NAGPUR - South Africa put match strategy ahead of chasing records as it declared its first innings at 558-6 on day two of the second test against India last night.
The total was five runs short of South Africa's biggest ever score against India, while Hashim Amla was left stranded
on 253 not out - 24 runs short of the highest ever score by a South African batsman. That record remains with the man who made the declaration, captain Graeme Smith.
The declaration was intended to give South Africa's bowlers a shot at a wicket in twilight at the end of the day, but India's openers got through the four overs and finished the day at 25-0. Virender Sehwag was on nine and Gautam Gambhir was 12 not out.
Amla recorded his maiden test double century, surpassing his previous highest score of 176 vs. New Zealand in 2007. The 27-year-old, with the pronounced beard as a testament to his Muslim faith, batted for 675 minutes, facing 473 balls and striking 22 fours.
"It is a great feeling to be able to score a double century," Amla said. "Our game plan was the same like that of Saturday - to bat well and put the team in a better position."
He survived a chance when on 149, dropped by Subramaniam Badrinath at forward short leg.
While Amla reached the double ton, Jacques Kallis fell short yet again and appears destined to go through his fine career without reaching the rare mark.
Kallis was out for 173, caught bat-pad by Murali Vijay at short leg off Harbhajan Singh. He and Amla put on 340 runs for the third wicket - the highest third-wicket stand ever scored in India and the biggest in test cricket since the same pair put on 330 vs. New Zealand in 2007.
Kallis faced 351 deliveries and hit fifteen boundaries and two sixes.
Amla did surpass A.B. de Villiers record for the highest score by a South African against India, which had stood at 217. The pair put on 108 runs for the fourth wicket.
De Villiers made a breezy 53 off 88 deliveries before he fell to the guile of part-time bowler Virender Sehwag. He failed to reach the flight of a delivery and succeeded only in getting a thick edge to Badrinath at point. He hit four boundaries.
Jean-Paul Duminy (9) went soon after, missing an attempted sweep shot and being adjudged lbw to Singh (2-145), even though replays suggested the ball would have passed over the stumps.
Mark Boucher, no stranger to the conditions as an Indian Premier League player, contributed 39 before trying to hoist a Zaheer Khan ball from outside off stump to the leg-side boundary and delivered a catch to Amit Mishra at cover.
Khan was the pick of the India bowlers with 3-96.
Gambhir and Sehwag will carry an added responsibility for India's reply, given the injuries to the side that mean the normally strong batting lineup is without Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and V.V.S. Laxman.
- AP
NAGPUR - South Africa put match strategy ahead of chasing records as it declared its first innings at 558-6 on day two of the second test against India last night.
The total was five runs short of South Africa's biggest ever score against India, while Hashim Amla was left stranded
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