Nothing works for India on Sunday

When a Test match is moving at as nervous a pace as this one, the key to gaining footholds is always grabbing half-chances and making something out of nothing; India, in a bizarre three-minute period of play on a warm and sunny Sunday morning in Nagpur, did exactly the opposite.

It was the 26th over of the day, the 108th of the innings, and Hashim Amla had already faced 284 deliveries when he shimmied down the track to Harbhajan Singh and whipped his wrists to one that dipped viciously on him. The ball took the inside edge, thudded into his front pad and popped straight to forward short-leg — where Murali Vijay dropped one of the easier chances that will ever come his way. Off the very next delivery, Mahendra Singh Dhoni moved well to his left, but failed to latch on to a slightly harder one down the leg-side. Harbhajan stood scratching his head, waiting for the ground to swallow him up. Amla smiled, marked his guard again, and settled down to torment India for another five hours.

Batting on 115 overnight, and 149 when he got the double break less than an hour into Day Two, the South African No.3 finished unbeaten on 253 off 473 deliveries with 22 boundaries in a marathon effort that lasted a shade over 11 hours. He had batted for all but 19 minutes of the South African first innings, which Graeme Smith declared at 558/6, giving India four uncomfortable overs to play out.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir raced away to 25 for no loss, but Monday could bring with it a different challenge, especially if Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel manage to hit a better length than they did during their brief spells.

The first two days in Nagpur have been about one side jostling to get an advantage and the other desperate to deny them that. It's moved slowly at times, but is nicely set up now; and one man was involved in most of that setting up.

Different approach

Amla is not your typical South African batsman, who tends to put substance over style (just peek into the two dressing rooms for proof: Kepler Wessels, batting consultant, sits in one wearing green; Gary Kirsten, coach, sits in the other wearing blue). Amla's method is more musical than muscular, and he plays the ball later than most of his colleagues. His game may not be all fluid, wavy lines like a Lara or a Laxman, but in a purely South African context, he's dashing.

Amla started strongly on Sunday, unlike Jacques Kallis who went into a shell against the turning ball. The all-rounder, unbeaten on 155 at the start of play, added just 18 to his total in 61 balls, and finally fell, caught at bat-pad off an uncertain prod against Harbhajan.

AB de Villiers was busy as usual, and put away loose deliveries that came his way before being dismissed to a silly swipe off Virender Sehwag, while Jean-Paul Duminy's scratchy stay ended when he was declared leg-before trying to sweep against the turn.

At the other end, Amla stood tall (actually, he stood crouched low, bent at the knees) and, with the field spread open, kept picking singles and the occasional gap. He moved to 150 off 286 deliveries and soldiered on to his first double ton off 374 balls, having survived a few nervous minutes at 199.

Missed chances

It wasn't flawless though. He played and missed a lot, especially against Amit Mishra who got his leg-breaks to turn a mile. He had a big let-off as well towards the end, when he survived a plumb leg-before shout against Harbhajan, who must've wondered then why exactly he and his team mates were so opposed to the Umpire Decision Review System.

The bowling, however, was far more purposeful than it was on the first day, and Zaheer and Ishant kept things especially tight as the visitors looked for quick runs before the declaration. Smith would have liked a wicket or two in the four-over burst, but if they grab half-chances that come their way — as the South Africans usually do — India could have a rough ride ahead.

source : yahoo

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