You are here: Home » Cricket India » Laxman’s heroics set up thrilling climax in Durban Test

Laxman’s heroics set up thrilling climax in Durban Test

Related Links : India’s Tour of South Africa 2010/11 : India Player Pages : South Africa Player Pages : Scorecard of 2nd Test at Durban

VVS Laxman 96 DurbanThe Second Test at Durban continues to be a seesaw contest between the top two Test teams of the world with either of the two results possible on the fourth day. South Africa need 192 more runs for a win while India require 7 more wickets to level the series. This situation was only possible because of a superb 96 from VVS Laxman who is the only batsman so far to register even a half century in this Test Match!

The Crucial Morning Session seen through by VVS

The crucial morning session of Day Three saw the luck favour India despite losing Cheteshwar Pujara within five minutes of the start of play! Pujara whilst trying to defend a steep rising delivery from Morkel could only chop the ball onto the stumps to end his 56-ball battle which produced only 10 runs.

South Africa was pumped up with this early wicket of Pujara but their advantage was neutralized smartly by a counter attack from MS Dhoni. Anything in Dhoni’s zone was fiercely struck away and VVS Laxman at the other end was absolutely comfortable against anything that was dished out to him. India all of a sudden got the lead moving nicely and it was time that South Africa had to break this partnership to get out of trouble. Tsotsobe provided the relief for the hosts when MS Dhoni going back had edged his away going delivery to the keeper to cut short his cameo to 21 from 35 balls with 4 fours. Dhoni added 48 precious runs with Laxman for the 6th wicket to take the lead to 215 runs.

There was a quick wicket of Harbhajan Singh after MS Dhoni’s exit with Morne  Morkel getting the ball to kick up slightly with away movement to force an edge to second slip. Now South Africa got themselves into a great position of cleaning up India before lunch with the score at 148 for 7. Zaheer Khan joined Laxman and began in a flashy manner but he decided to settle down having scored his first boundary. Once Zaheer decided to discipline himself, it was pretty difficult to dislodge his wicket and with Laxman carried India forward. Zaheer was also lucky not to be given out lbw despite getting plumb infront to a pacy inswinger from Steyn. India with that piece of good luck went to Lunch at 218 for 7 in 62 overs with Laxman on 86 and Zaheer making a significant 27! The lead was now 292 runs to have SA in trouble!

SA off to blazing start chasing 303

After Lunch, India’s chances of possibly batting out SA out of the contest were ruled out with the quick wickets of Zaheer Khan (27 from 63 balls with 4 fours) and  Ishant Sharma (0 from 16 balls). It was Paul Harris getting the crucial wicket of Zaheer Khan when he got one to turn away and jump to force an edge of a backfoot defence to second slip. Jacques Kallis produced a snorter of a lifter to force Ishant to fend him off to shortleg. Now that VVS Laxman was running out of partners, he took the risk of cutting a widish good length outswinger from Steyn but only to nick it behind to the keeper. VVS Laxman unfortunately got out at 96 which came in 171 balls with a dozen fours. But he helped India to a total of 228 in 70.5 overs and leave SA with a stiff target of 303!

The South African openers – Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen made batting look quite easy in the second innings and they got their runs in no time. Zaheer Khan was hit out of the attack and the pressure was on the visitors to desperately search for the inroads. By Tea, fortunately  for India, Graeme Smith went for a rash pull shot to a rising delivery from Sreesanth which was angling away towards the slip and it was a dreadful top edge which was caught by MS Dhoni around the squareleg region. It was a huge relief for India as Smith was threatening to run away with the game with his 38-ball 37 with 5 fours. South Africa went to Tea at an aggressive 70 for 1 in just 13 overs.

Match back in the balance as India fightback

After Tea, Harbhajan Singh made the inroads by getting his off break to turn in a mile from outside off and bounce a lot to force Alviro Petersen (26 from 45 balls with 4 fours) to get an inside edge to backward shortleg in the 16th over. In the very next over, the match tilted in India’s favour when Hashim Amla got dismissed just like VVS Laxman a few hours back trying to cut a wide outswinger and getting caught behind. The big wicket of Amla (16 from 16 balls) went to Sreesanth who looked at his best today and the speeds which he clocked were around 138 kmph.

South Africa was in trouble at 82 for 3 when AB de Villiers joined Kallis and the pair saw that no further damage was done before the Umpires decided that the light wasn’t fit enough. Kallis on 12 and AB de Villiers on 17 have taken their side to 111 for 3 in 27 overs by the close of this third day’s play.