Two wickets for Makhaya Ntini and three for Morne Morkel gave South Africa the edge at lunch on the third day of the second Castle Lager Test against India at Kingsmead on Thursday. At lunch, India had 183 for eight.
India resumed play in the extended session on their overnight score of 103 for three, with the little master, Sachin Tendulkar, poised to score his first half century this year. He reached this milestone in the first full over of the morning with a boundary off Makhaya Ntini. It was his 42nd Test 50, and came up off 92 deliveries.
Two overs later umpire Mark Benson of the United Kingdom had to leave the field with heart palpitations. He appeared uncomfortable, and left the field supported by his fellow umpire Asad Rauf of Pakistan, and for once, there were 13 players on the field and no umpires.
Benson was taken to hospital for observation, and it is reported that he will stay overnight. His place was taken by South African Ian Howell, who now has the rare privilege of umpiring in a Test involving his own country.
Makhaya Ntini created the next excitement when he took two wickets in three balls to get rid of Tendulkar and another danger man, Sourav Ganguly. Tendulkar played a loose shot and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for 63. South African captain Graeme Smith, who dropped Tendulkar on 21, was one of the first to congratulate Ntini.
Ganguly faced just two balls before he was caught by Herschelle Gibbs after the ball hit the splice of his bat.
Shaun Pollock continued to tie the visitors down, bowling maiden after maiden, but it was the debutant, Morne Morkel, who achieved the next breakthrough when AB de Villiers took another very good catch at second slip to dismiss Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was beginning to look fairly dangerous. Dhoni made 34 off 39 balls, and hit seven boundaries.
Morkel succeeded again six balls later when Anil Kumble was caught by Boucher without scoring. And in the over before lunch, Zaheer Khan skied a ball. Hashim Amla waited under it for what seemed an eternity and took the catch safely.
At lunch, VVS Laxman was not out on 28. He had been at the crease for three and a half hours and faced 122 balls. One wag in the press box suggested his initials stood for ”Very Very Slow”.
India are still 145 runs behind South Africa. – Sapa