Half-centuries from Amla, Kallis revive South Africa against India

Half centuries from Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis kept South Africa’s hope alive in the first innings against India on a rain affected first day of the second and the third cricket Test at the Newlands Stadium here on Sunday.
South Africa were 232 for four with Jacques Kallis batting on 81 with Ashwell Prince on 28.
Hashim Amla made an aggressive 59 after Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni sent them in to bat under a heavily overcast sky.
Only nine overs were bowled in the morning after which rain gods came down heavily.
In the second session, another 12 overs were possible before the players had to leave the field because of bad light. But by that time, opening batsmen Graeme Smith (6) and Alviro Petersen (21) were dismissed.
Petersen made a confident start by hitting two boundaries off Sreesanth’s first over. But left arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan, leading the pace attack, posed problems for both the batsmen with a probing length and making the ball move both ways.
Zaheer got his reward when Smith played around a delivery which struck him on the back pad to win a leg before wicket decision from umpire Simon Taufel. Smith was out for six.
Petersen made 21 before lunging at a drive against Ishant Sharma and edging a catch to Dhoni.
Amla (59) then took the fight to the Indian bowlers with some crispy shots on both sides of the wicket. He hit Zaheer for three boundaries in four balls.
Amla and Kallis put on 72 for the third wicket in 15 overs before Amla played one attacking shot too many, top-edging a ball from Sreesanth to Cheteshwar Pujara at deep midwicket.
He made his runs off 80 balls with eight fours and a hooked six off Sreesanth which raised his half-century.
On the other end Kallis found the gaps regularly and hit six fours in his 169 ball knock. With AB De Villers (26) he added 58-runs for the fourth wicket.
The series is locked at 1-1 and India are on the verge of a historic series win here. India made one change to their side with Murali Vijay making way for Gautam Gambhir, who missed the second Test in Durban with a finger injury.