The final day of the second Castle Lager Test between South Africa and India at Kingsmead promises to be one of high drama, with both sides still in with a chance of victory.
When bad light stopped play half an hour after tea on the fourth day on Thursday, India, chasing 354 to win, had 38 for the loss of two wickets.
The fourth day had enough action to satisfy even the most ardent Pro20 fan, 10 wickets fell and runs were scored at close to four an over.
The exuberant young Indian fast bowler, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, scythed through the South African batting order, taking four wickets for 79 runs.
But it was first change bowler Vikram Singh who got the breakthrough that precipitated a collapse of six wickets for 44 runs in nine overs and two balls when AB de Villiers was caught at second slip by VVS Laxman for 47.
Sreesanth then started his demolition job when he had Hashim Amla given out lbw for nought, and then in his next over, he bowled Graeme Smith for 58.
Smith’s 50 was not his best or prettiest, but it was one the big man will cherish, because it was a sign that he might be on the path to regaining his form.
He was at the crease for just over two and a half hours, faced 81 balls and hit 11 boundaries. Sreesanth’s delivery nipped back and removed the bails.
Ashwell Prince, who scored 121 in the first innings, followed his captain back to the pavilion just three balls later, when he edged a ball to Sourav Ganguly at first slip without scoring.
Veteran leg spinner Anil Kumble deceived Herschelle Gibbs with a slower delivery, which was taken by substitute Dinesh Karthik for nine.
South Africa went to lunch on 192 for six. Mark Boucher was out shortly after lunch, lbw to Zaheer Khan for eight, but Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall stopped the collapse with a seventh wicket partnership of 70, which ended when Hall was given out lbw to Sreesanth for 21.
Pollock went on to score his 16th Test half century, which came up off 89 deliveries and included eight boundaries. He and debutant Morne Morkel had a stand of 52, with Morkel playing some fine cricketing shots, and when Morkel was caught at long off by Singh off Virender Sehwag for 28, Graeme Smith declared the innings closed on 265 for eight.
With India chasing a target of 354 to win the match and clinch the series, Makhaya Ntini dealt the visitors two severe blows when he had Sehwag caught at first slip by Smith for eight in the fourth over, and after tea, the Indian captain was caught behind by Boucher for five.
When the umpires offered the batsmen the light, Wasim Jaffer was not out on 22 and Sachin Tendulkar had yet to open the score.
More than a full day’s play has been lost so far in the Test, and if South Africa want to beat India and stay in with a chance of winning the series, they will have to strike early. – Sapa