India pull slightly ahead after a roller-coaster day (IvSA T2D3)

The morning dawned bright and sunny day, but it quickly brought gloom and doom to fill Indian hearts.  Pujara played on against Morkel -- a couple of times yesterday defending on the back foot, he played the ball straight down and spun back, once coming close to the stumps.   This time he defended a bouncing Morkel delivery with an angled bat and it crashed into the stumps.  The lead was still only 166, and Indian hopes sank lower than the Titanic.

But hang on folks, the roller coaster ride was just beginning.

Dhoni came in, and straight away Steyn was steaming from the other end into Laxman. India decided to attack, as pure survival would eventually lead to a wicket.  Dhoni has his dancing shoes on.  He straight drrove Morkel for 4, then hooked Steyn over a leaping Amla for 4, and carved the next ball in the air over point for 4.  Later he edged Morkel through slips for 4.

Interestingly, Smith elected not to have a third man -- a curious decision as most early runs would come from there -- and the batsmen made him pay.  Laxman steered a Steyn away swinger through slips deliberately with soft hands, and then deliberately swatted a wide Morkel delivery over slips.  He edged Tsosobe -- a rare loose shot -- over slips as he tried to pull from outside off.  Smith finally relented and put in a third man, but not before 5 boundaries went there. 

As drinks came out 40 minutes in, India had added 40 runs in as many wickets and the lead was just over 200.  By and large Morkel and Steyn (but for one over) had bowled too many balls outside off that the batsmen had let through.  Advantage India.

Just as Dhoni was threatening to carry the game away for India, Tsotsobe did it again for Smith.  He troubled Dhoni and got him sparring at a delivery outside off.  Dhoni walked off livid with himself, and at 141/6 the tail was wide open.  And all fears seemed to be coming true as Harbhajan fell cheaply.  At 148/7, a sub-250 target seemed the most likely outcome as Zaheer tried to flail away at the fast bowlers, usually missing.

Laxman hasn't hesitated to let the tail face their share of the bowling (or even the bulk of it, as in the famous partnership with Ishant earlier this year). He talked to Zaheer, who settled down to play some defense.  Which begs the question of why he didn't do that from the start??

India continued to ride their luck as both batsmen had their share of play and misses -- and this partnership changed the course of the game.  They added 80 incredibly valuable runs, and had some luck.  Zaheer was probably plumb lbw to Steyn but Umpire Davis saw an edge where there likely wasn't any.  Another 30 runs were added and at lunch India were effectively 292/7 and having visions of a 350 target that would put the game definitely beyond reach.  But Zaheer's vigil came to an end right after lunch. 

Laxman had been batting beautifully.  He was beaten a few times, but for the most part his batting showed the incredible timing that is his hallmark.  Some beautiful punches through the off side, and a couple of pulls, and even dancing down the wicket to inside out Harris to extra cover, adorned his batting as he moved into the 90s.

Ishant fell and finally Laxman tried to farm the strike.  And he fell to Steyn cruelly at 96.  The field had come in to save the single and Laxman tried to carve a wide Steyn express to the point fence, but only edged.  To put this innings in perspective, no other batsman has crossed 35 so far.  Though he would rue his missed century, he would surely be satisfied -- a target of 303 was a good 50 runs more than the most ardent fan would have hoped for.  India were firm favorites at this point; not quite what they would have hoped for when they came out after lunch (10 runs for 3 wickets was a great fightback from South Africa), but overall in great shape.

But the roller coaster wasn't done yet.  The new ball was crucial and Smith knew it.  Instead of allowing Zaheer to dictate terms, Smith simply laid into the bowling, ala Sehwag.   Zaheer was pulled after just 3 overs, and South Africa was off to a flier. At 60/0, the pendulum had swung back in South Africa's favor, when Smith decided to indulge in a verbal confrontation with Sreesanth -- sure enough, his concentration faltered, and he tried to pull a Sreesanth delivery from outside off, and popped up and Dhoni ran around to grab the skier.  Still South Africa were probably still favorites as India were reeling from the attack.

Amla came out and showed uncharacteristic aggression, not just with 3 boundaries flying off his blade, but a missed hoick outside off against Sreesanth.  Then Petersen feel pulling Harbhajan Singh onto his thigh (thin inside edge) to lob up to the perfectly positioned, relatively strange position, of backward short leg!  And next ball, Sreesanth bowled one even wider outside off, and Amla slashed and feathered one -- a most uncharacteristic shot.  India firmly back ahead at 83/3, and the old Boycott maxim of "when you feel good about your score, add twenty runs and two wickets to the score and see how it looks" was well proven.  An over late, Pujara put down Kallis -- very tough chance that came off the full face of the bat straight to his at backward short leg -- had it been held, RSA would have been dusted.  Kallis & deVilliers saw out the day, until bad light ended the action.

At 111/3, the match is well poised.  I have India as 60-40 favorite, but the weather will play a big role. If there is rain and the pitch freshens it would rapidly become 75-25 India, but if it dawns bright and sunny, it is a 50-50 game.  An absorbing Test -- don't forget to set your alarm clock for the morning of D4, for the morning session will surely be as crucial as today's pre-lunch play.

Bharat