The threat posed by India's disciplined bowlers, led by Harbhajan Singh, on a pitch with cracks that were widening, rough areas that were worsening and bounce that was becoming increasingly variable, was severe. The pressure they created was of a different variety to that applied by the South African attack. It wasn't a product of blockbuster aggression but it brought three wickets and cost only 69 runs. They failed to dismiss the man they wanted to most, though, and as long as Jacques Kallis remains unbeaten, South Africa's chances of posting a match-winning score are never bleak.
Harbhajan two strikes in three overs late on the third day had indicated that the fourth would be his stage. He entered in the second over and the impact was immediate. He looped the ball into the rough, located on a good length just outside the right-handers off stump. The puff of earth as the ball hit the pitch widened eyes, and the bounce and turn was of a degree Harbhajan had not managed in recent memory. He struck Alviro Petersen, who went back into his crease to play on the leg side, on the pad with a sharp offbreak and had broken through with his fifth ball. In his next over, Harbhajan spun one into Amla and the ball beat the attempted sweep, lobbed off the pad, deflected off the arm and on to the stumps. South Africa had lost 4 for 14.
Enter Kallis, with a strained side. Harbhajan was bowling with a short leg, leg gully, midwicket, square leg and a man in the deep. The off-side field was sparsely populated so Kallis, using incredible skill, began to reverse-sweep. He was playing against the turn, against the bounce but used the stroke effectively, collecting boundaries through point and third man. He also countered Harbhajan by staying back, moving across, playing extremely late and taking the bottom hand off the bat while fending the ball down on the leg side.
Harbhajan had support from Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan. They bowled with discipline and were rarely loose. Sreesanth went through a phase when he tried to bounce Kallis and suffered but it was brief. He quickly reverted to the tight line outside off stump with seam movement away from the right-hander.
AB de Villiers struggled to score against this line from Sreesanth and defended so many balls that he soon had faced more than Kallis had. Zaheer too kept him quiet, with balls that angled in from round the wicket before seaming away off the pitch. de Villiers left plenty but it was the one that came back in that got him. de Villiers was late in pulling his bat out of the way and the ball cannoned off the bottom edge to uproot off and middle stump.
Kallis continued to battle, the bowling and his injured side. When he pressed forward to one delivery from Harbhajan that spat up at him, he had to jerk to fend it down. He did so successfully, but was clutching his side in pain and laid down on the ground. He needed considerable attention before he was able to resume. Ashwell Prince joined Kallis late in the session and their partnership was worth 23 at the break. South Africa lead by 119 at present. On this pitch, with South Africa's bowling firepower, it's impossible to predict what target is too small.
Original store on : Cricinfo.com
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