POLLOCK RIPS TOP OFF INDIAN FIRST INNINGS

Pollock struck three telling blows in a devastating opening spell as India clattered to 15 for three and even though Sourav Ganguly produced a succession of thrilling strokes against Jacques Kallis, a fourth wicket for South Africa from Makhaya Ntini kept the pressure in the visiting team.

India started batting in the early afternoon after the South African first innings had closed at 362 and were quickly in trouble when Pollock had Shiv Das adjudged lbw for 1 in his third oover.

There was a suggestion that Das might have got some bat on the ball and he certainly seemed unhappy at umpire Ian Howell’s decision, but there was no debate about Pollock’s second wicket when he bowled Rahul Dravid through the gate for 2, the middle stump cartwheeling out of the ground.

And then Pollock landed the big fish, Sachin Tendulkar pulling one straight Lance Klusener at mid on for 1.

With South Africa employing attacking fields, runs were available for the Indian batsmen and Ganguly took advantage of this when Pollock (7-1-13-3) replaced himself with Kallis. Ganguly took four boundaries off Kallis’s third over to hit the all-rounder out of the attack, but Ntini took South Africa’s fourth wicket at the other end, bowling Deep Dasgupta with one that kept a shade low.

Dasgupta had opened the innings with Das and had been there for 78 minutes when the fourth wicket fell at 47 before Ganguly (37 not out) and VVS Laxman (4 not out) took India to tea.::Day 2 - Innings::South Africa 1st innings::South African all out for 362 as Srinath takes six India took 12 ball after lunch to finish off the South African first innings at 362 as Javagal Srinath took six wickets in an innings for the fourth time in his career on the second day of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match at St George’s Park on Saturday.

Srinath clean bowled Nantie Hayward for a duck with the sixth ball of his first over of the afternoon to wrap up the innings with Mark Boucher, 60 at lunch, unbeaten on 68.

Hayward’s wicket left Srinath with six for 76, just reward for some intelligent and accurate bowling through the South African innings.::Day 2 - Lunch::South Africa 1st innings::Tendulkar snares Gibbs for 196 in Port Elizabeth Sachin Tendulkar denied Herschelle Gibbs a second Test double-century by dismissing the South African opener for 196 as the home side reached 353 for nine in their first innings on the second day of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match against India at St George’s Park on Saturday.

Tendulkar, brought into the attack after Harbhajan Singh had conceded 10 off his fourth over of the day, struck with only his fifth ball in the Test match, persuading Gibbs to chop a long hop into the hands of Virender Sehwag at a wide gully position.

It was a disappointing end to a wonderful innings. Gibbs had been watchful through the first hour of the day, adding only 14 to his overnight 155, but looked to be getting back into his stride as he and Mark Boucher added 80 for the South African seventh wicket.

But Tendulkar put paid to his hopes of emulating the 211 he made against New Zealand in 1999 before Anil Kumble trapped Nicky Boje leg before for one, two balls later to have South Africa 325 for seven.

Boucher, meanwhile, had gone to his 50 after 89 minutes with his eighth boundary, a lofted on drive against Kumble while Makhaya Ntini employed the edge of his bat to take successive boundaries off Tendulkar, an uppish square drive followed by an edge over the slips.

Ntini should have been out on nine when a leading edge carried over cover’s head and Sourav Ganguly lost sight of the ball in the sun as it dropped over his shoulder.

Boucher, who had been badly missed by Rahul Dravid, lifted Javagal Srinath just over mid off’s head when the Indian fast bowler came back on just before lunch and then pulled the next ball for six into the old grand stand to bring up the South African 350.

Srinath was compensated later in the over, however, when he took his fifth wicket of the innings, Shiv Sunder Das catching Ntini at deep backward square for 10 to send the players into lunch. Boucher was not out on 60.::Day 2 - Mid-morning::South Africa 1st innings::India strike early, but South Africa bat on in Port Elizabeth India bagged an early wicket on the second morning of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test match at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, but Herschelle Gibbs, 155 not out, remained steadfast as South Africa moved to 285 for six in their first innings.

The fluency that characterised Gibbs’ batting on the first day was missing, however, and after hitting 21 fours and a six on Friday he failed to reach the boundary in the first hour on Saturday.

He was still there at drinks, though, on 169 and with Mark Boucher quickly finding his timing India were unable to capitalise on the breakthrough achieved when Javagal Srinath dismissed Shaun Pollock in the fifth over of the morning.

Pollock had still to open his account when he went out to bat with Gibbs at the start of play and he made only 3 before driving on the up at Srinath to provide Harbhajan Singh with a straightforward catch at point.

The sixth South African wicket fell at 244 and Pollock was Srinath’s fourth victim of the innings.

With Gibbs subdued, it was to left to Boucher to provide the momentum and the South African vice-captain was quickly into his stride, hitting Srinath past mid on for the first boundary of the morning.

Boucher then tucked Ajit Agarkar through mid-wicket for his second four and then was a little fortunate when a thin edge onto his pad off Srinath enabled him to escape a confident leg before wicket appeal from the Indians.

Further boundaries off Agarkar’s sixth over of the day, though midwicket and the covers, prompted a double change in the bowling with Anil Kumble and Harbhajan coming into the attack just before drinks.

And Boucher then enjoyed a massive stroke of luck two balls before drinks when he top-edged a sweep against Harbhajan and Rahul Dravid spilled a simple catch as the ball spooned over the wicketkeeper’s head.

When the break arrived Boucher had 31.