Sachin's historic double ton flattens Proteas

ust when we thought we have seen the best of Sachin Tendulkar’s batting, the master walked in with his mighty piece of willow and produced something that has never been seen in limited over cricket — a double century.

Sachin Tendulkar's phenomenal undefeated innings of 200 powered India to a comprehensive 153-run victory in the second ODI.

Tendulkar’s phenomenal undefeated innings of 200 powered India to a comprehensive 153-run victory in the second ODI. Along with being overwhelmed at the hands of clinical Indians, the Proteas slumped to a series defeat 2-0 with one match to go.
The Tendulkar master-class scripted India’s emphatic victory and quite deservingly the champion batsman walked away with the player of the match trophy. And quite befittingly the state cricket board has decided to name a section of the Captain Roop Singh stadium after Sachin.
Tendulkar’s knock was wonderfully backed by the bowlers, who denied the visitors any comeback into the game by picking up wickets at regular intervals. The pacers were expensive despite picking up crucial wickets but the part-time spinners once again impressed with their accuracy. Together, they bowled the Proteas out for 248 in 42.5 overs.
With a target of 401 hovering over their heads, everyone in the South African dressing room would have had their eyes on Herschelle Gibbs. After all, it was Gibbs whose blistering 175 enabled them to chase down 434 against Australia at Wanderers in 2006. But it was not to be. Pressure got the better of the explosive opener and he played a Praveen Kumar’s delivery on to his stumps in the third over.
The visitors’ hopes were further dented when after playing some superb flicks and drives for his 24 runs, Hashim Amla holed out to Nehra at mid-on, mis-timing a pull off Sreesanth. Nehra struck once again in his next over and South Africa lost their skipper. Kallis (11) edged a low full-toss which crashed into his stumps.
Next to go was Alviro Petersen (9), who was done in by Ravindra Jadeja’s quicker delivery.
Yusuf Pathan bowled well, sticking to the stump-to-stump line and varying his speed with guile. After getting rid of Duminy, another duck for him, the part-timer returned to scalp the valuable wicket of Mark Boucher and had South Africa reeling at 134 for 7 in the 23rd over.
The only resilience came from AB de Villiers, who hung in there till the end and scored a patient century. With his team in total disarray, de Villiers refused to give in to the pressure and played his natural game. His knock was filled with some lovely shots all around the ground and included 13 boundaries and two sixes. South Africa’s lone fighter was stranded on 114 when his team folded for 248.
Earlier, after MS Dhoni elected to bat first, India lost Virender Sehwag cheaply when Wayne Parnell surprised him with a short-pitched delivery and got him caught at third-man by Steyn.

AB de Villiers scored a valiant century and fought on till the end as his teammates succumbed to the pressure.

But Sachin Tendulkar looked in glorious touch right from the beginning, as he unleashed some magnificent shots from his repertoire. Like a genius at work, he carved out boundaries with finesse and power on both sides of the wicket. Wayne Parnell was welcomed to the bowling crease with an immaculately timed cover-drive and an effortless flick for four. Steyn wasn’t treated any differently as the maestro pummeled him for a few powerful drives on the off-side and a couple of pulls. While the master placed the ball like an artist, he also thumped it authoritatively with lofted drives down the ground and over the extra-cover fence. Tendulkar’s incredible innings exhibited his class, sublime touch and sheer genius. The batting virtuoso flattened bowlers’ morale with each of his 25 boundaries and three sixes.
While on one occasion he picked up a Steyn delivery from outside the off-stump and flicked it away to square-leg fence, on another, he gave himself room to hammer a leg-stump delivery over the extra-cover boundary – strokes of sheer genius!
The champion batsman got good support throughout his innings in form of Dinesh Karthik (79), Yusuf Pathan (36) and then MS Dhoni (68).
Dinesh Karthik once again came to bat one-down and got into the business straight away. He played some brilliant shots through the cover and point region for fours but the flick he played off Parnell to square-leg for a six was simply outstanding. Karthik, who has off late been guilty of not converting his starts into big scores, made amends with a fine knock of 79. He played his part rather well in the 194-run stand with Sachin.
Karthik’s departure hardly brought any relief to the Proteas. What followed was complete carnage. Yusuf Pathan walked in the middle with his characteristic swagger and started whacking the ball with disdain. After pounding Steyn for two fours in an over, he carted Parnell for two mammoth sixes in the next.
When Reelof van der Merve got rid of Pathan, the visitors thought they had got a crucial breakthrough. But they were in for some more pounding. Dhoni came in next and helped himself to a 35-ball 68 with seven boundaries and four sixes. He often danced down the wicket and lofted the ball into the stands. Dhoni’s lightening fast bat speed and raw power combined with Tendulkar’s flawless batting to storm India past 400. Together they brought up an unbeaten partnership of 101 runs in just 53 balls.

I'd like to bat another full 50 overs - Tendulkar

	Sachin Tendulkar: "Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers"

Sachin Tendulkar, who broke the record for the highest individual ODI score, overtaking Saeed Anwar and Charles Coventry on his way to the format's first double-hundred, has said his ability to bat the entire 50 overs was a testament to his fitness after having played the game for more than 20 years.

