Cricket: India on top against South Africa

CALCUTTA - Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar scored centuries to put India on top before South Africa fought back with three late wickets on day two of the second test Monday.

Sehwag and Tendulkar combined for a 249-run stand for the third wicket and looked to have India in an imperious position in a match that will decide the No 1 spot in world test rankings.

However South Africa removed the two in successive overs and added another late wicket for good measure to have the hosts at 342-5 in their first innings at stumps, bettering South Africa's first innings of 296.

The day began with South Africa resuming at 266-9, having lost eight wickets for just 37 runs on the opening day to waste a powerful start.

The last pair, Wayne Parnell and Morne Morkel showed some resistance, adding 30 runs before the innings was ended when Zaheer Khan trapped Parnell lbw. Khan finished with 4-90, while Harbhajan Singh claimed 3-64.

India made an aggressive start, with the pugnacious Sehwag swinging freely at any non-threatening delivery. The openers put on 73 for the first wicket before Gautam Gambhir (25) was run out in the tenth over, sent back by Sehwag while attempting a second run to fine leg and stranded mid-pitch.

Murali Vijay came in at No 3, with India choosing not to elevate the more experienced V.V.S. Laxman to first drop in the absence of the injured Rahul Dravid.

Vijay soon departed, edging a Morkel delivery through to wicketkeeper A.B. de Villiers, who took a diving catch to his right. Regular wicketkeeper Mark Boucher withdrew before the match with a back injury, forcing de Villiers to take the gloves as a back-up.

That brought together Sehwag and Tendulkar, who completely took over the match through the middle session and much of the last, motoring along at upwards of five runs per over.

Sehwag notched his 19th test century, plundering 165 runs off just 174 balls, striking 23 fours and two sixes, before part-time bowler Jean-Paul Duminy elicited a scooped shot that was taken at short cover by Ashwell Prince.

South Africa missed two chances to remove him earlier. Duminy had dropped him at first slip off the bowling of Morkel when on 47, and de Villiers missed a stumping opportunity off Paul Harris when on 129.

Tendulkar was more sedate early but accelerated as it the innings continued, scoring his 47th test century. Just an over after Sehwag fell, India's little master departed, edging a Harris delivery to Jacques Kallis at first slip.

Tendulkar's 106 came from 206 deliveries, laced with 12 fours. It was the fourth straight match in which he had scored a century, and this one took him past 6,000 runs scored in India.

With that dominant pair removed, South Africa sensed a path back into the match, and the tourists' fortunes improved further when Subramaniam Badrinath went for just 1, beaten by a Dale Steyn delivery that seamed back between bat and pad to hit off stump.
It nearly got even better for South Africa on the final ball of the day, but a Laxman edge flew past Kallis at slip. At stumps, Laxman was not out on nine, and night watchman Amit Mishra on one.

- AP