adminJOHANNESBURG. — South Africa had to endure a stunning batting collapse before battling to 213-6 at stumps on the second day of the first Test against India at Bidvest Wanderers in Johannesburg yesterday.
The hosts lost five wickets for just 16 runs in the space of 39 balls after tea as they plunged from 130-1 to 146-6.
Vernon Philander (48 not out) and Faf du Plessis (17 not out) then dug in for a battling unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 67 to leave the Proteas trailing India by 67 runs after the tourists had been bowled out for 280, an hour after the start of play.
The pace duo of Ishant Sharma (3-64) and Mohammed Shami (2-48) were at the heart of the Proteas’ collapse
South Africa had looked comfortable as they reached 130-1 thanks to a 93-run second-wicket stand between Hashim Amla (36) and Graeme Smith.
But the hosts went into free-fall when Sharma bowled Amla and trapped Jacques Kallis (0) leg-before with consecutive deliveries.
Left-arm quick Zaheer Khan then had Smith leg-before, after a gutsy 68 off 119 deliveries before Shami struck twice in an over.
The fast bowler removed AB de Villiers (13) leg-before while he had JP Duminy (2) caught in the slip cordon.
Earlier, an edgy Graeme Smith rode his luck and battled his way to an unbeaten half-century to give South Africa impetus as the Proteas went to tea on 118 for one.
Smith (62 not out) played some sumptuous drives down the ground for four, but the Indian bowlers were also able to find the edge of his bat on a number of occasions, most notably when he was dropped at first slip by Ravichandran Ashwin of Zaheer Khan when he had 19.
The South African captain punished that generosity and along with Hashim Amla (30 not out) added 81 runs for the second wicket after the loss of Alviro Petersen (21) with the score on 37.
Petersen was trapped leg before wicket by Ishant Sharma, who was the pick of the Indian bowlers, deriving both movement and bounce out of the pitch.
South Africa will feel marginally ahead in the game after an excellent bowling performance in the morning curtailed the Indian first innings.
Seamer Vernon Philander moved to 99 Test wickets with the hosts removing the last five Indian batsmen for 16 runs to bowl the tourists out for 280.
Philander found movement both ways to end with four for 61.
Morne Morkel (three for 34) started the rot when he had India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (19) pushing forward to a full length delivery and edging behind to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.
In the following over, and without a run being added, Ajinkya Rahane (47) was enticed into an edge outside his off stump by a delivery from Philander that shaped away from the batsman.
Philander then trapped Zaheer Khan leg before wicket with his very next delivery with the Indian left-arm seamer caught plumb in front.
Philander picked up Ishant Sharma (zero) as his fourth victim with an in-swinger that clipped the top of off-stump. Morkel denied Philander his five-wicket haul and 100th Test scalp when he bowled Mohammed Shami (zero) to wrap up the innings.- Reuters
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