South Africa’s batsmen didn’t really find their feet against the Indian spinners, partly because they weren’t required to, but nevertheless managed to quell any hopes of an unlikely India win in the opening game of the three-Test series. Neil McKenzie led the way to a dreary draw, adding an unbeaten 155 on Sunday to his first innings 94, as South Africa formally declared their second innings closed at 331 for five, with a possible 14 overs left on the final day. Umpires Asad Rauf and Tony Hill, who had been on the field for all the five hot days, then conferred with acting Indian captain Dhoni and called off the match. Some of the blame for the inaction on the final day must be laid at the doors of the Indian spinners, even if the Indian captain Anil Kumble refused to acknowledge it at the post-match press conference minutes after his South African counterpart had admitted that his left-arm spinner Paul Harris wasn’t at his best during the Test. They need to be commended for their never-say-die efforts on Day One and Two but more was certainly expected of the combined experience of Kumble and Harbhajan Singh on this third-day like Day Five pitch, which, it must be said, never broke up but only ended up breaking just the bowlers’ hearts. Skipper Kumble went off the field shortly after lunch with a right groin niggle, which along with Sachin Tendulkar’s absence due to a groin strain and stomach problems, had the substitutes doing duty while vice-captain Dhoni led the side. The sweep was the most used shot on the day, perhaps the planned counter-measure against the spinners. One such shot provided the first real chance of the day, with McKenzie’s overnight partner, Hashim Amla, who turns 25 on Monday, receiving an early birthday gift by getting a reprieve. Sree Santh, positioned at long leg just for this rare chance, ran in a few yards but spilled the somewhat tough chance, only to earn a mouthful from the angry bowler, Harbhajan, who then proceeded to demonstrate to the Kerala pacer how it was done when he dived to stop a certain boundary. Amla (81), then on 55 in the day’s 12th over, was lucky again when RP Singh dropped him off his own bowling 17 runs later. Amla, though, was determined to get out on the day and soon enough he guided a Kumble delivery to Rahul Dravid at slip. Three more wickets fell on the day, Harbhajan picking up Jacques Kallis and Ashley Prince cheaply, after which Sehwag, who in Kumble’s absence was asked to bowl as many as 22 overs,snapped up AB de Villiers. Those wickets, however, came when the possibility of a result was long over.
Brief Score
South Africa
Batting
Ist Innings: 540/10, Hashim-159, Mckenzie-94, Smith-73, Boucher-70
2nd Innings: 331/5, Mckenzie-155, Hashim-81
Bowling
Ist Innings: Steyn-4/103, Ntini-3/128, Harris-3/203
2nd Innings: Did not bowl
India
Batting
Ist Innings: 627/10, Sehwag-319, Dravid-111, Jaffer-73
2nd Innings: Did not bat
Bowling
Ist Innings: Harbhajan-5/164, Kumble-2/106, Sehwag-1/37, Sreesanth-1/104
2nd Innings: Harbhajan-3/101, Sehwag-1/55, Kumble-1/57
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