South Africa strikes swiftly, India out for 280
JOHANNESBURG: South Africa´s seamers struck rapidly and ruthlessly on the second morning and India crumbled from 255-5 overnight to 280 all out in the first Test at the Wanderers on Thursday.
The home attack made its first breakthrough in the ninth over of the second day and needed just four more overs to end India´s first innings and take sudden control of the series-opener. South Africa wrenched out the last five wickets for just 25 runs in a little over an hour in Johannesburg under helpful overcast skies.
South Africa openers Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen batted through to lunch, with the Proteas reaching 22-0 off 10 overs and cutting India´s lead to 258.
As the sun came out, Smith´s biggest struggle was an uncomfortable blow to the right knee off a Zaheer Khan delivery that had the captain sprawled out on his back, grimacing in pain as he was treated. He and Petersen were both 11 not out.
Earlier, Vernon Philander picked up three wickets on the day, including two in two balls, to lead a revived attack for overall figures of 4-61.
The seamer moved to 99 Test wickets in his 19th Test. Morne Morkel finished with 3-34, continuing his menace from Wednesday, and Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis had one wicket each from the first day.
Virat Kohli´s belligerent 119 led India to a reasonably stable first-day score after early scares on the opening day, but the Proteas swiftly snuffed out India´s hopes of a challenging total in ruthless fashion on day two. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, playing a record 50th Test as captain, was caught behind off Morkel for 19 to begin the slide and using just its three front-line seamers, top-ranked Test team South Africa ran through the rest of India´s lineup.
Ajinkya Rahane was out for 47 four deliveries after Dhoni when he also nicked through to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers, adding just four runs to his overnight score. Zaheer Khan was trapped lbw next ball to put Philander on a hat trick.
Ishan Sharma edged the hat-trick ball just short of slip, but was bowled by Philander two overs later. Morkel also rattled Mohammed Shami´s stumps as India´s last three batsmen all fell for ducks and the South Africans stamped their authority on the first of two tests between the world´s top two teams.Ravichandran Ashwin was unbeaten on 11. (AP)