"It feels good that I lasted for 50 overs, a good test of my fitness. I'd like to bat another 50 overs at some stage and see that the fitness level doesn't drop," Tendulkar said after his effort helped India take a unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. "The ball was coming onto the bat and I was striking the ball well. So when everything falls into its place, it feels nice. It was one of the innings where I felt I was moving well. Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers."

Tendulkar, while dedicating his feat to the people of India, credited coach Gary Kirsten for the team's success in both forms of the game after the debacle in the World Cup in the Caribbean. "I've enjoyed various challenges; after the 2007 World Cup things have looked different and I'm enjoying the game," he said. "The credit also goes to Gary [Kirsten], he has really held the team beautifully. It's about togetherness and playing for each other. You see during the practice sessions that Gary himself trains as hard as anyone else, or probably harder than anyone else as he's the one giving us practice all the time."

Tendulkar said he sensed an opportunity to break the record and reach a double-century when he had gone past 175 in the 42nd over. The record eventually came in the 46th over, and the 200 in the 50th. "When I was near 175-180, I thought I could get a 200 as there were quite a few overs left," he said. He added that he would prefer his achievement to be upstaged by an Indian. "I don't play for records, I play for enjoyment and play with lots of passion. That's how cricket started. I didn't start playing cricket to break all the records; it's happened along the way. The dream was to play for India and do my best.

"I don't think any record is unbreakable. Records are made to be broken. I hope that if this record is broken, it's done by an Indian."

This was India's third-highest score in ODIs, and Tendulkar said the 400-mark would not have reached if not for some big hitting by Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni. "I thought a target of 340-350 would be a good one, but Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni came in and hit the big shots and cleared the ropes consistently and helped us pass 400."

Tendulkar added that India were not relaxing despite having put up a mammoth score, for they were aware South Africa were the only team to have chased down a target in excess of 400. "This was the team that chased 434 against Australia. So we didn't get complacent and told ourselves that we had just got through the half-way stage by scoring 401. And what we did in the second half was extremely important. We were aiming at getting early wickets and putting them out of the game."

Dhoni, who witnessed Tendulkar surpass the record from the other end, said: "I think one of the best innings, you can say. It's always good to be on the other side, watching him score 200 runs. When he is tired and can't play the big shots, he was very clever to use the pace of the bowler and it's very difficult for the bowlers as they don't know where exactly to bowl."

India lost Virender Sehwag early, and Tendulkar was assisted in three sizable stands where runs came at a brisk pace, with Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf and Dhoni. "Once Viru got out, it was important to get some kind of a partnership going. They [Tendulkar and Karthik] went on with their innings, and they set a platform after which we were sure we would get 350-plus which would be a difficult target," Dhoni said. "Yusuf was sent up the order and with the talent he's got, he can be a great asset to the side."

Yusuf scored a quickfire 36 and was particularly lethal during the batting Powerplay, while Dhoni proved destructive at the death, bludgeoning 68 off 35 in a century-stand with Tendulkar in just 53 balls. "I have changed my batting a bit, but the situation demanded that kind [attacking] of innings," Dhoni said. "The ground is a small one, and we were a bit worried about the dew factor. But once they lost 3-4 early wickets, it was difficult for them to get back into the game."

For South Africa and their stand-in captain Jacques Kallis, it was a case of the basics gone wrong. "The toss was quite vital. Our basics were just weren't good enough today. We were outplayed," Kallis said. "We lost wickets at crucial stages, our basics let us down. A fantastic innings by Sachin; he took advantage of some good conditions and he played superbly. We let ourselves down in some areas."

India clinch a thriller; beat South Africa by 1 run

he nail-biting Eden Gardens Test was the perfect envoy to the first ODI between India and South Africa. The Sawai Mann Singh Stadium in Jaipur witnessed something that will go down as one of the most thrilling contests in the history of One-day cricket. And it was India who prevailed in the last ball photo-finish by a solitary run and take a 1-0 lead in the three-ODI series.

Ravindra Jadeja's miserly spell of 2-29 proved to be the difference as India clinched the thriller by one run.

