adminDURBAN. — South Africa had by far their best day of the test series against India at Kingsmead yesterday when they turned the tables on their opponents and took the momentum out of the second day’s play.The Proteas finished the day on 82 without loss in only 20 overs in their first innings after they had taken nine wickets for 153 runs on a rain-shortened day to dismiss India for 334.
India started the day well on top at 181 for one but Dale Steyn changed the whole course of the game when he took three wickets in 10 balls without conceding a run to change the total from 198 for one to 199 for four.
It was a day-changing moment as Steyn ended the stand of 157 for the second wicket between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara and, although resistance was provided by in-form Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane who added 66 for the fifth wicket and Rahane and MS Dhoni who put on 55 for the sixth, the Proteas remained in control.
The last four wickets fell for just 14 runs for India to be all out for 334 with Steyn finishing with 6-100 from 30 overs. His figures for the day’s play were 14-3-51-6.
He has now taken 347 career test wickets and, if he can pick up three in the second innings, he will match Sir Richard Hadlee in reaching 350 wickets in his 69th match.
Only Muttiah Muralidaran (68 matches) has done better. At stumps, Steyn said this was among his best ever performances.
He had gone 69 overs without taking a wicket, dating back to the first drawn test of the series last week.
Steyn said the lengthy wicketless period in the two-test series had been full of lessons.
“I actually didn’t mind it. Sometimes bad things have to happen so you can learn from them. I don’t think I bowled that badly, I went past the bat often.
“I always talk about getting that one soft dismissal. If you can get one you can get on a roll. You need that momentum shift and I was able to pick up a couple of wickets.”
“It’s probably one of my better five-fors I’ve taken. I went so long without taking a wicket. Most people would capitulate and wouldn’t be able to come back from that.
“I’m quite happy and proud I was able to come back from that.”
Morne Morkel was also impressive in taking 3-50.
The two fast bowlers deserve the highest praise for the way they kept going in testing conditions for the best part of two sessions, both of which lasted for two-and-a-half hours.
They launched a short-pitched attack aimed at middle-and-leg to unsettle the Indian middle-order and the plan worked well.
They were assisted by some brilliant catching behind the wicket, notably by AB de Villiers who was seen at his athletic best to make five catches.
Only one batsman was bowled in the Indian innings with the other nine all falling to catches by the keeper or the slips, one of which gave Jacques Kallis his 200th test catch, only the second player to achieve this.
It was a sad day for Vijay who battled the South African pace attack for more than five hours before falling three runs short of what would have been his first test century outside India.
“I thought the batsman that got in should have cashed in more,” Vijay said after the day’s play. But also I felt when we went in this morning there was more of a dew factor and there was more bounce.”
Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen got the Proteas away to a runaway start when the India bowlers also failed to gain any movement either through the air or off the pitch.
They hit 12 boundaries between them although they were given one or two anxious moments by the left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja who gained appreciable turn and bounce.
He looks like posing the biggest threat to the Proteas until reverse swing comes into the picture. — SuperSport.
Online Reporter