Kallis and Amla take http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 to a position of immense strength at the Centurion
One of the most eagerly awaited test series of recent times has seen the number one ranked test team in the world take a severe battering on day one and two of the opening test at the Centurion.South Africans have built an impregnable
position against the seemingly helpless Indian team led by a distraught Mahindra Singh Dhoni.
After being shot out for a dismal first innings total of 136, the tourists were already in arrears of 230 runs with as many as 8 South African first innings wicket in hand when stumps were drawn to a forgettable day for Dhoni and his men.
At the end of it all a disappointed http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rahul-c83321 Dravid, who is one of the most experienced players in the team claimed that his team missed the pace,swing and above all, Zaheer Khan who was ruled out of the match due to a hamstring injury.
"He has obviously got a lot of experience," Dravid said. "He is someone who has played all over the world, and is the leader of our attack, so obviously you are going to miss him. You can't help it. These things happen. People get injured.
Especially when you fall behind in a game, you need somebody to step up and Zaheer has usually been our go-to man in the last couple of years. He wasn't there today.
Dravid who is also one of the mainstays of the Indian batting line-up conceded that the opponent’s batsmen played remarkably well on a wicket that had eased out considerably after the first day.
"The other guys tried their best. [But] South Africans batted really well, and the wicket eased out really considerably. It's a learning experience for a lot of our younger bowlers, in terms of their lengths. Maybe we could have bowled
a bit fuller, maybe we could have made them drive a bit more."
Through out the day the Indians searched for the best line and length that would have suited the conditions, they hardly found the answer as all four batsmen batted crossed at least the 50 mark and made them pay heavily for their inexperience
in supposedly bowler friendly conditions.
The openers started the rot for the Indians with Captain Graeme Smith and his partner Alviro Petersen adding 111.
Smith was the more attacking of the two and eventually paid the price for his over ambition when he edged Harbhajan Singh through to Dhoni after making 62 runs, a knock that was studded with 11 fours.
Petersen who has taken over the role of test opener with considerable success carried on his good form from the series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033 to score 77 runs off 114 balls. He hit 9 fours and 1 six in his innings
before offering a catch to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gautam-Gambhir-c58623 positioned at short leg off Harbhajan Singh.
He went with the total at 166 at that time the Indians were hoping for more inroads yet it was not to be as the duo of Amla and Kallis added 200 runs for their unbroken third wicket partnership that took their team to a commanding position
by the end of the day’s play.
Kallis reached his 38th test ton off 130 balls while Amla reached his off 165 balls, at close he was unbeaten on 116 while Kallis is batting on a 144 ball 102.
Harbhajan Singh is the only successful bowler thus far in this innings from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750.
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