Tendulkar holds Indian innings together

DURBAN (South Africa)—Sachin Tendulkar played a watchful innings as India dug themselves out of early trouble before bad light brought a premature end to the second day of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead Wednesday.
India were 103 for three in reply to South Africa’s 328 when the stoppage came half an hour after tea. Tendulkar, who escaped a straightforward catching chance, was unbeaten on 46 on a pitch which Indian bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth said had become good for batting. “If the batsmen get stuck in they can get big scores and big partnerships,” he said.
India lost their first three wickets for 61 and it could have been worse if South African captain Graeme Smith had caught Tendulkar when the total was 69 with the batsman on 21. With India holding a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, Tendulkar and VVS Laxman looked determined to ensure their team would earn at least a draw. They batted cautiously as the light deteriorated to add an unbeaten 42 for the fourth wicket. Tendulkar batted for 135 minutes and faced 89 balls. Careful defence was mixed with judicious stroke selection and he hit eight fours. Laxman was with Tendulkar for 69 minutes and faced 49 deliveries, hitting a single boundary in scoring 10 not out. It was a frustrating day for both teams. India were unable to finish off South Africa’s first innings early in the day to give themselves a platform to dominate the match, while South Africa clawed their way back into contention, adding 71 for their last two wickets and then striking hard at the Indian top order, only to be thwarted by the weather conditions.
South African century-maker Ashwell Prince said it was a day on which the match had not moved forward significantly. He said bad light was likely to be a factor on the remaining three days.
Prince said it was a good batting pitch but held out hope that an early start Thursday to make up lost overs might help South Africa. “Hopefully we can nip out one or two batsmen in that extra half hour,” he said. “Then if the sun comes out perhaps some cracks will open up on days three and four and it might be interesting on day five.” Tendulkar’s let-off came when India’s master batsman edged Andrew Hall to first slip but Smith could not hold a waist-high offering to his left.
By contrast, AB de Villiers held two good catches at second slip as India made a poor start to their innings after South Africa, led by Prince, kept India in the field for an hour and a half at the start of the day. De Villiers held his first catch, leaping high and to his right, when Virender Sehwag was out first ball, slashing at Andre Nel. Then he had to go low to hold an edged drive by Wasim Jaffer off Makhaya Ntini. Jaffer made 26, his highest score of the tour.
In between Indian captain Rahul Dravid was leg before to Nel for 11 when he was trapped on his crease by a ball which slanted in. Nel bowled impressively to take two for 26 on another hot, steamy day at Kingsmead.
Prince, who was 98 not out overnight, top-scored for South Africa with 121 as the hosts kept the Indians in the field for an hour and a half earlier in the day, advancing their total from an overnight 257 for eight. Sreesanth was India’s most successful bowler with four for 109.
The left-handed Prince reached his fifth Test century in the third over of the morning when he drove Sreesanth through the covers for four. Prince found capable support from new cap Morne Morkel, a right-arm bowler and left-handed batsman, as the pair added 39 for the ninth wicket.
It took the second new ball to break the stand when Prince, immediately after hitting a scorching cover drive off Sreesanth, drove at a wide ball and edged a high catch to Laxman at second slip. Prince batted for 316 minutes, faced 212 balls and hit 16 fours. Morkel and last man Makhaya Ntini added another 32 before Anil Kumble wrapped up the innings when he trapped Ntini leg before for 16 with a straight ball that hurried through. Kumble finished with three for 62.—Agencies