YP RAJESH, Bangalore | Thursday 4.00pm
SOUTH Africa’s five-pronged pace attack sent India tumbling to 158 all out on the first day of the second and last test on Thursday.
Mornantau Hayward, who crucially dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for 21, and Shaun Pollock shared four of the seven wickets to fall to the pacemen, with left-arm spinner Nicky Boje snapping up two for 10 in 15 overs.
India immediatly turned to spin when South Africa began their reply and were rewarded when leg-break bowler Anil Kumble removed Herschelle Gibbs for four.
South Africa, who won the first test by four wickets, were 11 for one at the close.
Kumble’s early strike followed his unbeaten 36 — top score in an innings in which India were tormented by Hayward, Allan Donald, Pollock and Jacques Kallis, despite the pitch offering no help to pace bowling, though it did have low bounce.
Hayward, who was the quickest of the South African bowlers, started the Indian slide in his very first over.
He had opener Wasim Jaffer caught behind by Mark Boucher as he attempted to guide a rising delivery to third man and edged it to the wicketkeeper.
Sourav Ganguly did not last long, being leg before in the next over to a straight ball from Pollock which kept low and trapped him plumb in front.
Rahul Dravid, who made a painstaking 17, was beaten by a delivery from captain Hansie Cronje’s medium pace that cut in and took the edge on its way to Boucher.
Tendulkar started off aggressively but succumbed to a rush of blood when he miscued a pull off Hayward and holed out to Cronje at mid-off.
Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin went next, caught by Lance Klusener at gully when he tried to fend off a rising Donald delivery.
Kumble resisted bravely but soon ran out of partners as the rest of the batting folded meekly.
When Kumble returned to the action by opening the bowling with Javagal Srinath, the leg spinner had Gibbs lbw for four with his flipper.
Gary Kirsten then played out the final overs safely with nightwatchman Boje. — Reuters