By Sirshendu Panth, IANS,
Kolkata : Opener Virender Sehwag cracked a strokeful unbeaten half century as India reached a promising 97 for two at lunch on the second day of the second cricket Test against South Africa here Monday.
Sehwag (52) and Sachin Tendulkar (9) were in the middle as India were now 199 runs adrift of the South African first innings total of 296 at the sparsely-populated Eden Gardens.
Gautam Gambhir (25) was needlessly run out following a Sehwag faux pas, while Murali Vijay (7) was lapped up behind the wicket when he poked a Morne Morkel delivery just outside the off stump.
Sehwag completed his 22nd Test 50 but was lucky to survive when Duminy dropped a dolly at first slip, off Morkel.
Gambhir and Sehwag gave the Indian essay a flying start, as they came up with some fluent shots to bring up the 50 in only 37 minutes.
Sehwag picked up India’s first Test nemesis Dale Steyn for special treatment hitting three consecutive boundaries in his second over, courtesy a drive past backward point, a short arm pull through square leg and another upper cut past point as 15 came from the over.
Steyn got some of the deliveries to rise steeply, but at times wavered on the length.
But there was no stopping Sehwag, who launched a savage assault on Morkel with three fours in the bowler’s third over, as India scored at seven per over to race to 49 in seven overs.
Wayne Parnell was introduced as the first change, but Sehwag welcomed him with a upper cut six over thirdman before another boundary via the cover point region.
But the partnership was broken at 73, as the solid-looking Gambhir returned to the pavilion. The Delhi batsman edged Parnell to the square leg area, and Sehwag called him for a second run before suddenly deciding otherwise to leave Gambhir stranded in the middle.
The South African pacers softened up Vijay with a series of short pitched stuff before his 18-minute stay came to an end. Morkel bowled full-length and Vijay went for a defensive probe only to manage an edge to stand-in-skipper A.B. de Villiers.
Earlier, resuming at 266 for nine, the South African last pair of Parnell (12) and Morkel (11 not out) added 30 more runs in 18 minutes, thanks to some loose bowling by the Indian bowlers.
Zaheer finally brought the innings to an end by getting Parnell leg before to finish with figures of four for 94.