Jacques Kallis showed his class for one last time with a gutsy unbeaten 78 in his farewell match as South Africa gained a slight upperhand in the series-deciding second cricket Test against India here on Saturday.
The 38-year-old Kallis seemed on course for his 45th Test century with an exhibition of determined batsmanship as the hosts reached 299 for five before heavens opened up at the Kingsmead. Giving Kallis company was nightwatchman Dale Steyn (0 batting) with the home team needing another 36 runs to overhaul India’s first innings total of 334.
While the seasoned Kallis anchored the innings facing 224 balls, AB de Villiers (74), Alviro Peterson (62) and Graeme Smith (47) were the other notable contributors for the Proteas. Hashim Amla (3) and JP Duminy (28) were other wickets to fall on a day which was largely dominated by the home team.
If Smith-Peterson duo’s opening stand of 103 laid the foundation of the South African innings, it was De Villiers and Kallis, who added 127 runs for the fourth wicket to keep the momentum going. De Villiers again played a free-flowing innings hitting nine boundaries in his 117 ball knock-- one less than Kallis, who went about with a business-like approach which was bereft of any emotion which one normally associates with occasions of such magnitude.
For India, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja vindicated his captain’s selection with figures of four for 87 which included the scalps of Peterson, Smith and De Villiers. Coming in at the fall of Amla’s wicket, Kallis was given a ‘Guard of Honour’ by the Indian cricketers with rival skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni shaking hands with the legendary all-rounder. However Kallis was a picture of concentration during his knock. It took him 25 deliveries to hit the first of his 10 boundaries of a Jadeja delivery. It was a lofted hit over mid-off and he repeated the shot of the very next ball. A sweep of Rohit Sharma, a couple of back to back cover drives off Zaheer Khan showed that Kallis is in a mood to leave his white flannels on a high.
Apart from Jadeja, pacer Mohammad Shami (1-62) was the only other wicket taker in the South African innings so far. Zaheer Khan (0-46) and Ishant Sharma (0-76) toiled hard, but failed to provide any breakthroughs. Rohit Sharma (0-22) was deployed as well, skipper MS Dhoni perhaps missing a second spinner on this dry pitch.
Kallis and Duminy added 58 runs for the fifth wicket as Dhoni delayed taking the second new ball. The skipper persisted with Jadeja and even brought on Rohit, and the break-through finally came. Duminy was trapped leg before by Jadeja, in the 104th over, after making 28 runs off 82 balls, with four fours.
The morning session turned out to be a mixed one as South Africa scored 99 runs in that session but also lost three wickets. Jadeja provided the breakthrough when Smith gave the spinner charge but his mistimed lifted shot was spectacularly caught by Shikhar Dhawan running back from his mid-wicket position. The Delhi lad judged it well before taking a catch and in the process took a tumble.
Smith’s 47 came off 81 balls with seven fours. Amla’s poor form in the series continued as he has now been bowled thrice in three innings in the series. This time it was fuller delivery from Mohammed Shami that held its line to beat Amla bat and hit the off-stump. Peterson, who completed his seventh half-century in Test cricket looked in good touch but Jadeja finally got rid of him. It was a classical left-arm spinner’s delivery that was turning away from the right hander after pitching as the opener pushed hard at it.
The edge was taken by Murali Vijay in the slips as South Africa were suddenly reduced to 113 for three after being 103 for no loss. De Villiers and Kallis then took control of the situation as they slowly but surely built a partnership. The fourth wicket partnetship for 50 runs was completed in 16 overs.
Brief Scores
India: 334 lead South Africa: 299/5 in 104.5 overs (Jacques Kallis 78; R A Jadeja 4/87) by 35 runs. Jadeja wants to silence critics with a five-for Jadeja would like to go all out for his elusive fifth wicket on Sunday which will be an answer to his critics who had said that he can only perform on sub-continental tracks that offer turn.
“Critics have always said that I can only spin the ball while playing in India. It was my dream to come to South Africa and take five wickets in a Test innings. I have got four at the moment. So I am hoping I can come back tomorrow and pick another one and show my critics that I can spin the ball here as well,” Jadeja said at the post-match press conference.
The aggressive tone in his voice could not be missed, especially since he was the stand-out bowler for his side on the day, when the quicker bowlers failed to support him enough. “I was just trying to bowl in the right areas. There is a rough forming for the left-arm spinner so I was trying to exploit that as well. The odd ball was turning and I was thinking of not giving them any room and bowling stump to stump,” Jadeja said.
When asked specifically, if he missed bowling in tandem with another spinner, given that the pitch is so dry, he deflected the question. “Wickets back in India are different. You can play two spinners there because there is turn and bounce. Here, we get only foot marks to work with. Also it is very difficult for the spinners with the Kookaburra ball. So I think one spinner is enough in the playing XI,” he replied.