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Cape Town: Harbhajan Singh dismissed captain Graeme Smith and night watchman Paul Harris in successive overs to reduce SA to 52/2 at stumps on Day 3 of the 3rd Test.
Sachin Tendulkar's three performances in Cape Town mirror his career accurately. His 146 today and his epic struggle against Dale Steyn was something between the two extremes. It set up the most riveting day of Test cricket at the end of which South Africa erased India's two-run lead, reached 50-0 before Harbhajan Singh dismissed Graeme Smith and Paul Harris in successive overs.
All morning and all noon, Steyn proved unplayable, swinging the ball in and out at 145 KPH, taking 5-75. At the other end Tendulkar stood playing and missing, nudging and poking, driving and upper-cutting, and playing and missing some more, to complete his ugliest Test hundred ever.
Then, there was the constant chatter, Harbhajan Singh's gutsy 40, Harris' send-off to Gautam Gambhir on 93, Ian Gould's umpiring and an unsavoury incident where the crowd threw bottles at Sreesanth. This Test series has barely warmed up; too bad it ends two days from now.
With India at 142-2, the day began with a cracking over from Steyn. An out-swinger beat Tendulkar's bat first ball. The second ball seemed to take an edge to Mark Boucher but Steyn didn't join in the appeal. Replays showed Boucher might have taken the catch on the volley. Yesterday, Tendulkar had survived a marginal LBW shout against Harris.
Gambhir rode on his luck yesterday and had his own mini-battle with Harris. There's grip and variable bounce in this wicket and Harris managed to plant the germ of doubt in Gambhir's mind with a sharp turner which Boucher put down.
Next ball, the ball held its line, Gambhir poked at it, the edge was held, and a massive 176-run partnership with Tendulkar ended. Harris enjoyed it thoroughly, screaming in Gambhir's direction as he walked off.
India needed someone to stay with Tendulkar as they inched towards South Africa's 362. Harbhajan played a much-needed 40, dictating the pace, hooking, pulling and lofting.
Lonwabo Tsotsobe was slotted over midwicket for six. He then lifted Steyn straight over mid-on for another six. He fell hooking Steyn to the fielder at deep square leg but not before bringing India back from the brink after the most absorbing hour of cricket.
Brief scores
South Africa 362 and 52 for 2 (Harbhajan 2-4)
India 364 (Tendulkar 146, Gambhir 93, Steyn 5-75)
Status South Africa lead by 50 runs