At one time, a Proteas victory looked improbable when they required 74 runs off 42 balls with three wickets in hand. But Wayne Parnell (49) and Dale Steyn (35) turned the match on its head with a miraculous 65-run stand for the ninth wicket in just 38 balls.
The final over was full of drama. With 10 needed, Praveen Kumar was in the firing line to deliver for India. He used the slower ball to good effect to castle Steyn off the second ball. There was a close boundary call which the third umpire reckoned had been saved by a diving Tendulkar and a wide off the last ball. It was all over when Parnell played the last ball to third man region where Sreesanth picked it up and Dhoni dislodged the bails with the visitors one short of victory.
Defending 298 on a batting beauty under lights and with dew around, India desperately needed early wickets and they almost got both openers out in the first two overs. After Loots Bosman luckily survived a close lbw shout in the first over, off Praveen Kumar, Herschelle Gibbs was fortunate to stay at the wicket after the umpire failed to spot a faint nick to Dhoni off Ashish Nehra in the next over.
Praveen was very impressive, getting the ball to swing both ways in the early overs. He always looked like picking up a wicket, beating the batsman with varying movement and inducing false shots that kept falling short of fielders.
Gibbs looked at his destructive best when he welcomed S Sreesanth with two fours and a six into the mid-wicket fence. Bosman too took the attack on to the Indian bowlers but his whirlwind 23-ball cameo of 29 runs soon ended when he was cleaned up by Praveen, trying to give himself room to smash a straight delivery through the covers.
The Indian skipper brought on Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth over for an early spell of spin bowling and the part-timer responded superbly, with a man of the match winning 10-over spell of 2 for 29. He played with the patience of Gibbs, bowling a streak of seven dot-balls to the flamboyant opener, and then induced a lofted drive which landed in Virat Kohli’s hand at long-off.
Just when the Jacques Kallis- AB de Villiers partnership was blossoming, Jadeja struck again and castled the latter with the one that kept low. De Villiers tried to make room to hit the ball through the off-side but was deceived by the low bounce, giving Jadeja a wicket-maiden.
Jadeja kept things simple and stuck to a good line and length. The left-armer didn’t turn the ball a mile but got it to zip into the batsmen after pitching on the off-stump. What was also refreshing to see was Dhoni backing the young part-timer with enough men inside the ring, denying easy singles.

Skipper Jacques Kallis led from the front with three wickets and 89 runs but failed to take the Proteas home.

Sreesanth got off to a disastrous start coming after an injury layoff, giving away 74 runs in his nine overs, though he bagged two massive wickets of Mark Boucher and Kallis. Kallis (89), in particular, was the key wicket for India. As his partners kept changing, the skipper held fort for the Proteas with his 75th half-century. He looked extremely fluent with his shots and batted with a lot of grit. While he anchored the innings and resorted to finding gaps for singles and couples for most part of his knock, he also took the mantle of accelerating the run-rate and struck some mighty blows to bring up his six fours and a huge six.
After Kallis’s exit, all hopes seemed to be vanished for the visitors. But Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn had other plans. Parnell, who impressed with his defensive skills in the Kolkata Test, proved his worth as a handy lower-order batter in ODIs with his 49-run knock. Steyn too, with used the long handle to great effect, racing away to 35 runs off 18 balls, with the help of a four and three sixes.
While the Proteas mostly batting rallied around one man, the Indian innings was a combined effort of all batsmen with Raina’s fine half-century leading the way. The left-hander combined class with power and improvisation. While his 58-run innings comprised an exquisitely timed cover-drive, it also had a powerfully smashed lofted drive over mid-on.
The most impressive feature of Raina’s knock was the way he dealt with the short-pitched deliveries. The southpaw, often criticised for his susceptibility against the bouncer, not only pulled the effort balls with superb timing but also guided one smartly over the wicketkeeper’s head for a boundary. Raina also stamped his authority with a mighty six down the ground off Parnell.
Apart from Raina, there were significant contributions from Virender Sehwag (46), Dinesh Karthik (44) and Virat Kohli (31).
Inserted in by Jacques Kallis, India’s intentions of piling up a huge total got an early setback when Herschelle Gibbs’s quick reflexes at covers sent Sachin Tendulkar packing in the second over of the match.
Sehwag and Karthik took the charge and brought up a 79-run stand in 75 balls. Sehwag continued in the way he best knows – belting Albie Morkel for two boundaries and a six in an over. He also produced a breathtaking upper-cut over the third-man region for six, as Dale Steyn, the bowler stood there nodding his head in disbelief.
After taking nine deliveries to get off the mark, Dinesh Karthik too decided to cut loose. He clobbered Wayne Parnell for thee fours in the eight over with a thumping straight drive, a heave over mid-wicket and a pull. In the very next over, he welcomed Charl Langeveldt at the crease with a lovely flick to the fence. Handy contributions from Ashish Nehra (16) and Praveen Kumar (13) got India close to the total of 300 in the end.

India reassert Test supremacy with Bhajji's fifer

He did it to Australia in 2001 and now the ‘Turbanator’ returned to shatter the Proteas’ dream of regaining their number one Test status. With less than 15 minutes to go in the match, Harbhajan Singh wrapped Morne Morkel on his pads to bowl India to an innings and 58-run victory at the Eden Gardens. With this nerve-wracking victory, India drew level in the series and held on to their Test crown.

Harbhajan Singh wrapped up a nerve-wracking victory for India by registering his 24th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

