 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Morkel makes early breakthrough
Dale Steyn proved to be the main destroyer as he ripped apart India's famed batting line-up on reduce the hosts to 233 all out in the first innings on Day 3 of the first Test in Nagpur on Monday
Forced to follow-on, India were 66 for 2 in the second essay at close of play.
Steyn was ably helped by Morne Morkel, bowled at a fiery pace to have India reeling early in the day.
Resuming at 25 for no loss, India made a disastrous start on the third day, losing two wickets in the space of three overs. Morkel got the first breakthrough when Gautam Gambhir handed a simple catch to Mark Boucher behind the stumps.
Vijay falls cheaply
Next to go was Murali Vijay, who made a grave error in judging a delivery from Steyn that swung and crashed into the stumps.
Worse was to follow as Steyn forced Tendulkar into a drive with a late out-swinger that the ace batsman only managed to edge to Boucher.
However, despite all the wickets falling around him, Virender Sehwag stood his ground.
Sehwag cracks fluent century
Sehwag cracked a fluent 109 off 139 balls to lead the home team's fight-back along with Badrinath, who hit a half-century in his maiden Test innings, before slashing a wide Wayne Parnell delivery to give a straight-forward catch to JP Duminy in the deep.
The four-wicket partnership between Sehwag and Badrinath yielded 136 runs in 197 balls and lifted India from a precarious 56 for three to 192 for four.
But Sehwag's dismissal just before the tea break opened up the floodgates, with Steyn virtually ripping through the lower order in a dramatic spell of seam bowling.
Steyn shoots down India's famed batting line-up
Steyn triggered a batting collapse with his 13th five-wicket haul. India lost six wickets in the span of 12 runs immediately after the tea break.
The 26-year-old Steyn returned with a career-best haul of 7 for 51 as the hosts were bundled out for 233 in the first innings.
Forced to follow on, India's second innings was hardly any better with both the openers, Gambhir (1) and Sehwag (16), returning back in the dressing room inside five overs.
Trailing by a mammoth 325 runs, India were reeling at 66 for 2 with Murali Vijay (27) and Sachin Tendulkar (15) at the crease.