IND vs SA 3rd Test : Gambhir, Tendulkar keep India’s hope alive

India lost two early wickets, but Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar launched their counter-attack as the visitors made 142 for two in the first innings in reply to Jacques Kallis-inspired South African first innings total of 362 on the second day of the third and final Test at Newlands on Monday.

Virender Sehwag (13) and Rahul Dravid (5) were both dismissed cheaply as India reached 49 for two at tea. Gambhir was batting on 65 and Tendulkar 49 and the duo added 114 runs for the third wicket to keep India’s hope alive in the final Test at the Newlands.

Sehwag again had a disappointing first innings as he made 13 before a typically flat-footed drive against Dale Steyn spooned to mid-off where South African captain Graeme Smith made a good catch, diving forward.

Dravid was out in unusual circumstances when Gautam Gambhir was dropped on 10 by Alviro Petersen at gully off Tsotsobe. The batsmen went through for a run but second slip AB de Villiers picked up the ball and threw down the stumps with Dravid just short of his ground.

Earlier in the day, Kallis struck his 39th Test century and moved to joint second place on the all-time Test centurions list alongside Ricky Ponting of Australia and behind only India’s Sachin Tendulkar, who has made 50 hundreds.

Kallis was the mainstay of the South African innings, making 161 before being last man out. Kallis batted superbly with tailenders Paul Harris and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, taking his score from 100 to 161 while the last two wickets added 79 runs.It was also the highest of seven Test centuries by Kallis at Newlands, his home ground.

South Africa lost four wickets in the space of 26 balls against the second new ball during the first hour of the day. Three of the wickets fell to fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who finished with five for 114. It was Sreesanth’s third five-wicket haul in Tests.

But Kallis added 27 for the ninth wicket with Paul Harris and then added 52 with Tsotsobe. Kallis reached a watchful century off 209 balls but scored his next 61 off only 82 deliveries, adding ten more boundaries to the nine in his first 100.

Sreesanth struck in his first over of the day, after Kallis and Ashwell Prince had added 30 runs to the overnight total of 232 for four. Prince looked in particularly good form as he moved to 47 before being bowled by a ball from Sreesanth which cut back sharply.

Sreesanth had Mark Boucher caught behind off the next delivery, Zaheer Khan had Dale Steyn caught at third slip and Sreesanth had Morne Morkel caught behind.