Ganguly leaves promise of tantalising third day

Kanpur: The story of Day Two has to be the best-written script of the three-Test series so far. India and South Africa, jousting with all possible intensity, refused to give an inch as the tide shifted to and fro through out the day. However India, led by a defiant 87 by Sourav Ganguly, managed to overhaul South Africa’s 265 to lead by 23 runs at the end of the second day’s play at the Green Park Stadium here on Saturday.

India, who have to win to draw level in the three-Test series, finished at 288-9 at stumps with S Sreesanth (nine) and Ishant Sharma (zero) in the middle.

India were on the back-foot early in the day, losing both their openers within the first hour but the middle-order breathed life back in the innings, stringing crucial partnerships on a crumbling pitch. Ganguly led the Indian charge, scoring his second half-century of the series while VVS Laxman (50), MS Dhoni (32) Yuvraj Singh (32) and Rahul Dravid (29) played handy knocks.

Ganguly, who was India’s ninth wicket to fall, tackled the pitch and negotiated the fiery South Africa bowling in an exemplary fashion to pound his 30th Test fifty. It was the perfect blend of compact defence and controlled aggression from him. The southpaw, who fell 13 short of a deserving century, hit nine boundaries and one six.

Ganguly, confident after his gritty 87 in Ahmedabad, negated the turn and variable bounce in the pitch and conjured two vital partnerships; first with Yuvraj Singh and then with MS Dhoni.

After Ganguly and Yuvraj added 65 runs, the former skipper and the stand-in skipper put together 60 to take India closer to the South African total.

Paul Harris took two wickets in the last session as ambitious shots by Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni led to their undoing. An uncalled for wild heave landed the ball straight in the hands of AB de Villiers at deep mid-wicket and Yuvraj’s stay ended. Dhoni, after being patient through his knock, stepped out to Harris but failed to connect and Mark Boucher dislodged the bail and the Indian tail was exposed.

Ganguly started opening his arms and a pull off Dale Steyn saw India managed to overtake the South African total. But soon after, Steyn trapped Harbhajan leg-before for six and then Graeme Smith caught Piyush Chawla for four to give Makhaya Ntini his first wicket.

Ganguly batsman was left stranded after Yuvraj and Dhoni departed and in an attempt to accelerate miscued one off Steyn to give Amla a regulation catch.

Two quick wickets after lunch and India looked in trouble but Ganguly and Yuvraj plundered a flurry of boundaries, not allowing the visitors to seize the initiative. Yuvraj, who was jettisoned after the Sydney Test, produced shots of yore and was at his aggressive best. He smashed Steyn for two boundaries in an over and then gave an earful to the pacer.

Earlier, it was all-going India’s way after India were reduced to 35-2 as Dravid and Laxman took the home team out of the precarious situation. The duo had rebuilt the innings brilliantly with a steady stand and just when they were on their way into the driver’s seat, Morne Morkel rocked India by sending both set batsmen in a jiffy.

Laxman it seemed was batting on a completely different pitch. As the rest struggled on the sluggish wicket, Laxman played with trademark ease, dominating off the front-foot. And suddenly the breaking pitch seemed to have healed as both Dravid and Laxman looked assured in the middle, the scoreboard ticking steadily.

The duo looked well set to produce another sumptuous partnership but then a lethal spell from Morne Morkel after a drink’s break swung the pendulum. Morkel first sent back Dravid with a scorching delivery to end the 78-run stand and then cleaned up Laxman.

A snorter from Morkel rose from a good length, rapped Dravid on his gloved knuckles and spooned up. AB de Villiers accepted the catch gleefully. Dravid after toiling hard for his 29 was both in shock and pain on his way back.

Laxman who was at his fluent best, dominated the bowling both brilliantly off the front-foot and no sooner than he notched up his 33rd Test half-century, Morkel ended his stay. Laxman misread one that held its line and the ball clipped the bails.

In the morning session, unlike India who pretty much squandered the new ball by frequent longhops, the Proteas bowled with flare, signaling their intent right from the onset of the day’s play. Steyn and Makhaya Ntini bent their back on the slow pitch giving India plenty to worry about.

Sehwag started on an aggressive mode, which is synonymous with his batting. A back-foot punch through the covers off his fourth ball, followed by fierce square-cut and India were off to a bright start but it was short-lived.

Steyn’s perseverance to beat the batsman with his sheer pace paid off. A searing in-swinger and Sehwag was trapped leg-before for eight.