The Kolkata Test was not only crucial for Team India to reassert their Test supremacy but also to prove themselves worthy of the title of the world’s best team. Coming after an innings humiliation in Nagpur, the Indians not only fought the strong Proteas but also the weather and injuries to their key players to register one of the most thrilling Test victories.
But on their way to the win, the Indians had to battle hard against one man, who stood between them and victory like the Rock of Gibraltar. Hashim Amla batted for 394 balls for his knock of 123 and emerged undefeated in the end. The South African batsman followed his Nagpur double hundred with a century in both innings of the Kolkata Test. For his 494 runs in the series, losing his wicket only once, Hashim Amla was the most deserving player of the series and the man of the match.
The absence of injured pace spearhead Zaheer Khan meant other bowlers had to rise to the occasion if India were to seize the moment. And they didn’t disappoint. Together, they made sure Hashim Amla’s dogged resilience goes in vain. Amla was the only man who stood tall for the Proteas, as his teammates left him stranded.
The spin-duo Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra bowled their heart out on the track with minimum of assistance. They combined guile and discipline, sharing eight wickets between them in the second innings.
Harbhajan troubled the batsmen with tossed up deliveries and the bounce they generated. The hard work paid rich dividends and the off-spinner walked away with the 24th five-wicket haul of his Test career.
First, he dismissed Ashwell Prince with a flighted delivery, as the batsman obliged with a dolly to Ishant Sharma at mid-off. JP Duminy’s dreaded run continued when he was deceived by Harbhajan with one that spun into the left-hander. Soon enough, the off-spinner ended Dale Steyn’s dodgy stay at the wicket by wrapping him on his pads with a tossed up straighter delivery.

Hashim Amla, easily the best batsman of the series with 494 runs, remained undefeated at 123.

Amit Mishra too bowled beautifully and maintained a good line. He was a tad unfortunate as a few edges fell short of the close-in fielders. However, the leggie struck with a googly and sent AB de Villiers packing. This was Mishra’s third scalp of the innings, after he had gotten rid of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis on day-four. It’s fair to say that the Indian bowlers would have finished things off much earlier, had they got a little more support from the fielders. The bowlers hardly got any advantage of having men all around the bat, as catches kept going down.
First, Murali Vijay, at forward short-leg was slow to react to an edge of Prince’s bat, then it was Suresh Raina who grassed a simple chance at gully and Badrinath failed to hold on to one at silly point.
Amidst all the chaos, Hashim Amla stood tall, unflustered and determined, notching up a dogged century. Amla was as focused as a monk. He was completely unaffected by whatever was happening around him and just concentrated on his job. At no point did he look like getting out.
The Proteas batsman was an epitome of patience. Amla refused to fall for any bait the Indian bowlers tempted him with and left alone everything that pitched out of his reach.
Amla found help from the other end in form of Parnell and then Morne Morkel. While Parnell hung in there for 80 balls to put up 70 runs with Amla, Morkel soaked in all the pressure and fought on for 60 deliveries to keep the Indians at bay until Harbhajan dismissed him with a beauty.
India felt the absence of Zaheer Khan when Ishant was completely wayward and ineffective with the new ball. The lanky pacer struggled with his rhythm and it showed in his erring line and length. He also pleaded guilty of giving away extra runs by way of wides and no-balls. Later, Ishant made amends with the wickets of Parnell and Paul Harris. Immediately after the tea interval, he had Parnell caught by Harbhajan at mid-on and then Harris by Dinesh Karthik in slip.

Rain Gods save the day for Proteas

It was a frustrating day in office for the Indians as only two and half hours of play could be possible on day-four, thanks to rain and bad light. South Africa, on the other hand, couldn’t have asked for a more timely intervention, as they ended the day at 115 for 3.

Amit Mishra was the pick of the Indian bowlers, bagging the crucial wickets of Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis.

With seven wickets left to win the match and retain the Test crown, Dhoni and his boys would be hoping for a bright and sunny final day.
First, overnight rain and foggy conditions delayed the start of play by 90 minutes, which meant only 14 overs were sent down in the first session. Post lunch, the rain gods once again played spoilsport just as the Indian spinners were beginning to look dangerous. It ensured that Hashim Amla (49*) and Ashwell Prince (0*) returned to the pavilion without having to face Indian bowling attack for the day.
Dhoni started off the proceedings with Harbhajan Singh and the off-spinner straight away got a bit of turn and bounce from the track. He bowled particularly well to Graeme Smith (20), getting the ball to drift away from the left-hander. Harbhajan did gain an upper hand over the Proteas skipper but without men in catching position, all he could do was stand and watch the edges flying all over the place.
Zaheer Khan, who opened the attack with Harbhajan bowled smartly, maintaining the off-stump line and varying the length. Having dismissed Smith both times in the series, the Indian pacer was at him again. He beat the left-hander frequently with some beautiful out-swingers before dropping in one that came into him.
But to Smith’s credit, he negotiated Zaheer with immense caution and made sure he didn’t repeat his mistakes. Smith often stood up for South Africa and saved matches from precarious situations and that’s exactly what his team required from him.
However, Amit Mishra had other plans. The very first delivery that the leg-spinner bowled turned into the southpaw and caught him plumb in front of the wickets.

Hashim Amla negotiated the Indian spinners with aplomb and held fort for the Proteas with an unbeaten 49.

