India closes on 142-2 after Kallis lifts Proteas

Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar shared an unbeaten 114-run stand as India swung the series-deciding third test against South Africa back in its favor late on the second day at Newlands.

Gambhir reached 65 not out and Tendulkar supported with an unbeaten 49 as India recovered from 28-2 to close on 142-2 Monday, 220 runs behind the Proteas’ first-innings 362.

In the seesaw battle, which top-ranked India has to win for a first series triumph in South Africa, Jacques Kallis had earlier scored 161 as the home team lost its last six wickets for 100 runs.

Kallis put on 52 for the last wicket with Lonwabo Tsotsobe to pass 150 for the first time in his home city.

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth led India’s bowlers with 5-99.

Scoreboard

South Africa 1^st Innings=

Alviro Petersen c Dhoni b Sharma 21

Graeme Smith lbw b Khan 6

Hashim Amla c Pujara b Sreesanth 59

Jacques Kallis c Dhoni b Khan 161

A.B. de Villiers c Dhoni b Sreesanth 26

Ashwell Prince b Sreesanth 47

Mark Boucher c Dhoni b Sreesanth 0

Dale Steyn c Pujara b Khan 0

Morne Morkel c Dhoni b Sreesanth 8

Paul Harris c Pujara b Sharma 7

Lonwabo Tsotsobe not out 8

Extras: (1b, 6lb, 1w, 11nb) 19

TOTAL: (all out) 362

Overs: 112.5

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-34, 3-106, 4-164, 5-262, 6-262, 7-272, 8-283, 9-310, 10-362.

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 29.5-6-89-3 (2nb), Shanthakumaran Sreesanth 29-0-114-5 (6nb, 1w), Ishant Sharma 27-6-77-2 (3nb), Harbhajan Singh 27-3-75-0. India 1^st Innings=

Gautam Gambhir not out 65

Virender Sehwag c Smith b Steyn 13

Rahul Dravid run out (De Villiers) 5

Sachin Tendulkar not out 49

Extras: (8lb, 1w, 1nb) 10

TOTAL: (for two wickets) 142

Overs: 50.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-28.

Bowling: Dale Steyn 13-4-31-1, Morne Morkel 14-3-46-0 (1nb, 1w), Lonwabo Tsotsobe 12-3-28-0, Paul Harris 11-2-29-0.

Still to bat: VVS Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

Toss: India.

Series: Three-match series level at 1-1.

Umpires: Ian Gould, England, and Simon Taufel, Australia.

TV umpire: Brian Jerling, South Africa. Match referee: Andy Pycroft, Zimbabwe.

AP