SOUTH Africa’s dream of sending Jacques Kallis into the sunset of his career on the wings of victory is alive going into the last day of the second Test against India at Kingsmead today, but only just.
When bad light ended play four overs early, India were 68/2 in their second innings, still 98 runs behind. To have a chance of winning, South Africa must dismiss the visitors efficiently and then perhaps also knock off a target.
Although today’s weather forecast looks promising and South Africa are the only team in the match still chasing victory, winning will require prevailing in a battle of attrition.
The Indians batted like men in a wartime trench yesterday – Cheteshwar Pujara faced 90 balls for his 32 not out – and they will be even more determined to defend to the death today.
The lack from South Africa’s ranks of an attacking spinner could slow their progress, what with the pitch showing few signs of variable bounce.
South Africa resumed on 299/5 with Kallis on 78 and nightwatchman Dale Steyn yet to score.
Kallis faced four deliveries to reach the 80s, which he did with a four to fine leg off Zaheer Khan.
Twenty-one balls later he was 90 not out, courtesy of a silky cover drive for four, also off Zaheer.
The grand moment broke 19 balls after that and an hour into the day’s play by way of a dab to short midwicket for a single off Ravindra Jadeja.
Off came Kallis’s helmet and up onto their feet went every one of the about 2000 spectators at the ground. Long and sumptuous applause swept the scene.
The king of Kingsmead was dismissed in the seventh over before lunch when he top-edged a sweep off Jadeja and skied a catch to MS Dhoni, snuffing out a partnership of 86 he shared with Steyn.
Zaheer came forward to shake Kallis’s hand as he left the field, carried on the crowd’s clapping.
So ended a rock-solid innings that lasted more than six-and-a-half hours and involved 316 balls and 13 fours. It wasn’t pretty, but it was vintage Kallis.
His wicket was Jadeja’s fifth in an innings in which he would take 6/138 from 58.2 overs, a marathon made possible by the fact Dhoni declined to take the new ball until he was forced to by the umpires when the old orb split a seam after 146 overs.
All but six of the 116 runs South Africa added to their total of 500 after that were realised by Faf du Plessis and Robin Peterson, who scored at better than a run a ball.
Peterson’s 61, struck off 52 balls with nine fours and a six, made Kallis’s stoic effort look pedestrian by comparison.
South Africa took a lead of 166 into the second innings, and Vernon Philander struck in the sixth over when Murali Vijay nibbled and was taken at first slip.
But the home side needed a miracle to separate Shikhar Dhawan and Pujara. It came in the ninth over before the enforced close when Dhawan lashed out at Peterson and seemed to clear Du Plessis at short midwicket – only for Du Plessis to snare a brilliant catch in one hand.
King Kallis set to abdicate with win
When bad light ended play four overs early, India were 68/2 in their second innings, still 98 runs behind. To have a chance of winning, South Africa must dismiss the visitors efficiently and then perhaps also knock off a target.
Although today’s weather forecast looks promising and South Africa are the only team in the match still chasing victory, winning will require prevailing in a battle of attrition.
The Indians batted like men in a wartime trench yesterday – Cheteshwar Pujara faced 90 balls for his 32 not out – and they will be even more determined to defend to the death today.
The lack from South Africa’s ranks of an attacking spinner could slow their progress, what with the pitch showing few signs of variable bounce.
South Africa resumed on 299/5 with Kallis on 78 and nightwatchman Dale Steyn yet to score.
Kallis faced four deliveries to reach the 80s, which he did with a four to fine leg off Zaheer Khan.
Twenty-one balls later he was 90 not out, courtesy of a silky cover drive for four, also off Zaheer.
The grand moment broke 19 balls after that and an hour into the day’s play by way of a dab to short midwicket for a single off Ravindra Jadeja.
Off came Kallis’s helmet and up onto their feet went every one of the about 2000 spectators at the ground. Long and sumptuous applause swept the scene.
The king of Kingsmead was dismissed in the seventh over before lunch when he top-edged a sweep off Jadeja and skied a catch to MS Dhoni, snuffing out a partnership of 86 he shared with Steyn.
Zaheer came forward to shake Kallis’s hand as he left the field, carried on the crowd’s clapping.
So ended a rock-solid innings that lasted more than six-and-a-half hours and involved 316 balls and 13 fours. It wasn’t pretty, but it was vintage Kallis.
His wicket was Jadeja’s fifth in an innings in which he would take 6/138 from 58.2 overs, a marathon made possible by the fact Dhoni declined to take the new ball until he was forced to by the umpires when the old orb split a seam after 146 overs.
All but six of the 116 runs South Africa added to their total of 500 after that were realised by Faf du Plessis and Robin Peterson, who scored at better than a run a ball.
Peterson’s 61, struck off 52 balls with nine fours and a six, made Kallis’s stoic effort look pedestrian by comparison.
South Africa took a lead of 166 into the second innings, and Vernon Philander struck in the sixth over when Murali Vijay nibbled and was taken at first slip.
But the home side needed a miracle to separate Shikhar Dhawan and Pujara. It came in the ninth over before the enforced close when Dhawan lashed out at Peterson and seemed to clear Du Plessis at short midwicket – only for Du Plessis to snare a brilliant catch in one hand.
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