Debutant Alviro Petersen (21) was sent back shortly after the lunch break by Harbhajan, as Badrinath took a good reflex catch at short-leg. The ball turned into Petersen after pitching on the off-stump and got a leading edge.
Harbhajan almost got Hashim Amla out in a similar fashion when Murali Vijay at backward short-leg was a tad slow in reacting to the edge. The lapse could well prove costly to the home side, considering Amla’s prolific run in the series.
Amla looked confident as he faced Indian bowlers with aplomb. His fine touch and unwavering temperament was evident in the way he treated the good balls with respect and played some fine drives and flicks to punish the bad balls to the fence.
Ishant Sharma tried to up the tempo for India with a spell of short-pitched deliveries, like he did in the first innings. However, this time it became way too predictable for quality batsmen like Jacques Kallis (20) and Amla, as they went about pulling and hooking with ease.
While Harbhajan kept the batsmen thinking, Mishra was the pick of the Indian bowlers. There was a time when he bowled quite slow through the air and Kallis and Amla were happy to play him on the backfoot.
Dhoni’s decision to change the bowling end for his leg-spinner paid off immediately. Mishra produced an absolute ripper to send the dangerous Kallis packing. The ball was pitched up on the middle stump and turned viciously away from the batsman, taking a faint edge. Dhoni took a smart catch to send back one of South Africa’s mainstay.
Soon after Ashwell Prince walked out to bat, heavens opened and put paid to Dhoni’s plans of making further inroads into South African innings.

Laxman, Dhoni bat Proteas out of Kolkata Test

VVS Laxman’s (143*) elegance and MS Dhoni’s (106*) power combined beautifully on day-three of the second Test to bat the Proteas out of the match. The South African bowlers, who were smacked all around the park throughout the day, breathed a sigh of relief when the Indian skipper decided to declare the innings at 643 for 6, with a huge lead of 347.

VVS Laxman strengthened his bond with the Eden Gardens by bringing up 1,000 runs at the venue with a sublime 143 not-out.

When stumps pre-maturely drawn on day-three after bad light stopped play, South Africa had put on six runs without loss, still trailing India by 341 runs.
Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman and the Eden Gardens share a special bond. And the stylish Hyderabadi batsman further reinforced that bond by bringing up 1,000 runs at the venue, as he helped himself to his 15th Test century.
As he held fort for India, Laxman showed exactly what value and solidity he brings to that Indian batting line-up. Laxman batted the way he knows best, with gentle flicks and drives dominating the proceedings.
While the singles and twos flowed effortlessly, fielders toiled under the hot Kolkata sun, escorting the balls all the way to the fence. Laxman’s feet didn’t move too often but the magical hands and eyes were at work. His lazy elegance added to the frustration of the already jaded visitors.
In the morning, Dale Steyn did his best to ruffle Laxman with a barrage of bouncers and words, and all he got in reply from his composed opponent was good leaves, beautifully controlled pull-shots and a smile.
At the other end, Dhoni batted with a lot of authority and power. He smacked the ball all around the park with thumping pulls and fierce drives. He made his attacking intent clear when on one occasion he picked up Paul Harris from the middle-stump and swept him past the square-leg fence.

Skipper MS Dhoni scored an aggressive century to bring up a record 259-run stand with Laxman for seventh wicket.

Dhoni was given a life on 48 when JP Duminy grassed his second catch of the match. The Indian skipper made sure he punished the visitors severely for their fumbles by gliding his way to a commanding unbeaten century – his fourth in Test cricket.
Though his entire innings was filled with aggressive strokes, Dhoni cut loose after reaching to his three-figure mark. He launched Paul Harris for two consecutive sixes into the long-on boundary and the pacers were treated by powerful pull shots when they tried to counter attack him with short-pitched stuff.
Laxman and Dhoni played with a very well-laid plan, as they went about bringing up a record 259-run partnership for the seventh wicket. While Laxman brought in the stability, Dhoni went for the kill and took the attack on to the bowlers. While their mammoth partnership put India in the position of strength, it had its blemishes too.
Dhoni and Laxman’s distinct style of play did benefit India but a significant contrast in their athleticism brought in some anxious moments. There were a few yes-no situations and misunderstandings while running between the wickets, but fortunately for India, none of them resulted in a run-out.
 

Proteas pull it back after Sehwag-Sachin special

Once again, the last session of the day sprung a string of surprises. India, who were cruising along at 331 for two, finished day-two with 342 for 5.

Virender Sehwag demoralized all Proteas bowlers with his authoritative 165-run innings off 174 balls.

When Virender Sehwag (165) and Sachin Tendulkar (106) looked like they’d bat South Africa out of the match with a mammoth double-ton partnership, the visitors struck back to dismiss three Indian wickets in the last 45 minutes of day’s play.
JP Duminy started it all by getting rid of the dangerous Sehwag, who holed out at extra-cover, playing a casual shot. Tendulkar soon followed him back into the hut by playing a drive away from his body and providing a simple catch to Jacques Kallis at first slip off Paul Harris.
Dale Steyn came in his final spell of the day and got the reverse-swing going. S Badrinath never looked comfortable against the Proteas pacer spearhead and he was finally done in by an unplayable late in-swinger.
But what preceded the mini-collapse was absolutely magical. With India at 82 for 2 after dismissing South Africa for 296, batting for the hosts were the only two men who showed some fight in the first Test as their team was walloped by the visitors by an innings. And together, they produced something truly special to bring India right back into the series. Their partnership of 249 runs was a treat to watch.
The dominating partner of the stand was Sehwag though he was lucky to be dropped twice. JP Duminy spilled him at first slip on 47 and AB de Villiers missed an easy stumping chance on 129. Result: Sehwag raced his way to a sizzling 165, which included 23 boundaries and 2 sixes.
On his way to building his 19th Test century, Sehwag destroyed the morale of Proteas bowlers and the skipper’s game-plan. He made his intentions clear with the very first delivery he faced – a swing and a miss off Morne Morkel. That set the tone for things to come.
In Steyn’s next over, Sehwag clobbered him for three boundaries with a blinding slash over the point fielder, a delicate flick and a superbly timed square-cut.

