http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 off to a bright start in Newlands test
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 - First Innings - 125/3
The Indian team has started the third and final test against the South Africans on a bright note as the opening bowlers take full advantage of the overcast conditions at the venue to send the opening batsmen packing.
The match started in overcast conditions, the tourists made a quick breakthrough after they won the toss and sent the opposition in by dismantling Protean captain Graeme Smith for 6 runs. Smith was trapped in front of the stumps by a ball that jagged back
sharply off the surface.
Smith scored 6 runs and once again Zaheer Khan made light work of his favourite bunny, he faced 12 balls in his short innings.
Soon afterwards, the heavens opened forcing the players off the field for more than an hour.
The umpires took early lunch; play resumed after the lunch break with the conditions daunting for the batsmen.
The jagging ball made stroke play difficult as the ball found the edge of the bat regularly, the Indians were rewarded for putting the ball in the right areas as Smith’s opening partner Alviro Petersen edged a perfectly pitched ball by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ishant-Sharma-c64566 through
to wicket-keeper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-c73820. Petersen scored 21 runs off 47 balls; his innings included 3 fours.
The second wicket fell with the score at 34, the hosts than buckled down to the task of resurrecting their innings through their two batting mainstays Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis.
The bearded Amla looked tentative and had at least two streaky shots fly through the slip region, luckily for him the ball eluded the fielders leaving the bowlers exasperated.
On the other hand Kallis continued his good run with the bat striking the ball with some degree of comfort; his innings included a sumptuous cover drive through the covers which left the fielders motionless.
The two teams had to endure another break as bad light accompanied by light drizzle forced the fielders off the field.
Kallis and Amla took the score to 61/2 in 21 overs, when the match was interrupted.
After a short while the players returned and Amla posted his half century hitting the acceleration button with some attacking shots, he was eventually sent packing when a rush of blood saw him land his pull shot in the hands of Cheteshwar Pujara at deep
square leg, he scored 59 runs.
Tea was taken with Kallis and De villiers on the crease. For the Indians, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Murali-Vijay-c78035, while the South Africans played an unchanged team for the third consecutive test.
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