day of the fourth and final Test match played at the Green Park stadium here on Saturday.
India's task of levelling the series by clasping the grip in to the match faced stiff resistance from the Proteas team as Indian batsmen once again disappointed and meekly surrendered against Proteas attack after bowling them out for 265 in their first essay. Fast bowlers S Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma remained unbeaten when stumps were drawn.
Morne Morkel (3-57) and Dale Steyn (3-64) were the pick of the bowlers on a progressively deteriorating pitch. Paul Harris finished the day with two wickets, while Makhaya Ntini took the other.
Indian team started off on a flashy note as Sehwag opened his account with his trademark flourish through covers to the fence by driving Makhaya Ntini but that was the only flash seen by the Delhi dazzler whose dismissal was a huge blow for the home team.
Sehwag once again got stuck into his crease and was trapped plumb in front by Dale Steyn, who extracted a reasonable amount of pace in his first over, drawing first blood for the visitors.
Jaffer soon followed Sehwag into the dressing room in simillar fashion off Morne Morkel’s delivery. India's middle order once again faltered as they squandered the initiative after toiling the Proteas attack for almost two hours.
Rookie South African bowler Morkel got rid of experienced Dravid (29) and Laxman (50) as India managed to score only 133 for the loss of 4 wickets half way through the second session.
A ball that bounced sharply dismissed Dravid, hitting him on the wrist before reaching up to AB de Villiers hands who took a simple catch at gully while the wristy Laxman notched up his 33rd Test half century and his first at Green Park.
But his celebrations were short-lived as he made his way back soon to the pavilion on the same score. Laxman was superbly castled by Morkel who finished his second spell 4-0-12-2. Laxman's defying knock came off 103 balls and contained seven boundaries.
Thereafter Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh produced some sparkling shots to raise some hopes till the tea break with India still 100 runs behind South Africa's first innings total.
Sourav Ganguly came out with a positive frame of mind as he straightaway went for his strokes. The former captain targeted spinner Harris for special treatment as he smacked him for two boundaries.
Ganguly and captain Dhoni battled their way hard to take India closer to the South African total before Dhoni lost his cool and wicket, to Paul Harris's quick left arm spin. Earlier Harris scalped Yuvraj Singh as well who again fell while going for a big heave.
India were closing in the distance of South Africa's first innings total and at that stage Proteas skipper Graeme Smith opted to take the new ball and Steyn instantly responded to his captain’s decision as he trapped Harbhajan Singh lbw for six.
India's tail could not wag at all as leggie Piyush Chawla mistimed a pull shot that found the safe hands of Smith at mid-on, providing Ntini his first wicket of the innings. Soon Ganguly's excellent innings came to an end when he attempted to smash Steyn over cover, but the ball eventually landed up in Hashim Amla’s safe hands at cover.
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