da heads bet： Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith led the way with a 132-run openingpartnership, and Hashim Amla built on that with an elegant unbeaten 85 asSouth Africa seized the initiative on the opening day
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran in Chennai 26-Mar-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Neil McKenzie struck 18 boundaries in an innings that spanned 156 balls © Getty Images
Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith led the way with a 132-run openingpartnership, and Hashim Amla built on that with an elegant unbeaten 85 asSouth Africa seized the initiative on the opening day of this three-Testseries. McKenzie, who only made it back into the side at the beginning of2008 after an absence of more than three years, struck 18 fours in aclassy 94, and Smith pummelled 73 on a sleeping beauty of a pitch whereIndia were left to rely on their slow bowlers for respite.Their four-man attack was seriously stretched in the sweltering heat, with RPSingh, returning from a hamstring problem, especially profligate on asurface where there could be no margin for error. Just over three weeksafter they put Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy in the shade in Chittagong -the old record had been established just down the road at the old CorporationStadium – McKenzie and Smith made full use of winning the toss, piling on109 in the opening session.The banners all around a ground that will be home to the IPL’s ChennaiSuper Kings may have had the tagline ‘Welcome to the Lion’s Den’, but itwas the visitors that roared first. RP opened the bowling for India andMcKenzie’s first scoring shot was a sign of things to come. Tucked off thepads, it should have been stopped, but Virender Sehwag’s football skillson the rope were as dismal as much of the fielding that followed.Smith struggled initially against Sreesanth, beaten several times outsideoff stump, but there were also a couple of short and wide offerings forhim to muscle away past point. RP was a lot less impressive, struggling tofind any semblance of consistency, and McKenzie meted out the punishment,driving and pulling with panache.After 10 futile overs of pace, Anil Kumble brought himself on and bowled amaiden, but that was merely a lull before another McKenzie flourish. Alanguid drive and a powerful cut for four brought up the 50 and furthertransgressions in line from Kumble were ruthlessly punished by a batsmanin prime form.Smith was perfectly content to play the supporting role, but he too had nointention of letting the bad ball pass unpunished. Harbhajan Singh wasswept fine and then cut for fours, and when Kumble pitched short, a meatycut easily pierced the field. With the hard, brown pitch only likely tobecome more placid as the day wore on, India’s predicament at lunch timewas enough to kill the appetite.They tightened up a little after the interval, with Sreesanth almostproviding the breakthrough. There was an element of controversy as Smithappeared to inside edge one behind, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni dived to hisright to hold on to the chance. As he got up, though, the ball dropped outof his gloves, and Asad Rauf, the umpire, showed no interest in theappeal. Smith rubbed it in with a pull for four, and then inflictedfurther misery with four boundaries in Sreesanth’s next over.As has so often been the case when India appear bereft of inspiration, itwas Kumble who provided hope. Smith was tempted into an uppish on-drive,and the man stationed at silly mid-on for the stroke, VVS Laxman, held onto the chance with his outstretched right hand.After Smith’s exit, McKenzie, initially quiet after lunch, took charge.There were a couple of magnificent cover-drives off Sreesanth and thedisappointing RP, and when Harbhajan finally returned, he was lofted downto long-off and deep midwicket. Amla too blossomed after a sedate start,easing some gorgeous strokes through the covers as the bowling wiltedunder the hot sun. By the time Harbhajan finally broke through, havingMcKenzie edge one to slip, the scoreboard indicated the rude health ofSouth Africa’s innings.Amla, who made his debut at the Eden Gardens on South Africa’s last tourof India, was a much more confident proposition. Unflustered and incontrol, he drove and cut with timing and grace. With the fieldingdescending to joke standard, the singles also came easily, and it wasentirely against the run of play that India got their next wicket.Jacques Kallis had made just 13 when he popped one up off the inside edgeto forward short leg, and he turned and walked even as Harbhajan bellowedout his appeal. But any thoughts of scything through the middle ordergradually vanished as Amla and Ashwell Prince moved into attritional modein the final session.Once again, it was Kumble who hauled his team back into it, with abrilliant catch to his left that sent back Prince for 23. But de Villiersand Amla saw it through to stumps without too many alarms, leaving Indiawith the task of starting afresh with the second new ball on Thursday.They certainly can’t afford to repeat the sloppiness of day one.