Related Links : India’s Tour of South Africa 2010/11 : India Player Pages : South Africa Player Pages : Scorecard of 1st Test at Centurion
India found the pacy conditions at the SuperSport Park in Centurion too hot to handle as the visitors slipped to a dismal 136 for 9 on a truncated opening day’s play of the First Test. Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn bowled fast in the air and off the pitch to claim a combined tally of seven wickets in the 38.1 overs that were only possible due to a rain delay.
Though the match started four and a half hours late due to heavy showers, South Africa made most of the time they had on the first day as they almost bowled out India having won the toss. India already had a big blow when Zaheer Khan was ruled out of the match with a hamstring injury to make way for debutant Jaidev Unadkat. If that wasn’t enough, the visitors got off to a disastrous start when Virender Sehwag slashed a wide good length delivery from Steyn flat and straight into the hands of Hashim Amla at square thirdman. This was before Sehwag had even opened his account to fall for a 3-ball duck in the 3rd over of the match.
India was forced to be on the defensive and Gautam Gambhir appeared to have done all the hard work in surviving the first 10 overs. However, his resistance came to an end in the 13th over when Morkel after a series of short deliveries dished out a pitched up delivery to lure the left hander into the false drive. Gambhir fell in the trap and could only edge it to first slip to end his 43-ball stay. Just a few balls later, India’s Wall collapsed as Morkel’s rising delivery skidded low to hit the pad of Dravid. It looked plumb infront to the naked eye but Dravid (14) was hopping in the air and the ball according to the Hawk Eye would have gone over the top of middle.
The score was going nowhere at 27 for 3 when Tendulkar was joined by VVS Laxman and the pair took India safely to Tea at 55 for 3 in 20 overs. After the 20-minute break, India’s woes resumed as Laxman played all around in a flick shot to a straight delivery from Steyn to get his middle stump knocked out. VVS Laxman (7) was clearly lazy in moving his feet and was done in by the pace off the pitch. Next man in Suresh Raina looked uneasy right from the first ball and very soon edged a backfoot push off Kallis into the slip cordon. Raina departed for a duck as India slipped to 67 for 5.
The biggest blow of the day came when Sachin Tendulkar who was in a counter attack mood paid price for playing back to a full ball from Steyn. Tendulkar (36 from 34 balls with 8 fours) was late in bringing his bat down back in the crease as Steyn’s delivery crashed onto his pad plumb infront of middle. India revived slowly from 71 for 6 before Harbhajan Singh got run out in an attempted risky third run off a Dhoni cover drive in the 33rd over. Harbhajan Singh scored a 25-ball 27 which included a sixer before he was brilliantly run out by Mark Boucher who had blindly under flicked a throw from the deep onto the stumps. Harbhajan had lost his bat while reaching out to the crease. Couple of balls after this, Ishant Sharma nicked a rising delivery from Morkel to second slip.
One more wicket fell down before the close of play when Sreesanth drove a pitched up delivery from Morkel uppishly to Steyn at short mid off. India finished at 136 for 9 in 38.1 overs before bad light brought a temporary bail out for the visitors. MS Dhoni managed to survive and has collected 33* from 47 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes – one clobbered over long on and the other being a flat pull over mid wicket. Debutant Jaidev Unadkat is along with the Skipper having lasted five balls before Stumps.
Morne Morkel was lethal as he picked up 4 for 20 in just 12.1 overs while Steyn got the credit for removing the three big guns – Sehwag, Laxman and Sachin! Kallis also bowled beautifully for the Proteas and it was only Lonwabo Tsotsobe who looked out of sorts going for 50 runs in 9 overs.