Prince, Gibbs steady South Africa

DURBAN (South Africa()—Ashwell Prince and Herschelle Gibbs dug South Africa out of a mess on the first day of the second Test against India on Tuesday.
Prince was 47 not out at tea, which South Africa reached on 165 for four after winning the toss and choosing to bat. The disciplined Prince batted for almost three hours and faced 112 balls.
India squandered a chance to dismiss Prince for 41 when a delivery from medium pacer Vikram Singh found his outside edge but Sachin Tendulkar spilled the chance at first slip.
Left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan maintained a miserly line and length to take two for 25 from 12 overs as the hosts ran into early trouble.
Khan first struck in the third over when Graeme Smith, who scored five, top edged a pull shot and fell to a well judged catch by Tendulkar running back from first slip.
Hashim Amla became Khan’s next victim when he was trapped in front for one, and South Africa were 28 for three when AB de Villiers edged a drive off fast bowler Shanta Sreesanth to Tendulkar at first slip to be dismissed for nine.
Gibbs and Prince consolidated in a partnership of 94 that lasted until an hour after lunch. Sreesanth ended the stand when an increasingly aggressive Gibbs, who hit 13 fours in his 63, slashed at a short delivery and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni.
Mark Boucher, who was 27 not out, and Prince took South Africa to tea without further loss in an unbroken partnership that has reached 43.
South Africa suffered a setback before the start when key allrounder Jacques Kallis was ruled out with a painful back. Kallis was replaced by allrounder Andrew Hall.
Fast bowler Morne Morkel made his debut in the place of Dale Steyn, who aggravated a thigh strain in the first test in Johannesburg. The tourists retained the team that won the first test by 123 runs to record India’s first test win in South Africa.—Agencies