Ind vs SA: India at stumps on Day 4, need 320 more to win

Ind vs SA: South Africa 138/2 against India at stumps on Day 4, need 320 more to win

TNN | Dec 21, 2013, 09.18 PM

NEW DELHI: Chasing a huge 458-run target, South Africa lost opener Graeme Smith (44) and Hashim Amla (4) in quick succession after a solid 108-run opening stand against India on the fourth day of the first Test at the Wanderers on Saturday.

Scorecard |India 280 & 421
South Africa 244 & 138/2 (45.0 ov)
South Africa require another 320 runs with 8 wickets remaining

After skipper Smith was run out, pacer Mohammed Shami capitalized on the breakthrough and bowled out Amla to give India edge. Amla tried to leave the delivery by bending down but the ball sneaked under his chin and sailed into the stumps.

South African openers frustrated the bowlers for long as the Indians toiled hard for a breakthrough in the post-tea session before a direct throw from Ajinkya Rahane ran Smith out.

Smith hit six boundaries in his 73-ball knock and provided a solid platform for the team.

Petersen reached his sixth fifty off 84 balls, which included seven hits to the fence, and along with his skipper avoided early hiccups for the host team.

Petersen and Smith patiently guided South Africa safely to 38/0 at tea against India.

Earlier, riding on a 222-run partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (153) and Virat Kohli (96), India set a massive 458-run target for the hosts.

Visitors India post 421 runs in their second innings after taking a slender 36-run lead in the first innings.

Some late blows by Zaheer Khan (29* off 31 balls), who smacked two sixes and three fours, helped India extend their lead to over 450 runs after losing some quick wickets in the day.

India lost skipper MS Dhoni (29) and Ravichandran Ashwin (7) soon after they extended their lead to over 400 runs.

Dhoni was caught by Faf du Plesis near the boundary rope off pacer Vernon Philander, while trying to accelerate the innings. He hit three boundaries in his 44-ball cameo.

Philander struck soon after the lunch break to pick his second wicket of the innings.

India extended their lead to 394 runs as they went in for lunch at 358/6 against South Africa.

India lost Ajinkya Rahane (15) in the last ball before the break as the visitors lost four wickets in the morning session of Day 4 and managed to add 74 runs to their overnight total of 284/2.

After extending the lead to over 350 runs, India lost Virat Kohli (96), Rohit Sharma (6) and Cheteshwar Pujara (153) in quick succession.

Part-time spinner JP Duminy struck in the 99th over to stop the in-form Kohli from scoring another hundred in the match as the latter edged one to the wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.

Kohli hit nine boundaries in his watchful 193-ball knock but unfortunately missed the ton by just four runs. Kohli missed out from becoming the only Indian batsman to score centuries in both innings at No. 4.

India were suddenly reduced to 325/4 in 98.4 overs, a lead of 361 runs, from a very commanding 315/2 in 93.1 overs.

Veteran allrounder Jacques Kallis struck twice to halt the run charge of the Indian batsmen, as he dismissed Sharma and Pujara quickly. Kallis clean bowled Sharma to pick up his third victim of the innings.

Pujara was caught behind by De Villiers off Kallis, after the right-hander smacked 21 fours for his majestic knock of 153 off 270 balls. Pujara added 222 runs with Kohli for the third wicket to put India in the front seat.

Pujara reached 150 soon after India crossed the 300-run mark in their second innings.

This is the fourth time that Pujara crossed the 150-run mark in the 16 Test matches that he has played.

In first class cricket, Pujara has scored six double centuries and three triple hundreds.

The day's play started with Pujara and Virat Kohli resuming the Indian second innings.

The third day of the Test was a fantastic one for India and they are firmly in the driving seat.

Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma did the job with the ball in the morning session, then Pujara and Kohli batted like champions and by the end of Day 3, India had a commanding 320-run lead with eight wickets in hand.

south africa needs rain