Sachin Tendulkar scored a sublime 47th Test ton to bring up a magical 249-run partnership with Virender Sehwag.

Next in line was Morkel. A couple of fierce drives into the cover fence and a backfoot smack over the gully region were enough to disturb the rhythm of the young fast bowler.
After demoralizing Steyn and Morkel, Sehwag cornered Wayne Parnell. He welcomed the youngster with a cracking drive through extra-cover and a streaky six over the backward-point boundary.
Sehwag kept going even as India lost Gautam Gambhir (25) and Murali Vijay (7) in quick succession just before lunch. While Gambhir was stranded in the middle of the pitch after a mix-up with Sehwag, Vijay was sucked into a drive by Morkel and perished into the hands of AB de Villiers behind the wickets.
Dale Steyn probed Tendulkar with a nagging off-stump line. An interesting battle of patience and wits ensued between the top ranked Test bowler and the greatest batsman in the world. It was Tendulkar’s composure versus Steyn’s aggression and the master proved too good for the pacer.
While the maestro was happy to play off Steyn safely, he pulled out some gems from his repertoire against the other bowlers. The fluent cover-drives and square-cuts were executed with utmost elegance to bring up his 12 boundaries during his innings.
The Indian run-machine continued his prolific season by notching up fifth century in his last seven Tests. With his 47th Test hundred, Tendulkar has now registered four tons in as many Tests.
At the other end of the wicket, a certain Mr. Sehwag was playing a game of his own. After taking off-spinner Paul Harris to cleaners with a six down the long-on fence and a slog-sweep into the mid-wicket boundary, he took the attack on to Morne Morkel. Two cracking hits to the point boundary despite two men patrolling the fence did little good to the young pacer’s confidence.
When on 95, Sehwag wanted to get to his three-figure mark in his customary fashion – with a six. He tried launching Harris into the long-on stands but missed. Tendulkar walked down the pitch, had a word with his partner and instilled some sanity. Next ball was duly defended. Harris sensed the desperation and pitched it straight and flat. After a very brief period of anxiety, the Nawab of Najafgarh brought up his 19th Test century by square cutting Parnell for four.

Kirsten hails his bowlers’ resilience

 

Kolkata: The turnaround they scripted today goes to show how resilient Indian bowlers are, said coach Gary Kirsten, lavishing praise on Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh for their strikes on the opening day of the second Test against the Proteas.

"We were in trouble at tea, let's be honest about that. We were in a spot of bother. All credit to the bowlers for turning it around. They showed tremendous resilience. The bowlers in this series have actually bowled very well and they have not got the rewards they would have liked to get.
"They have stuck to their game-plan and are coming in with good effort. You must remember when you pick four bowlers, in absence of a fifth one in team's scheme of things, is an enormous workload on the bowlers," said Kirsten.
Zaheer and Harbhajan picked up three wickets apiece to reduce South Africa to 266 for nine after the visitors dominated the first two sessions owing to centuries by Hashim Amla (114) and debutant Alviro Petersen (100).
The hosts picked up seven wickets in the post-tea session conceding just 38 runs before bad light stopped the play.
"Zaheer is the leader of our attack. So full credit to bowlers for the way they are performing in the Indian team. We have been backing ourselves to get 20 wickets in a Test and they are doing the business," Kirsten said.
Kirsten also backed lanky paceman Ishant Sharma who was lackluster in his first spell but found his rhythm in the later part of the day.
Though he had just one wicket to show, the pace he generated in the final session rattled the visiting batsmen.
"It was a great spell and a very important one. More than getting wickets, it just set the tone for what we really wanted to achieve after tea. We feel he is on the edge of doing some good things. He is an exceptionally talented bowler and he is coming back to really some nice form.
"I thought he really bowled a nice aggressive spell. He wanted to get his pace up, he was getting 140kph," said a pleased coach.
Kirsten also praised off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who along with Zaheer, was instrumental in India's turnaround and ended the opening day with figures of 23-2-63-3.
"Harbhajan bowled really well in the last game. It was South Africans who played him really well there. He needed to come up in ways even though he was in good rhythm to get wickets.
"Don't look at the results but look at the bowling. I have been very confident that he has got better and better as the series has gone along. We know he is a strike bowler. When he gets it going and the confidence is high, he is going to get wickets also," assured Kirsten.

Zaheer-Bhajji duo flatten Proteas

If it’s Eden Gardens, it has to be Harbhajan Singh. There is something about the venue that brings the best out of the ‘Turbanator’. This time, he triggered a collapse that sent South Africa packing to 266 for 9 at stumps from a confident looking 251 for 3. The 25 overs of the last session produced an incredible 7 wickets for just 38 runs.

Harbhajan triggered an astounding turnaround by scalping three South African wickets in two overs.

