India appeared firmly in control of the first Castle Lager Test at the Wanderers on Saturday after bundling South Africa out for their lowest Test score since readmission. At close of play on the second day, India had 146 for five for an overall lead of 311.
It was a day of high drama on which 20 wickets fell, 323 runs were scored and Shaun Pollock made history by becoming the first South African and only the 10th player overall to take 400 Test wickets.
India resumed play on their overnight score of 156 for five, and were all out for 249 about 40 minutes before lunch. Pollock had a hand in four of the five wickets that fell, taking a brilliant diving catch at mid-off to dismiss Mahendra Singh Dhoni and then taking the wickets of Zaheer Khan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Vikram Singh.
Sourav Ganguly, who was not out on 51, shared in a 44-run last-wicket stand with Singh that frustrated the South Africans as they tried every trick to get the tail-ender out. Singh was finally caught and bowled by Pollock for 29.
With half an hour to play before lunch, South Africa’s horror movie began almost immediately when Graeme Smith was given out lbw to Sreesanth in the second over. Herschelle Gibbs and Hashm Amla were close behind, and South Africa went to lunch on 21 for three, still 228 behind the visitors.
The horrors continued after lunch, with Jacques Kallis caught by VVS Laxman off Sreesanth off the third ball of the afternoon session, for 12. AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock all marched out determined to save the situation, but some brilliant bowling by Sreesanth and Khan saw them all going back to the pavilion without reaching double figures.
Andre Nel showed some resistance as he and Ashwell Prince reached the 50 mark to avoid the follow-on, and they put on 39 runs for the eighth wicket — more than the runs scored by the top five batsmen. But when Prince was caught behind by Dhoni off Anil Kumble for 24, it was just a matter of time before the hosts were all out.
Ntini was bowled first ball, and Singh wrapped up the South African innings when Nel was caught by Khan for 21 — his highest Test score. South Africa were all out for 84 — their lowest Test score since readmission to international cricket. Their previous lowest score against India in South Africa was 235 in Durban in 1996/97.
Sreesanth, who took his first five-wicket haul, said he was very happy with his performance. ”I was specially pleased to take Jacques Kallis’s wicket. I’ve watched him on television — he’s such a great player, so his wicket meant a lot to me.”
India came out very positively after tea, but South Africa managed to take five wickets before the close of play. Nel struck first, when Wasim Jaffer was caught in the slips by Smith for four in the fourth over. But it was the second wicket that brought the crowd to its feet when Boucher caught Rahul Dravid off Pollock for one, giving the veteran bowler his 400th Test wicket. Pollock threw his arms in the air in triumph and the crowd rose to their feet to salute the achievement.
”I’m very chuffed to have taken 400 wickets,” said Pollock. ”I hope to take more tomorrow [Sunday], to help the Proteas win this Test.”
Virender Sehwag was caught in the gully by Herschelle Gibbs off Nel for 33, including six fours, and then Pollock bowled Sachin Tendulkar, who had been playing some glorious strokes and who was beginning to look dangerous.
Ganguly, top scorer in the first innings, was next to go, caught behind by Boucher off Ntini for 25.
At close of play, Laxman was not out on 42 and Dhoni had 17.
”It was a very poor day, but we’re not out of it,” said coach Mickey Arthur. ”India outplayed us. Their bowlers were very good and bowled the right lengths. There was also some poor shot selection by our guys, who have talked about it, and have accepted responsibility. But hats off to India — they bowled very well.
”We want to knock them over as soon as possible tomorrow, and then, with some more application, chase down the runs.”
Arthur said the decision to rest the senior players and not allow them to play in Supersport Series matches last weekend had been a collective one. ”We thought that a weekend off would be of more benefit, considering our schedule, where we have six Tests in seven weeks. If one of them had made a century, we wouldn’t be talking about it now,” he said.
Arthur said Dale Steyn would probably not bowl again in the match. ”If we had batted properly today, he would have had time to recover, but the match is probably too far advanced now. We’ll be monitoring him, but we are also looking at possible replacements.” — Sapa