South Africa have extended their lead to 455 runs with only three batsmen out at Lunch on Day 3 of the first Test match against India.
India is under a lot of fire after South Africa continued its dominance over the visitors in the first session of play today. The Indian team arrived early in South Africa to practice but that did not seem to work for them and they are currently taking a
lot of beating by the host team.
The day started with some fine shots by Hashim Amla but he got out trying to flick a ball down the leg side. He got a faint edge and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028 took the catch behind the stumps.
India was happy to make the breakthrough and the bowlers looked spirited as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887 walked in the crease. De Villiers manhandled the Indian bowlers and smashed them all over the park. He reached his hundred in just 76 balls and remained unbeaten on
119 when the umpires called for lunch. In the process, he has scored the fastest-ever century by a South African in Tests.
Jacques Kallis did not lose his focus at all and he continued the flow of runs which he left yesterday. He mastered his way to an unbeaten 183. Kallis does not have a double century in his Test match career and is almost certain to score one today.
All the top five South African batsmen have gone past fifty runs with the bottom three scoring big centuries.
The Indian team can only hope that South Africa declare the innings as soon as possible as the bowlers seem to have no clue of how to get the wickets. The South African batsmen are scoring at 4.80 runs per over which is a very healthy strike rate in Test
cricket.
The strike rate was much helped by Suresh Raina who was hammered for 78 runs in his seven overs. Apart from Raina, all the other bowlers have been hit and have the economy rates of over four.
This is not the start that India would have hoped for in the series. After getting out for 136, they would have liked their bowlers to restrict http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 to a modest score but the South African batsmen showed no mercy to the Indians.
South Africa has so far piled on 591 runs and they will continue to bat making sure that they only bat once in this match. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 will look for a miracle to save this match.
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