Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
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    SR
    13.3 Full and straighter. That does the trick. The ball rushed across with a wobbling seam position, landed full outside off and invited a drive. Alviro, who plays lovely off drives, went for a straight drive this time and ended up pushing inside the line. The ball shaped away after landing and took the outside edge. Enter Jacques Kallis. 34/2
    6.3 Trapped! Zaheer nails Smith again. It was the length delivery that moved in towards the off stump. Smith was caught at the crease and stumbled out in the end. He was searching for the delivery there, unsure whether it was coming in or going out, and stabbed well outside the line. The ball rushed through the bat and pad gap and struck the back pad around the off stump. The only question was whether it struck him marginally outside off. Will confirm post replays. But that looked out. The first one came in and was met with a perfect defensive push. The second one went out and this one came back in. Replays in. The ball hit him smack on the off-stump line. Dead plumb! 17/1
    28.3 Amla has played one shot too many and Sree has struck with the short ball. We have had a few comments, asking whether Amla thought this was the Twenty20 match for which he's been picked.. Well, he was in T20 mode since the rain resumption, wasn't he? Sree gets this bouncer to end on off and middle, which meant Amla had to pull it all the way across. He went for the challenge, and tried to clear the two men in the deep, but this was onto him faster than he'd have though. The top-edge loops up and lands in deep midwicket's hands. India have a big wicket here. Sree gives him a bit of a send-off 106/3
    112.5 the agony ends for India. They have finally managed to find a way past Kallis. It must be said, it was more a case of Kallis losing his wicket, in an attempt to manufacture a single out of somewhere. End of a really special innings. That was back of a length, close to off stump and was going away from Kallis, who shaped to cut it fine. He got a thin edge through to Dhoni. Kallis has done his job - the last two wickets have added 79 and South Africa are on top now. 362/10
    50.6 A lovely outswinger does the trick for Sreesanth. He has been spot on in this spell and has broken through for India. AB was lured into the cover drive by this full delivery but it swung away late to catch the edge. Sreesanth smiles. His team-mates rush to congratulate him. It was promising partnership but its over now. 164/4
    47
    100
    144
    6
    0
    47.00
    83.5 What a delivery. A youtube moment for Sreesanth. The last one seamed away. This one was a beauty: It swung in the air, landed on the good length outside off and invited Prince to drive. The bat came down but the ball shaped back in generously to thread the bat and pad gap and crashed into the off stump. Clatter! Fab delivery this. 262/5
    83.6 Sreesanth take a bow. Another gem. Boucher had no chance. His poor series with the bat continues. It landed on a good length around the off stump, seam position facing the first slip as it rushed through the air, and Boucher shaped to defend. He must have thought he had got enough wood behind the line of the ball but it seamed further away to clip the outer edge. Serene celebrations from Sreesanth. India get back into the Test. Kallis stands alone. 262/6
    86.1 The bouncer takes out Steyn. Zaheer switched to round the stumps and got one to rear up at the throat of Steyn who took his eyes off and put up his bat as a shield. It didn't work. It flew up to gully. Kallis is on 99. SA 272 for 7. 272/7
    87.6 Five-for for Sreesanth! Morne tries to heave a length delivery outside off out of the ground but only manages to get a thick edge to Dhoni. Sreesanth is pumped up before he calms down by pressing his palms together to give a namaskar pose .. as he looks up to the skies and mutters a small prayer. or so it looks. 283/8
    98.1 And that's that. Ishant gets one to bounce to the ribcage and Harris tucks it straight to that man at leg gully. He resisted for a short while but he is gone now. SA 9 down. 310/9
    not out
    8
    28
    63
    0
    0
    28.57
    Extras
    19 (b 1, lb 6, nb 11, w 1)
    TOTAL
    362 all out (112.5 Overs, RR: 3.2, 522 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Graeme Smith, 6.3 ov), 2-34 (Alviro Petersen, 13.3 ov), 3-106 (Hashim Amla, 28.3 ov), 4-164 (AB de Villiers, 50.6 ov), 5-262 (Ashwell Prince, 83.5 ov), 6-262 (Mark Boucher, 83.6 ov), 7-272 (Dale Steyn, 86.1 ov), 8-283 (Morne Morkel, 87.6 ov), 9-310 (Paul Harris, 98.1 ov), 10-362 (Jacques Kallis, 112.5 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    Z Khan29.568932.9802
    S Sreesanth29011453.9316
    I Sharma2767722.8503
    Harbhajan Singh2737502.7700
  • BATSMEN
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    71.2 the last one was a snorter that leaped from the rough and turned in. This one didn't spin in much but Gambhir, obviously affected by the last delivery, chose to poke at this one and got a thin edge. Boucher takes a good catch. It was a fine determined gritty effort from Gambhir 204/3
