Hardwork of Zaheer Khan combined with Harbhajan Singh’s brilliance brought India back into the Kalcutta Test.
At stumps, the South African score stood at 266/9 after bad light ended play roughly 30 minutes before the schedule.

After Graem Smith fell cheaply to Zaheer, South Africans cruised along with debutant Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla stroking fluent centuries.

The duo blunted Indian bowling with ease and during their 209 run-stand for the second wicket, it appeared that South Africans would take firm control of the Kolkata Test on day one itself.

Petersen was the first to fall, when having secured his maiden century was induced to a thick edge by Zaheer to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

He struck 16 fours as he made exactly 100 runs.

South Africa goes to tea at 228/2.

Post tea Amla fell in the first over. Trying to pull a delivery from outside the off-stump, Amla managed only an edge, to Dhoni again.

He made 114 runs off 166 balls, a knock that was punctuated with 14 boundaries and a six.

Amla was Zaheer’s third wicket after the left-hander had added yet another successful chapter to his domination over Graeme Smith in the morning.

This was the fourth time Zaheer got the better of Smith, having dismissed him cheaply, clean bowled, in the Nagpur Test as well.

Ashwell Prince (1) and JP Duminy (0) fell off successive deliveries off Harbhajan.

Zaheer made matters worse for the visitors with a direct hit to run-out AB De Villiers, which left South Africa reeling at 254/7.

Ishant then claimed the eighth wicket with the wicket of Paul Harris. Amit Mishra trapped Dale Steyn LBW.

Zaheer was finally rewarded for his lion-hearted efforts, ending with figures 3/77, while Harbhajan too broke away from the shacles off bad form, finishing with figures of 3/60 at close.


Meanwhile India, who need to win not only to salvage the series, but also to retain their numero uno ranking in Tests, replace Wriddhiman Saha with VVS Laxman.

Team:

India: V Sehwag, G Gambhir, M Vijay, SR Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, S Badrinath, MS Dhoni*†, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, A Mishra, I Sharma

South Africa: GC Smith*, AN Petersen, HM Amla, JH Kallis, AB de Villiers†, AG Prince, JP Duminy, DW Steyn, WD Parnell, M Morkel, PL Harris