With Amla and Kallis at the crease, it was almost revisiting the Nagpur Test. But to India’s relief, Amla was a bit late in gathering back his concentration after the tea interval and Zaheer struck in the first over of the session, as Dhoni picked up a simple catch.
Harbhajan Singh made sure India never looked behind from there. Jacques Kallis tried to sweep a ball from wide outside the off-stump and VVS Laxman, who earlier spilled Hashim Amla, took a well-judged catch at short fine-leg, running from first slip.
This was just the kind of spark a bowler like Harbhajan needed to turn on the heat. And he did turn it on. In his next over, the off-spinner deceived Ashwell Prince and JP Duminy with his ‘doosra’ and trapped them both on their pads off consecutive deliveries.
With Harbhajan on a hat-trick, Dhoni crowded Dale Steyn with fielders all around him and the off-spinner bowled one that pitched slightly outside the off-stump and straightened, missing Steyn’s bat by a whisker before settling into Dhoni’s gloves. Perhaps, it was too good a delivery for the tailender to get a bat on.
It was wonderful to see how a few quick wickets could lift the morale of the entire team. In the very next over, Zaheer Khan produced a fantastic pick up-and-throw routine to catch South Africa’s most agile player out of his crease. Standing at extra-covers, the left-arm bowler rattled the stumps with a direct-hit and AB de Villiers was on his way back, dejected.
Ishant Sharma too joined the party. After persisting with short-stuff right from the mid-second session, the lanky fast bowler finally got rewarded with the wicket of Paul Harris. The ball was short and wide and Harris tried to drive it, only managing to edge it to Dhoni’s gloves.
After the tumultuous half-an-hour of play, South Africa plummeted to find themselves into a hole. They had lost five wickets for four runs in a span of 23 deliveries. The match completely turned on its head thereafter.
Amit Mishra, who was the only bowler without a wicket, didn’t want to be left out. After toiling for 70 overs in the series without a wicket, Mishra finally got a wicket against his name in the form of Dale Steyn.

Hashim Amla (114) and debutant Alviro Petersen (100) got the Proteas off to a solid start with a 209-run partnership.

Before the amazing turnaround, the day was dominated by two South African batsmen – Hashim Amla (114) and Alviro Petersen (100). Amla and Petersen put on a 209-run partnership and took the tourists to a commanding position of 218 for 2 when Petersen finally perished. The duo went about their business without any fuss and eased their way to their respective centuries.
Amla had his share of good luck as after being dropped by VVS Laxman at first slip on 61, he chipped one Harbhajan delivery in the air that raced to the fence just beating the man at mid-off. And as he showed in the first Test, he surely knows how to make his good luck count. Amla carried on with his run-scoring spree, driving and flicking his way to his ninth Test hundred. Despite a string of close calls, Amla fought on without losing patience.
Petersen, on the other hand, was not probed by any of the Indian bowlers. The debutant milked the bowling with utmost ease. He made sure the pacers paid heavy price every time they over-pitched the ball or strayed on to the pads. To spinners, he was not afraid to charge down the ground and clobber them to boundaries.
But the young man was not all about aggression. He displayed immense maturity in the way he paced his innings. While he clubbed the bowlers for 10 boundaries during the first half of his ton, the next 50 runs were more about singles and couples.
Earlier, after Dhoni lost the toss, Zaheer once again provided India with an early breakthrough, dismissing Graeme Smith in his second over.
The left-arm pacer was the only bowler for the first half of the day, who looked like taking a wicket. He exploited the early morning conditions and was the most consistent of the Indian bowlers. It was Zaheer who did all the hard work by dismissing both centurions, Amla and Petersen to set the stage nicely for Harbhajan to get into the act.

Dhoni bats for turning tracks

Kolkata: Amid brouhaha over the Eden Gardens pitch, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said there was nothing wrong in exploiting the home advantage by preparing spin-friendly tracks.
A controversy erupted after India lost the first Test and BCCI reportedly sent an SOS to Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for preparing a turning track for the second Test.
The CAB though said they have prepared a sporting track for the crucial game, the outcome of which will have a bearing on India's status as number team.
Dhoni is of the view that a turning pitch could also be called a sporting track as it gives both bowlers and batsmen equal chances to excel.
"I think a big emphasis is being given to the sporting wicket. No where it's written that there should not be any grass on a sporting wicket or bounce for fast bowlers.
"Sporting wicket according to me is where you challenge the batsmen and at the same time there is something for the batters. I think when there is a turning track it is challenging," Dhoni said after team practice.
The India skipper also said that every country has a unique element to exploit and for India it was spin.
"Every country specialises in something. When you go to South Africa you get bounce and seam movement. You go New Zealand and you would see a lot of swing. And we are special because the ball turns and there is bounce for the spinners. Of course, skill is required to play spin," he said.