    6.3 gone! Fuller this time and Sehwag drives it, not fully committed to that shot, he tries to drive it in the direction of cover but half-slices it towards mid-off, Smith's the man there, he dives forward to take it inches from the ground, good catch and South Africa have struck early 19/1
    10.5 dropped but run-out, Gambhir tries to punch that off the back foot, gets a thick outside edge but is dropped at gully, slip runs back and returns an accurate throw to the striker's end, scores a direct-hit and Dravid, attempting the single, is caught short by a fair distance. Never run of a misfield, they say, and it includes drops. These two never looked comfortable in taking the singles and one's finally given way. India in a bit of trouble now. We suspect it was AB de Villiers who was the fielder but we need to take another look at the replay. Alviro, we think, was the dropper 28/2
    146
    314
    465
    17
    2
    46.49
    113.3 Tendulkar falls. It was a good-length delivery that landed on the off-stump line and hit the off. Tendulkar, perhaps, was expecting something shorter, and was a touch late in getting forward. He never got across as he usually would have done for such deliveries. He ended up feeling, searching for it even as he tried to lean forward. The ball whooshed past the bat and crashed into the off stump. It landed on the off and straightened to hit the off. It brings back memory of a similar delivery that Chris Lewis once bowled to a young Tendulkar. In the here and now, though, What a outstanding innings this has been. Styen breathed fire with his screaming outswingers, Morne went for his throat and Tsotsobe probed him outside off but Tendulkar resisted everything that was thrown at him. A special knock but its over now. 341/8
    79.4 Laxman is run out Tendulkar is dropped and Laxman is out! Here is what happened: Tendulkar went down the track and smashed it hard in the air to right of Harris who just about managed to get his right hand to it. Laxman was outside his crease and the ball fell on the stumps at his end! Run out! Harris is bleeding. Blood on the pitch but he has run out, albeit accidentally, Laxman. Big moment this. 235/4
    82.6 That's Shane Warne at 134 kph! That's the end of Pujara. You need a huge dose of luck if you want to survive these. Pujara didn't have it. Steyn gets the away movement going again, this time from leg stump. It landed on a length and opened Pujara up as he desperately tried to cover the line. It defeated his prod and thudded into the back pad in front of middle. What. A. Ball. 237/5
    84.3 It's the new ball and it is Steyn all the way since lunch. Another inch-perfect outswinger from a length, Dhoni played at it like a zombie - no feet movement, no nothing. Seemed like he wanted to steer it square, he ended up playing it straight into third slip's hands. India are disintegrating here. 247/6
    110.1 The bouncer takes out Harbhajan! He went for the short-arm pull but didn't connect too well. JP Duminy ran in from deep square-leg and pouches it . Fiesty counter-attacking knock ends. India trail by 39 323/7
    117.1 India bowled out 364. A lead of two. Zaheer went for the big slog over midwicket but top edged it towards third man. Prince was stationed there very fine but he still had to rush towards his left and lunged in the end. It appeared to be slipping off his palms but got stuck in his little fingers 364/10
    114.3 Done in by the bouncer. Ishant is not good in leaving em. He tries to ride the bounce. It's fine in Indian conditions but on these tracks, it's a risky move. This one climbed towards his head and the ugly fend saw the ball pop up to Boucher. That;s Steyn's five-for Enter Sreesanth. 350/9
    not out
    4
    5
    15
    1
    0
    80.00
    Extras
    22 (lb 20, nb 1, w 1)
    TOTAL
    364 all out (117.1 Overs, RR: 3.1, 536 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Virender Sehwag, 6.3 ov), 2-28 (Rahul Dravid, 10.5 ov), 3-204 (Gautam Gambhir, 71.2 ov), 4-235 (VVS Laxman, 79.4 ov), 5-237 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 82.6 ov), 6-247 (MS Dhoni, 84.3 ov), 7-323 (Harbhajan Singh, 110.1 ov), 8-341 (Sachin Tendulkar, 113.3 ov), 9-350 (Ishant Sharma, 114.3 ov), 10-364 (Zaheer Khan, 117.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    DW Steyn31117552.4100
    M Morkel29.1710623.6311
    LL Tsotsobe2658203.1500
    PL Harris2987212.4800
    AN Petersen20904.5000
  • BATSMEN
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    13.4 Trapped! From round the stumps, it landed on a good length around the middle and leg and straightened. Smith goes back and tries to dab it to the on side but misses. He was well back inside the crease and was hit just above the knee roll. Harbhajan strikes; his first wicket in this game. 50/1
