E-Kantipur

KOLKATA, FEB 15 - Centuries from Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar put India in control on the second day of the second Test against South Africa on Monday.

Sehwag hit a brutal 165 and Tendulkar made 106, the duo adding 249 for the third wicket to put the home side on course for a decent, if not massive, first innings lead at the Eden Gardens.

The visitors, who were bowled out for 296 inside the first four overs of the day, however struck back late in the day as India finished on 342 for five when bad light forced an early closure.

VVS Laxman was batting on nine and with him was nightwatchman Amit Mishra on one, India having extended their lead to 46 when stumps were drawn.

The home side had begun the day in the ascendancy, Zaheer Khan trapping Wayne Parnell in front with the final delivery of his first over, although the tailender had, by then, added 30 to the overnight score with Morne Morkel (11 not out).

Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir began India's reply in brutal fashion, the opening duo plundering South Africa's new-ball attack as they amassed 73 in just over nine overs.

Sehwag, who had begun with an inside-edged single, was particularly belligerent as he lashed Dale Steyn for three consecutive hits to the fence in the bowler's second over, smacked three more off Morkel's third over and blasted Parnell for a four and a six in the bowler's first over.

Gambhir had weighed in at the other end with a more measured innings, but South Africa were handed a huge slice of fortune when Gambhir was run out following a rare mix-up with Sehwag.

Sehwag had attempted a drive off Parnell but had only managed an inside edge which flew in the direction of deep square leg and the batsman had turned for two when he changed his mind.

Gambhir had already responded to Sehwag's call, but was stranded half way down the pitch when Alviro Petersen's throw came in from the deep.

Sehwag, needing six of two deliveries to overhaul Jacques Kallis' record for the fastest half-century in Test cricket, then briefly lost momentum and South Africa had the door ajar with the wicket of Murali Vijay (seven).

Vijay, tentative from the start, was softened with a barrage of short-pitched deliveries and Morkel eventually induced the edge as the batsman attempted an unconvincing push off the front foot.

Tendulkar then joined Sehwag and the Proteas seemed to have pinned India's top order down as the master batsman took time to settle in and the bounty of runs dried up.

Sehwag was then grassed on 47 by Jean-Paul Duminy at slip off Morkel and the opener went past the half-century mark - 41 deliveries, even as India struggled to the lunch interval at 97 for two.

Sehwag began the afternoon session with another barrage of boundaries and Tendulkar quickly joined to put South Africa's attack to the sword.

Sehwag reached his 19th Test century with his 16th boundary - he had also smashed Paul Harris for a six over mid-on - needing only 87 deliveries to reach that milestone.

At the other end, Tendulkar raised his 55th half-century and the home side, for the first time in this series, went through a session without the loss of a wicket.

The duo continued their assault in the final session and Tendulkar, who had curbed his strokeplay considerably as he approached 100, eventually got there for the 47th time in Test cricket.

Both batsmen were removed in quick succession towards the end of the day, Duminy, introduced for the first time in the 71st over, severing the partnership by scalping Sehwag in his first over.

Paul Harris snapped up Tendulkar in the following over and Steyn bowled Subramaniam Badrinath (one) with reverse swing, those late blows helping South Africa stay in touch.

Posted on: 2010-02-15 05:44

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