Kolkata, February 18: Hashim Amla did all the right things, playing the entire fifth day, scoring a fighting century, negating the Indian spinners with ease, frustrating the whole India with his bat. But his valiant efforts could not save the 2nd Test match at Eden Gardens for South Africa and dashed the hopes of Smith & Co to reclaim the number one spot in Test cricket.
India, on the other hand, proved that they are the real number one by winning the Test match by an innings and 58 runs in Kolkata comprehensively. The victory, coming on the wake of a humiliating Test defeat at Nagpur, put the number one debate to the rest simply because the team led by MS Dhoni showed enough resilience, grit, character and grace throughout the all five days at the historic Eden Gardens.
India proved to be much superior throughout the entire match. Four of their batsmen- Sehwag, Sachin, Laxman and Dhoni- scored contrasting centuries. Indian bowlers bowl their hearts out. Paceman Zaheer Khan destroyed the Proteas with the ball in the first innings while ace spinner Harbhajan Singh used all his experience to torment the tourists with 5-wickethaul during their second innings. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra also bowled well as he picked 3 wickets.
Hashim Amla, though, continued his rich form in Indian soil as he scored a fighting century under testing condition to keep India at bay on the final day. Amla’s gritty knock came from 268 balls with 13 hits to the fence. It’s his valiant efforts that prevented India from wrapping up the crucial End Test match. South Africa went into tea at 250/7.
Amla, standing at the middle of the crease and fighting out Indian spinners single-handedly, continued to prove thorn in the flesh for India.
Indian captain M S Dhoni used as many as four bowlers, including part-timer Virender Sehwag, but no one could break the defense of Amla. Paceman Ishant Sharma could not compensate the absence of pace spearhead Zaheer Khan and wasted both time and energy by bowling too far outside the off stumps.
Resuming the final day at 111/3, 226 runs adrift of India total, Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince continued to frustrate Indians as they keep defying the Indian bowlers during the morning session.
Amla, the highest run scorer in the series, in particular, had no problem in negotiating the opposition bowlers be it Ishan’s pace or the spin of Harbhajan and Mishra. Meanwhile, the right hander from Durban continued his rich form in India as he scored yet another half-century. He took 90 balls to reach his fifty with the help of 7 fours.
Finally, India got the first South African wicket in the morning as Harbhajan Singh removed Ashwell Prince by inducing a false shot from the southpaw.
Prince, who made only 23 runs, forged an important 47-run stand with Hashim Amla which helped South Africans keep the Indians at bay for almost two hours in the morning session.
Amit Mishra gave India their fifth breakthrough, 2nd of the morning session, by removing A B de Villiers for just 3. South Africa went into lunch at 164/5 with Hashim Amla remained steady as ever on 68.
Bhiajji, then, inflicted the seventh blow on the South African camp by removing Dale Steyn for just one. Just before that India took 6th South African wicket when Harbhajan Singh produced a peach of a delivery to remove J P Duminy for 6. Duminy, trying to play on the backfoot, was found plumb in front of the wicket. The wicket left South Africa tottering at 174/6.
Ishant Sharma, who was a total disappointment throughout the day, came on his own and took the two crucial wickets.
Sharma finally broke the stubborn resistance of Wayne Parnell by removing him for 22. His wicket brought the downfall of a dangerous-looking 70-run partnership between Amla and Parnell. He also got the 9th South African wicket when he induced an edge from Paul Harris which was taken by Dinesh Karthik in 2nd slip.
Unlike yesterday, weather improved drastically in Kolkata and provided an ideal playing condition, a sunny morning, for the battle for number one status in Test cricket.
India declared at 643/6 in their first innings in reply to South Africa’s 296 all out.
–PTI–