South Africa reached 38-0 at tea on the fourth day after being set 458 to win the first Test against India at the Wanderers Stadium yesterday.
India were bowled out for 421 in their second innings, leaving South Africa to negotiate 45 overs before the close of play as well as the whole of the fifth day.
Alviro Petersen (28 not out) and Graeme Smith (9 not out) batted solidly, although Petersen survived a loud appeal for a catch behind the wicket off Mohammed Shami in the last over before tea. Umpire Rod Tucker ruled that the ball had flicked his thigh pad and replays showed he was correct.
Photo: AFP
Earlier, India batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli took their third wicket stand to 222 before Pujara was caught behind off Jacques Kallis for 153.
Kohli fell four short of his second century of the match, making 96 before being caught behind, cutting at off-spinner J.P. Duminy.
The South Africa bowlers, who had endured a torrid third afternoon at the hands of Pujara and Kohli, came back strongly despite being without the injured Morne Morkel.
India lost four wickets and scored 74 runs in the 28.2 overs before the lunch break.
At that stage, India were 394 ahead, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided not to declare and the innings continued until mid-afternoon.
Zaheer Khan was the main beneficiary of the decision to bat on and hit a breezy 29 not out, which included sixes off leg-spinner Imran Tahir and fast bowler Dale Steyn.
Steyn, the world’s No. 1 ranked Test bowler, had one of his poorest matches. He failed to take a wicket in the second innings and conceded 104 runs in 30 overs, leaving him with match figures of 1-165.
Steyn’s new-ball partner Vernon Philander finished with 3-68, the same figures as all-rounder Kallis, who had to carry a bigger than usual bowling load in the absence of Morkel, sidelined with a sprained right ankle suffered while fielding before lunch on Friday.
Pujara made the highest score for India in a Test at the Wanderers before he had virtually his first lapse of concentration, flashing at a ball outside the off stump from Kallis. He batted for 353 minutes and faced 270 deliveries in an innings which included 21 fours.
Kohli batted for 254 minutes and 193 deliveries, hitting nine fours.
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