    17.5 It didn't take too long for Harbhajan to strike. It landed well outside the off stump, on the rough - puff of dust flew up there! - and the ball turned back in sharply. Alviro pressed back and tried to dab it with the turn but missed. The ball hit his left pad and it probably would have taken the leg stump. 53/3
    15.2 Harbhajan strikes again! Quite a dramatic dismissal. It landed well outside off on the rough, a puff of dust came up, and turned in sharply. Harris went back and across and chose to pad up. The bat was lifted in the air and the ball turns in to hit the pad just outside off stump. It would have crashed into the stumps. 52/2
    19.5 He has bowled him! In a roundabout way but! What a huge wicket. This is what happenned: The pair seemed to have decided that sweep is the way to go here. Amla went down on his knee but missed the shot. The ball bounced, hit the pad ( will confirm post a replay) , then bounded on to the left arm, and then bounced very close to the middle stump and disturbed the furniture. Amla tried desperately to push it away with his bat but he had no chance 64/4
    not out
    109
    240
    380
    8
    0
    45.41
    36.1 AB shoulders arms but hears the death rattle! It landed short of length outside off and came in. AB was on the front foot, not sure whether to play or leave this delivery from round the stumps, but decided to leave it at the last instant. Too late. He couldn't get the bat out of the way in time. The ball bounced in, hit the bottom of the bat and crashed into the stumps. Clatter! Zaheer spreads his arms and roars. 98/5
    46.4 there's the breakthrough India were searching for, not exactly a great delivery, shortish and wide, Prince slaps that, but only as far as Sreesanth at point, Sreesanth takes a low catch and South Africa are six down 130/6
    79.1 Sachin Tendulkar has a sheepish smile after he breaks through. The reason? It was a grubber ... a shooter and Boucher had no chance. It landed well short and seemed like a long-hop. Boucher went for the pull but the ball kept really low. Boucher crouched and tried to get something on it... the ball kept lower and fell on his pad. Taufel sends him on his way. A fine innings comes to an end. While Boucher would feel terrible to get out this way, he and his team-mates will hope that the variable bounce on this pitch keeps getting worse 233/7
    91.6 Harbhajan grabs a five-for. The ball turned from the rough, bounced around off, Steyn shapes to defend, the ball clips the inside edge, and bounds of the pad to Vijay at backward short-leg. Steyn's fine resistance is over now. 287/8
    101.3 Holes out to long-on. He went for another big hit but finds Sreesanth at long-on. No 6 for Harbhajan 333/9
    101.6 SA all out 341. Jacques Kallis not out 109! Tsotsobe rushed down the track and was caught by Sehwag at long-on. 341/10
    Extras
    21 (lb 7, nb 12, w 2)
    TOTAL
    341 all out (102 Overs, RR: 3.34, 478 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-50 (Graeme Smith, 13.4 ov), 2-52 (Paul Harris, 15.2 ov), 3-53 (Alviro Petersen, 17.5 ov), 4-64 (Hashim Amla, 19.5 ov), 5-98 (AB de Villiers, 36.1 ov), 6-130 (Ashwell Prince, 46.4 ov), 7-233 (Mark Boucher, 79.1 ov), 8-287 (Dale Steyn, 91.6 ov), 9-333 (Morne Morkel, 101.3 ov), 10-341 (Lonwabo Tsotsobe, 101.6 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    Z Khan2026413.2005
    S Sreesanth2437903.2914
    I Sharma1816213.4413
    Harbhajan Singh38112073.1500
    SR Tendulkar20914.5000
  • BATSMEN
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    62.3 Gambhir falls after some stiff resistance. It's a bouncer from round the stumps and it moved in towards the leg side, and Gambhir tried to get his bat out of the way but it brushed the gloves and Boucher took a nice diving catch. Strangled down the leg side. 120/3
    11.6 Morne takes out Sehwag and the crowd go wild! It was delivered from over the wicket: It landed short of length outside off, bounced and straightened, Sehwag leaned forward to defend and stabbed it of the outer edge to first slip. The umpire checked whether it was a no ball from the third ump. Itsy bitsy teeny weeny bit of the leg behind the white line and third umpire says out. 27/1
    48.5 there's the breakthrough South Africa were searching for, Dravid looks to defend a short of length delivery off the front foot, as he has countless times today, but this time he can't middle it, it hits high on the bat, takes the outside edge and flies to third slip at head height, is there still a twist in this game? 106/2
    not out
    14
    91
    146
    0
    0
    15.38
    not out
    32
    67
    82
    4
    0
    47.76
    Extras
    14 (b 7, nb 2, w 5)
    TOTAL
    166/3 (82 Overs, RR: 2.02, 352 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Virender Sehwag, 11.6 ov), 2-106 (Rahul Dravid, 48.5 ov), 3-120 (Gautam Gambhir, 62.3 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    DW Steyn1864312.3810
    M Morkel1562611.7302
    LL Tsotsobe1342912.2300
    PL Harris30192900.9600
    GC Smith402706.7500
    AN Petersen20502.5000

