2nd Test: South Africa v India at Port Elizabeth, 16-20 Nov 2001 CricInfo Live Report

2nd Test: South Africa v India at Port Elizabeth, 16-20 Nov 2001
Peter Robinson

Pre-game: Day 1 - Toss,
South Africa 1st innings: Day 1 - Mind-morning, Day 1 - Lunch, Day 1 - Mid-afternoon, Day 1 - Tea,

GIBBS CENTURY KEEPS SOUTH AFRICA ON TRACK IN PE

Herschelle Gibbs took his second century off India in as many matches as South Africa moved to 167 for three at tea on the first day of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match at St George’s Park on Friday.

Gibbs, who scored 107 in the first Test at Goodyear Park two weeks ago, was 111 not out at the interval. It was his fifth Test century in all and it took him 206 minutes to reach three figures. He had taken 15 fours off the Indian bowling at that stage.

Gibbs apart, however, not a great deal happened in the hour before tea as Boeta Dippenaar helped the opener put on 51 for the fourth wicket. Dippenaar, who has still to book his place on the plane for South Africa’s tour of Australia next month, was understandably cautious, but he came out of his shell to cut Harbhajan Singh away for four when the offspinner dropped one short.

The 50 partnership came up shortly before drinks when Gibbs turned Harbhajan for a single. It had taken 78 minutes and Dippenaar’s contribution to it had been 13. He went to tea on the same score.

GIBBS HOLDS SA FIRST INNINGS TOGETHER IN PE

India winkled out a third South African wicket after lunch to have the home team 137 for three in mid-afternoon on the first day of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match at St George’s Park on Friday, but with Herschelle Gibbs unbeaten on 91, the tourists had still to break the back of the South African batting.

Gibbs had gone to lunch on 56 and he came out after the break as if he meant to do business, taking two boundaries of Harbhajan Singh’s first over of the session.

A two from Neil McKenzie off Javagal Srinath in the next over raised the South African 100 after 124 minutes, but McKenzie was not to last a great deal longer before he was comprehensively bowled by Harbhajan, playing all around a ball of full length.

McKenzie made 12 with the third South African wicket falling at 116, but Gibbs continued to provide a backbone to the innings. He was occasionally baffled by Harbhajan, offering one or two false strokes but he offered no clear-cut chances and he was clearly the man India needed to dismiss if they were to keep the South Africans in check.

Two successive boundaries off Ajit Agarkar in the drinks over emphasised the point as a fifth Test century for the South African began to look increasingly likely.

The Indians settled into a pattern after lunch with Sourav Ganguly rotating Srinath and Ajit Agarkar at the Duck Pond end with Harbhajan wheeling away from the Park Drive end.

Boeta Dippenaar, who is under some pressure to retain his Test place, replaced McKenzie and at drinks he had 3 to his name.

SOUTH AFRICA REACH 91/2 AFTER FIRST MORNING OF SECOND TEST

India’s lack of a quality all-rounder was brought into sharp relief on the first morning of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match as the tourists employed an all-spin attack in conditions favourable to seam bowling well before lunch. At the end of the first session, South Africa, who had been asked to bat first, had progressed to 91 for two.

The Indians went in to the match with just four bowlers, including two spinners, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, and even though they claimed the wicket Gary Kirsten inside the first hour, they were clearly a seam bowler short.

India’s strategy was clearly to employ Sourav Ganguly as the third seamer, but the weakness of this ploy was shown up when the Indian captain was hit out of the attack after conceding 21 off just two overs. Herschelle Gibbs was particularly harsh on Ganguly, hitting him for three fours in his second over.

And so by the 17th over of the innings, Gibbs and Jacques Kallis found themselves facing Kumble and Harbhajan under overcast skies and on a green pitch. Harbhajan, it must be said, bowled well in his first Test match in South Africa, inducing a false stroke from Kallis who squirted an attempted lofted drive over square leg, and almost squeezing one between Gibbs’ bat and pad.

But the South Africans were able to build their stand for the second wicket with Kallis raising the 50 partnership by driving a friendly full toss from Kumble for four after the pair had been together for an hour.

Gibbs, who made a fine century in the first Test, wen to his 50 after 103 minutes at the crease when he put Harbhajan away wide of mid on for the ninth four of his innings.

Kumble was rested after seven overs for 14 with Javagal Srinath coming back into the attack from the Duck Pond end and the change brought almost immediate reward when Kallis was bowled off an inside edge for 24 in the second over of Srinath’s new spell.

The stand had been worth 70 to South Africa, scored in 85 minutes and the second South African wicket fell at 91. Neil McKenzie joined Gibbs to get off the mark from his first ball, an all-run four from a drive that pulled up just short of the long off boundary and at lunch Gibbs had 56 with McKenzie 4.

KIRSTEN GOES CHEAPLY AS SOUTH AFRICA BAT FIRST IN PE

India grabbed the wicket of Gary Kirsten as South Africa made a cautious start to the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match at St George’s Park on Friday. After being sent in to bat by Sourav Ganguly, the home side had progressed to 41 for one at the end of the first hour’s play.

Ganguly’s decision to field first was understandable in view of a greenish pitch and cloud cover over Port Elizabeth, but with only Javagal Srinath and Ajit Agarkar selected as specialists seamers, the tourists needed to break through early in the South African innings.

Herschelle Gibbs sandwiched a scratchy four down to third man off Srinath with a pair of handsome boundaries, off the back and front feet, through the covers off Agarkar before Srinath drew first blood for the Indians.

He had had a confident appeal for lbw against Kirsten turned down by umpire Russell Tiffin in his second over, but struck in his fourth over when Kirsten drove at a ball running across him. The edge was parried by Virender Sehwag at third slip but VVS Laxman held onto the rebound at second slip to send Kirsten on his way.

The South African left-hander had scored 4 in 27 minutes with the wicket falling at 17.

Jacques Kallis drove Agarkar for four through to the covers for his first boundary before Ganguly made a double bowling change shortly before mid-morning drinks, bringing himself on at the Park Drive end and replacing Srinath with Anil Kumble at the Duckpond end.

After 15 overs, Gibbs had 26 with Kallis on 9.

GANGULY SENDS SOUTH AFRICA IN TO BAT IN SECOND TEST

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat on a grey, blustery, but humid morning in Port Elizabeth as the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match started at St George’s Park on Friday.

The Indians made two changes to the side that lost the first Test by nine wickets with both left-arm seamers, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan dropping out and Ajit Agarkar and offspinner Harbhajan Singh coming in. This gave India a four-man attack comprised of two seamers and two spin bowlers.

The pitch had a good covering of greenish grass and this, together with overhead conditions that seemed likely to assist Javagal Srinath and Agarkar, no doubt prompted Ganguly’s decision to bowl first.

The suggestion from the Indian camp was that wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta would open the batting, but this remains to be seen.

South Africa named an unchanged side with Jacques Rudolph slated to carry the drinks.

Teams

South Africa: Shaun Pollock (capt), Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Boeta Dippenaar, Lance Klusener, Mark Boucher, Nicky Boje, Nantie Hayward, Makhaya Ntini. Twelfthman: Jacques Rudolph.

India: Sourav Ganguly (capt), SS Das, Deep Dasgupta, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Javagal Srinath.