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Proteas dismissed in Kanpur
11/04/2008 13:21 - (SA)
Kanpur - The Proteas have been bowled out shortly before stumps on the first day of the third and final Test against India in Kanpur on Friday.
Teenage paceman Ishant Sharma and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh shared six wickets as India restricted South Africa to 265 in the third and final Test here on Friday.
South Africa were comfortably placed at 152-1 following solid half-centuries from skipper Graeme Smith (69) and Hashim Amla (51) before losing their way on a spin-friendly pitch.
The 19-year-old Sharma, who missed the last two Tests due to finger and toe injuries, got the vital wickets of Amla and Mark Boucher (29) to finish with 3-55 on a day when spinners did the bulk of bowling. Harbhajan took 3-52.
Piyush Chawla, a 19-year-old leg-spinner playing only his second Test since his debut in 2006, finished with 2-66, while part-time spinners Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh each bagged one wicket.
South Africa lead 1-0 in the series following their emphatic victory by an innings and 90 runs in the second Test in Ahmedabad. The opening match ended in a draw in Chennai.
Groin strain
India hardly felt the absence of skipper and ace leg-spinner Anil Kumble as specialist and part-time spinners halted South Africa's march towards a big total.
Kumble was ruled out after failing to recover from a groin strain, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni becoming the first wicketkeeper to lead India in a Test.
South Africa began strongly after winning the toss, with Smith putting on 61 for the opening wicket with Neil McKenzie (36) and 91 for the next with Amla.
The visitors' slide started in the afternoon session when they lost three wickets in the space of nine runs.
Left-handed Smith, who swept powerfully and used his feet well against spin, was the first to go when he was caught off his gloves by diving short-leg fielder Wasim Jaffer to become Yuvraj's victim.
The South African captain scored comfortably during his 134-ball knock, reaching his 22nd Test half-century with a six off Chawla and then hoisting Yuvraj for a second six. He also hit eight fours.
Bounced back
Amla also countered spin remarkably well as he patiently waited for loose deliveries during his eighth Test half-century before being bowled by Sharma in the afternoon.
India bounced back into the game when second-Test century-maker Jacques Kallis played a Harbhajan delivery on to his stumps after contributing one.
The Indian spinners continued to keep pressure on the batsmen, with AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Boucher, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris and Dale Steyn falling in the closing session.
De Villiers, who cracked a maiden double-century in the last Test, mistimed a pull off Chawla and was caught by Sourav Ganguly at short mid-wicket while Prince was trapped leg-before by Sehwag.
India struggled for wickets only in the morning session as they could grab just one when Chawla had McKenzie stumped in his opening over.
McKenzie had been looking solid during his 57-ball knock before losing his patience. He stepped out to drive the leg-spinner but was beaten by the flight, with Dhoni completing an easy stumping.
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