Unconquered Kallis leaves India with daunting task on final day!

Tags: India tour of South Africa -2010-11, India v South Africa 3rd Test at Cape Town- Jan 2 -6, 2011, South Africa, India, Harbhajan Singh, Jacques Henry Kallis, Mark Verdon Boucher

Published on: Jan 06, 2011

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Jacques Kallis remained unconquered on 109 (from 240 balls with 8 fours) to leave India a daunting target of 340 runs on the final day of the Cape Town Test on a wearing pitch.

Stumps on Day 4
Jacques Kallis remained unconquered on 109 (from 240 balls with 8 fours) to leave India a daunting target of 340 runs on the final day of the Cape Town Test on a wearing pitch. South Africa from a precarious position of 98 for 5 have finished the fourth day at 341 all out with the lower order rallying along with Kallis to bat India out of the match!
There was a reasonably early wicket for India in the final session when Mark Boucher looking to pull away a terrible long hop from part-timer Sachin Tendulkar was in a huge shock when the ball shot extremely low to defeat his shot and hit the pad plumb infront. Boucher did enough damage by then scoring 55 from 82 balls with 4 fours to rescue SA to 233 for 7 alongside Kallis. India thought they could wrap up the innings with the second new ball but Dale Steyn sustained the pressure by attacking the bowling and there was another frustrating partnership for the visitors. Steyn eventually fell after a 48-ball 32 (with 2 fours and a six) when he got caught bat pad off Harbhajan at backward squareleg. Harbhajan found a five-wicket haul but had to wait a long time to achieve that. South Africa got to 287 for 8 with Steyn putting up 54 runs with Kallis.
Even no.10 Morne Morkel came out to add insult to injury onto the bowling side when he added 46 runs for the 9th wicket with Kallis. Morkel and last man Tsotsobe got out in the final over of the day's play looking to launch Harbhajan over long on. Harbhajan Singh finished with 7 for 120 but he couldn't stop SA from getting to 341! Kallis was deservingly unbeaten with a second century in this match.
Tea on Day 4
Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher are into a superb partnership for the 7th wicket to stretch South Africa to a comfortable 212 for 6 in 72 overs by Tea. Kallis is on 67 and Boucher has come good finally in this series with the bat scoring an unbeaten 46 and now the match seems to be slipping away from India quickly.
India had the match under control when Ashwell Prince failed to keep his square cut off a bouncing delivery from Ishant Sharma along the ground and was caught by Sreesanth at backward point. Prince scored 22 from 35 balls to put up a vital stand of 32 with Kallis for the 6th wicket. The visitors lost the plot after that with Boucher defying them along with the ever solid Jacques Kallis in the rest of the afternoon session.

Lunch on Day 4

South Africa were reduced to 121 for 5 in 44 overs by lunch with Harbhajan Singh proving to be extremely difficult to handle on what has now become a minefield. Harbhajan provided two quick wickets in the morning removing Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla to have SA reeling at 64 for 4. First he got Petersen (22) lbw on the backfoot when he tried to work the ball to the onside but getting defeated by the huge turn from outside off. Amla (2) was bowled round his legs in a sweep shot when a turning and bouncing off break hit his pad and then jumped up on the arm and finally rolling down onto the stumps.

Jacques Kallis was joined by AB de Villiers in just the 20th over and they needed to put up a fight to save South Africa from the difficult bowling conditions. The pair stalled the Indian attack for a while but in the 37th over, AB de Villiers (13 from 58 balls) misjudged an incoming delivery from Zaheer Khan to which he offered no shot and got bowled with the ball climbing up and dropping onto the stumps off the under edge. Zaheer Khan at this stage was bowling from round the sticks and was often swinging the ball away using the reverse swing. It was a timely breakthrough from the left armer to have SA at 98 for 5.

South Africa battled out the remaining part of the morning session through the classy Jacques Kallis (33* from 73 balls) and Ashwell Prince (15*). Kallis has so far played a brave knock as he is struggling with some serious pain in his side muscle.

- BV Swagath

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