Smith recovers in time for Kolkata Test

Uncertainty over South Africa captain Graeme Smith’s inclusion in the team has cleared off finally. The left-handed opener has passed a fitness test despite fracturing the little finger of his left hand. The management has declared him fit to play in the second Test match against India, starting on Sunday.
It was during a practice session at Eden Gardens that Smith had sustained the injury on Friday. While the initial diagnosis was of ligament tear, it was later confirmed on Saturday that he had suffered a fracture near a joint in his finger.
South Africa's media spokesman Michael Owen Smith said, "Graeme took part in the nets and did batting practice for a considerable time. He did not find any problem while practicing in the nets and was found to be fit. Graeme will be playing tomorrow."
South Africa go into the Kolkata Test 1-0 up, as a result of the innings defeat they handed out to India in the opening Test at Nagpur. The Proteas need to draw the Test to regain the top Test ranking.

Momentum with us but India will fight back: De Villiers

 

Kolkata: South Africa are just a draw shy of reclaiming the world number-one spot in Test cricket, but middle-order batsman A B de Villiers said the visiting team would cherish a series win more than the ICC rankings. He said the Proteas have the momentum with them and were focused on winning the series.
"We are not too worried about ICC rankings. Obviously, it would be nice to be number one Test side in the world, but our focus is to win series in India. We are here to play good brand of cricket.
"We are obviously playing good cricket at the moment. We are evolving and trying to dominate world cricket, we are still working towards it. Cricket is all about momentum and confidence. We have come from Johannesburg Test win as well as in Nagpur and we have won two Tests in a row," de Villiers said.
de Villiers sought to ignore the controversy surrounding the Eden pitch which the BCCI, apparently, had wanted to be tailor-made to suit the Indian spinners.
"There is a little bit of grass on the wicket at this moment. I am pretty sure they will take off the grass in the next 48 hours. But it is up to the groundsman to decide, we have got no control at all," said the right-hander.
Asked about the return of a fit-again VVS Laxman on his happy-hunting ground at the Eden Gardens, de Villiers said, "He is a class player. He has performed really well in the last few years. We have got our plans and we are going to stick to that.
"But, we are focusing on our game and on our strengths as well.
Obviously, India are a good side but we are not too worried about our opponents."
He, however, reckoned that India would come out with all guns blazing after the humiliating innings defeat in the first Test at Nagpur.
"It's going to be a great challenge here at Eden Gardens and I am sure India will fight back. But our team spirit is great following the win in Nagpur. We are really enjoying the mood in the camp. Our focus is to win a Test match in Eden Gardens," de Villiers said.
"We are sticking to our gameplan. There is no need to change when you are winning Test matches. The guys are playing pretty well and the momentum is set. We are focusing on our basics and our skills. We are pretty much ready to give the best shot.

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We're expecting a turner: SA coach

Nagpur: South African coach Corrie van Zyl on Wednesday said a bigger challenge lies for his side in the second Test in Kolkata as he expects a turning pitch at the Eden Gardens to suit the home team after their humiliating defeat in the first match. "I won't say (I expect) a minefield. We will see what it looks like when we get there, but I expect something that's going to help the Indian team obviously. I think it will help the Indian spinners, but I need to go to Kolkata and see," said van Zyl.
"We need to be well prepared for second Test. If the first Test was a challenge, the second Test is going to be an even bigger challenge. Mentally this South African team is better prepared, that's the most important part. But it's still going to be a challenge dealing with the turning wickets and whatever the wicket is," he said.
Asked if he expects a square turner like the one in Kanpur in 2008 after South Africa had defeated India by an innings in the previous Test in Ahmedabad, van Zyl said he would prefer a pitch that would provide a good contest between the two teams.
"I would hope so (spin-friendly). I was not part of that tour. I hope it will still be a good cricket contest, a wicket where both sides can play good cricket," he said.
He said that there was no change in his team's strategy even when they knew the hosts were weakened by the absence of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh.

"No BCCI diktat, sporting track for Kolkata Test"

After the Nagpur humiliation, rumours were making rounds that the curator of the Eden Gardens – venue for the second Test – is being put under pressure by the BCCI to prepare a turner so that the home team can salvage their pride as well the number-one Test status.

But Prabir Mukherjee, the man who has been looking after the Eden Gardens wicket since last 20 years, denied receiving any such call from the board.

“I haven’t got any instructions from the BCCI. I’m trying to prepare what should be an ideal Test wicket,” Mukherjee said.

In fact, the curator got a little agitated when asked if he supported the idea of preparing spin-friendly tracks that would assist the Indian spinners.

“I don’t know how to prepare a spin-friendly wicket. According to me, spinner-friendly wicket is under-prepared wicket, which is a cheating to the game of cricket and the public. You’re selling tickets for five days and the match gets over in three days.”

So then what is expected to welcome the two teams as they travel to the eastern part of India for the second half of the World Championship of Cricket?

“The wicket will have an even bounce that gives equal advantage to the batsmen and bowlers and there will be a good grass cover as well.

“The surface will start cracking up from the fourth day onwards and that’s when the spinners will come into play,” he said, stressing that “The match will last for full five days”.

In 2008, after the Proteas pacers annihilated India in Ahmedabad, BCCI dished out a dust-bowl in Kanpur so that India could save the series. Harbhajan Singh and company, on cue, ran through the South Africans and the match was over inside three days.

The current scenario is exactly the same. If anything, the stakes are much higher this time around. If India lose or draw the second Test, they not only hand the series but also their Test supremacy to South Africa.