Discomfort zone

CAPE TOWN: India fell about 100 runs short of the comfort zone on Friday, after the batting collapsed after a fighting Rahul Dravid-Sourav Ganguly partnership.

Ten wickets and 169 runs later, that little man with a big heart Dinesh Kaarthick was left standing defiant on 38. His team had only managed to give South Africa a target of 211 when a range of 250-300 was what India were aiming for to be ‘safe’ in the Test.

The chase began after tea and, at stumps, South Africa were 156 runs from yet another home Test series win against India.

The visitors, meanwhile, are eight wickets adrift of a historic first Test series triumph in this country.

The wicket — that has been labeled Indian over the last few days by both the hosts as well as the tourists — isn’t expected to become a minefield but there will be enough turn for the spinners, for hope to float in the Indian camp.

Saturday, whatever the outcome and however long its duration, holds the promise of nail-biting Test cricket. It will, as Rahul Dravid said on Friday, be a battle of attrition.

India could hold firm for 64 overs, scoring only 169 runs. South Africa have another 90 overs at least to knock off the target but time isn’t their concern. Holding firm against the spinners on a fifth day Newlands wicket is going to be the key.

Consider how Anil Kumble, late on Friday evening, fuelled the Indian dream after bamboozling Hashim Amla leg before wicket. Earlier, Zaheer Khan had gotten rid of the first of the ten pins, opener AB De Villiers, with an away swinger being edged to Kaarthick.

Runs, meanwhile, were coming at a healthy rate for the South Africans but what was unhealthier for the Indians were the fielding glitches. The bowlers’ efforts may come undone if these errors aren’t immediately addressed.

As it was, the late wicket was a happier ending than the Indians could have expected on a day which began on a dismal and, subsequently, bizarre note.

Virender Sehwag, back to his regular position as opener, and Wasim Jaffer perished within the first 12 minutes of play.

That was jarring enough, first up, but what followed was one of the more strange episodes in modern day cricket. India were on the verge of getting their No. 4 batsman timed-out after six minutes had passed before — surprise, surprise — Sourav Ganguly (usually at No. 6) came out to bat.

Three minutes is the maximum time given to a batsman to be ready for play. Indians, however, weren’t spared by any South African act of generosity.

Tendulkar, it was later learnt, had been off the field for 18 minutes the previous evening, so couldn’t come on before 10:48 - Jaffer had been dimissed at 10:43.

That sorted out, Ganguly and Dravid lived dangerously but survived to put on a crucial 84 runs — the only partnership of any substance - as, after their dismissals, the following six wickets collapsed for 54 runs.

Tendulkar, when he finally came out at No. 5, was twitchy and uncertain for the most part. It is learnt that he had a slight buttock strain and was a bit stiff and sore from the bowling on Friday, but team sources say that he was “okay” to bat.

His end, when it came, was to a dubious lbw decision but he had never really looked the part anyway. His focus, now, should be on contributing with the ball even as he deals with finishing his first Test series in South Africa without scoring a century.

The weathermen have forecast rains for Saturday but we know better than to believe them. No question about it, there is going to be enough time in the day to force a result. Which side will emerge on the right side? Now, that’s where you need a crystal ball.

ScoreCard

India (1st innings) 414
South Africa (1st innings) 373
India (2nd innings)
W Jaffer c De Villiers b Ntini 2, V Sehwag c Boucher b Steyn 4, R Dravid c & b Harris 47, S Ganguly c Gibbs b Kallis 46, S Tendulkar lbw b Pollock 14, V Laxman run out (Pollock) 1, D Kaarthick not out 38, A Kumble c Gibbs b Steyn 6, Zaheer Khan run out (De Villiers) 1, S Sreesanth c Kallis b Steyn 4, M Patel c Pollock b Steyn  0
Extras (lb5, nb1) 6
Total (all out, 64 overs) 169
FoW: 1-6, 2-6, 3-90, 4-114, 5-115, 6-121, 7-147, 8-165, 9-169
Bowling: Ntini 8-1-29-1, Steyn 7-0-30-4 (1nb), Pollock 15-5-24-1, Harris 22-6-50-1, Kallis 12-0-31-1
South Africa (2nd innings)
AB de Villiers c Kaarthick b Zaheer
Khan 22, G Smith not out 21, H Amla lbw b Kumble 10
Extras (b1, nb1) 2
Total (2 wkts, 16.2 overs) 55
FoW: 1-36, 2-55
Bowling: Khan 8-1-24-1, Sreesanth 4-0-16-0, Kumble 4.2-1-14-1