Castle Test Series: India set challenging total for South Africa at Durban
India 205 & 228 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 131 & 111/3
Once again, it was http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750’s hero in their time of crisis. The tourists set the South Africans a formidable target at the Kingsmead cricket ground, in the second Test match of the three-match Castle Test Series.
Laxman was the last man dismissed in India’s second innings, four short of another majestic hundred, as the Proteas were set a target of 303 runs to win the match and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
When play began on day three, the Indians were resuming from their overnight score of 92/4 in the second innings. They were bowled out shortly after lunch for 228 runs.
Cheteshwar Pujara was the first man to be dismissed on day three when he edged a ball from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-c73820 and Harbhajan
Singh as well. Dhoni was caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher off Lonwabo Tsotsobe after scoring 21 runs. Singh, who scored two back-to-back hundreds in India’s recently concluded Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754, failed to deliver with the bat against a tougher
bowling attack and was caught by Jacques Kallis in the slips off Morne Morkel at a score of just four runs.
But the Indian batting effort was resurrected by a fighting eighth-wicket partnership between Laxman and Zaheer Khan. The two added 70 crucial runs to the scoreboard for India.
Zaheer was extremely lucky to survive two close LBW shouts in consecutive overs from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887 off Harris after making 27 runs off 63 balls.
After Zaheer’s exit, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ishant-Sharma-c64566 failed to give Laxman company; he was caught by Hashim Amla off Kallis without scoring. Laxman was the last man out when he was dismissed by an elated Steyn, for a knock of 96 runs that included
12 fours.
The hosts started their chase of 303 runs confidently; openers Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen continued their recent good run with some aggressive stroke-play. The two were hardly troubled by the Indian opening bowlers and went
about their task at five runs per over.
However there was a setback in store for the South Africans right before tea, when Smith was dismissed by S. Sreesanth – just a few minutes after the two players had exchanged hot words. Smith had scored 37 runs off just 38 balls.
Petersen was then caught by Pujara off Harbhajan Singh for 26 runs. Hashim Amla then became Singh’s second wicket when he was caught by Dhoni for 16.
By stumps on day three, the South Africans were 111/3 in 27 overs, with Kallis and de Villiers in the middle. They now need 192 runs to win.
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