Close of Play

  • Sun, 2 Jan - day 1 - South Africa 1st innings 232/4 (JH Kallis 81*, AG Prince 28*, 74 ov)
  • Mon, 3 Jan - day 2 - India 1st innings 142/2 (G Gambhir 65*, SR Tendulkar 49*, 50 ov)
  • Tue, 4 Jan - day 3 - South Africa 2nd innings 52/2 (AN Petersen 22*, HM Amla 0*, 16 ov)
  • Wed, 5 Jan - day 4 - South Africa 2nd innings 341
  • Thu, 6 Jan - day 5 - India 2nd innings 166/3 (82 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

  • 'One of the best sessions of my life'

    Sachin Tendulkar goes over his epic battle with Dale Steyn and Co in Cape Town in 2011, the winner of ESPNcricinfo's Test Batting award for the year

  • Day of the titans

    When a batsman and a bowler at the height of their powers face off, like Tendulkar and Steyn did at Newlands, the cricket is bound to be incredible

  • Kallis, Steyn stand out

    South Africa went into the series as clear favourites, and will be disappointed they could only manage a 1-1 draw against India

  • No risk, no reward for South Africa

    South Africa made sure they wouldn't lose this Test by not declaring in their second innings, but in the process might have missed out on winning it too

  • Dhoni upbeat despite missed opportunity

    MS Dhoni, while conceding this was a really good chance of registering that elusive series win in South Africa, said he wasn't bitterly disappointed.

India 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st27G GambhirV Sehwag
2nd79R DravidG Gambhir
3rd14SR TendulkarG Gambhir
4th46SR TendulkarVVS Laxman