South Africa 164/5 at lunch in second cricket Test against India

Kolkata, February 18: The spin combinaton of Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra scalped two quick wickets to take India closer to a series-levelling win over South Africa, who were 164 for five in their second innings at lunch on the fifth and final day of the second cricket Test here today.

Still a 183 runs behind the hosts’ mammoth first innings score of 643, Hashim Amla (68) and Jean-Paul Duminy (0) were holding fort for South Africa at the break.

Harbhajan (2 for 40) gave the first breakthrough this morning dismissing Ashwell Prince (23), while Amit Mishra (3 for 33) struck just before lunch to keep the crowd on its toes at lunch.

Sorely missing the services of strike bowler Zaheer Khan, who had stiffness in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg, India had difficulty in breaking the overnight partnership of Amla and Prince early on. The left-arm quickie, who was off the field since the post-tea session yesterday, remained confined to the dressing room until lunch.

Resuming at their overnight score of 115 for three, Prince made a tentative start and struggled to put on runs, but his presence at the crease was enough to frustrate the Indians, who were seven wickets short of a victory at the start of the day.

After 26.4 overs this morning, India got their first breakthrough when Harbhajan found his victim in Prince, breaking a 47-run fourth wicket partnership.

India began this morning with the part-time off-spin of Sehwag and they missed an early chance to break the overnight partnership. Struggling to find form, Prince edged one to gully but it landed in no man’s land with Dhoni employing a slip and silly-point.

Realising the blooper, Dhoni was quick to form an attacking circle — short leg, silly point, slip and gully — around Prince in Harbhajan’s next over. It added more pressure on the South African and Harbhajan had a loud appeal for lbw turned down by Australian umpire Steve Davis.

Out of form Prince struggled to open his account and took 18 balls to score his first runs. Mishra was brought in the 43rd over but the leg-spinner, who was successful in his first spell yesterday, could not get a wicket either.

The wait ended in the 62nd over when Prince was done in by a Harbhajan delivery’s flight. Prince looped it at mid off where Sharma did the needful as the Eden crowd erupted in jubilation.

Prince’s slow innings of 23 came off 80 balls and included just one boundary. Seven overs after his dismissal, South Africa’s second wicket fell when Mishra dismissed A B de Villiers (3), who was foxed by a googly from the leg-spinner only to be trapped in front.

Two quick wickets reduced South Africa to 158 for four and they were once again relying heavily on Amla, who has so far scored 435 runs, to rescue them.

Brief Score:
India: 643/6 decl.
South Africa: 296 and 164/5 in 70 overs (Hashim Amla 68 batting, Ashwell Prince 23, Harbhajan Singh 2/40, Amit Mishra 3/33).

—PTI