… career-best five for 20 for paceman Morkel
(REUTERS) – Unbeaten centuries by Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla put South Africa totally in control against the inconsistent India attack on the second day of the first Test yesterday. Amla made 116 not out and Kallis 102 not out as South Africa closed on 366 for two.
The ailing Indian bowlers were defending their batsmen’s paltry first innings total of 136 all out.
Kallis breezed to his 38th Test century off just 130 balls in three hours and looked entirely on top of his game. He stroked nine elegant fours and hammered three sixes.
Amla, who passed 1 000 runs against India in his 10th Test against the world’s number one-ranked team, survived a number of scares to score his 12th Test century and sixth this year.
Kallis and Amla have added 200 for the third wicket to give South Africa a first-innings lead of 230 and all but kill off India’s chances of victory.
The visitors could ill-afford the lacklustre showing of their seamers on a pitch on which South African fast bowlers Morne Morkel with a career-best five for 20 and Dale Steyn (three for 24) had prospered.
But Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, debutant Jaidev Unadkat and Ishant Sharma all failed to extract any life from the surface.
India’s best hope of wickets lies with off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, but his two wickets in 25 overs have cost 107 runs.
Amla and Kallis were able to bat in unflustered calm as they revived memories of their match-winning stand of 340 against India earlier this year in Nagpur.
Earlier, openers Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen blunted the Indian attack for two-and-a-quarter hours.
Petersen hit nine fours and a six, including some wonderful drives through the covers, in his 77 before he tried to tickle a quicker delivery from Harbhajan and was caught at short leg.
Smith was out for 62, caught behind with the score on 166.
South Africa could claim the number one ranking from India if they win all the Tests in the three-match series.