Harris, Steyn power South Africa to innings win

By Rahul Bajaj
for Cricketain.com

Published: February 9, 2010

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Nagpur: Dale Steyn completed a ten-wicket haul in the match, picking up three in the second innings after his devastating spell of 7-51 in the first innings, and Paul Harris picked up three crucial wickets to once again prove why he can’t be taken lightly as a spinner, as India suffered their third innings defeat at home in the last 10 years, all three to the same opposition.

Dale Steyn finished with figures of 3-57 while Paul Harris picked up 3-76, including the prized scalps of Sachin Tendulkar and Murali Vijay, the only two batsmen who looked like they were putting up some resistance, as South Africa wrapped up the match within four days, defeating India by an innings and 6 runs in the first test of the two-match series.

Sachin Tendulkar scored his 91st international century, his 46th in test cricket, but his effort, like Sehwag’s in the first innings, went in vain as the middle order once again failed to stand up and deliver. Once Sachin was dismissed with India still 133 runs behind, it was just a question of whether India would be able to take the match to the fifth day or not. But Dale Steyn came back to clean up the lower order and complete his fourth ten-wicket haul in test cricket and give South Africa a 1-0 lead in the 2-match series.

Earlier, resuming at 66 for 2, South Africa struck the fourth day’s first blow when Murali Vijay, looking good so far against the pace duo of Steyn and Morne Morkel, fell to poor shot selection. He went to sweep left-arm spinner Paul Harris and was caught at deep backward square leg off the top edge.

The partnership between Vijay and Tendulkar produced 72 runs. The pair had got together late Monday evening after India had lost openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag.

S Badrinath (6), who made 56 in his debut innings in India’s first essay, couldn’t manage too many this time as he nicked one off Parnell to Mark Boucher. Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the next man in and Tendulkar and Dhoni took India to lunch at 162/4.

Post lunch, Tendulkar hit his 46th century when he played a Parnell delivery to point for a single. This was Tendulkar’s 91st century in international cricket, his first against South Africa in India and his third in as many Test matches as he got centuries in the last two Tests against Bangladesh.

All through the day, Harris continued bowling the over-the-wicket line into the rough outside the leg-stump and no Indian batsman tried to hit out at him and make him change his line. Eventually, one delivery from Harris bounced from the rough and hit Tendulkar on the pad, then onto the elbow, and onto the stumps.

Tendulkar’s wicket ended a defying 70-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Tendulkar and Dhoni and with it any hopes of India staying in the game. Tendulkar’s fighting knock of 100 came off 179 balls with 13 boundaries.

Harris, who was being considered the weak link in the South African bowling line-up, was at it again as he soon scalped Dhoni to put the final nail in the coffin for India. Dhoni went for a defensive prod of Harris to a ball that spun across and landed in silly point fielder AB de Villiers’ hands.

He was out after a stubborn 144-minute stay in which he faced 112 balls and hit three fours in his 25.

Wriddhiman Saha, who has been under fire for making his debut as a specialist batsman, showed some fight with a 101-ball 36. He added 50 and 59 with Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan respectively and took India close to saving an innings defeat but Kallis and Steyn picked up the final three wickets in quick succession to complete a humiliating defeat for India.

It was indeed a fitting end to the match as Dale Steyn, who probably came up with the best performance of his career in this match and showed a lot of fast bowlers how to bowl on Indian tracks, rattled the timber of Amit Mishra.

With South Africa 1-0 ahead in the series, it is now imperative for India to win the second test in Kolkata if they want to retain their No. 1 position in test cricket.

Match Summary:

South Africa 558 for 6 dec (Amla 253*, Kallis 173, de Villiers 53) beat India 233 (Sehwag 109, Badrinath 56, Steyn 7-51) and (f/o) 319 (Tendulkar 100, Steyn 3-57, Harris 3-76) trail by an innings and six runs

Man of the Match: Hashim Amla

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