On three of the four days of this many-splendoured Test, Jacques Kallis has been the keeper of South Africa's flame. After mastering the swing and the seam of the first day and showcasing the craft of batting with the tail on the second day, Kallis had resigned his duty on the third — he stayed off the field, resting a bruised, strained muscle. But on Wednesday, with the third and deciding Test in unrest, he was again at South Africa's side.
When Kallis walked to the middle in the morning, his calm, unhurried style carrying him to the heat of battle, South Africa was in jeopardy. He proceeded to make his second century of the match, his 40th overall, his eighth here at Newlands, and his sixth against India.
Kallis's unbeaten 109 — an innings of the highest order, an innings of imagination and restraint, of unyielding focus and unstinting courage — helped South Africa convalesce from 64 for four and 130 for six to make 341. A day remains; pretty much anything is possible.
To truly appreciate the innings, its circumstances must be understood. Harbhajan Singh (seven for 120) had given India the sort of start victory pushes derive from. Bowling with beautifully weighted flight, at just the right pace, Harbhajan directed his off-breaks at the soil loosened by the bowlers' footfalls. The ball established a good grip on the powdery ‘rough', unsettling it to turn sharply.
Alviro Petersen went back to one pitched wide outside off-stump; so much did it spin that it beat the closed-face stroke and would have just hit leg-stump had pad not intervened. Harbhajan then took the coveted wicket of Hashim Amla, the ball re-routed to the stumps, off the batsman's pad and arm, after an intended sweep-stroke went wrong.
South Africa had lost four for 14 over two days; Harbhajan had figures of four for 10. Aware of the threat Harbhajan posed in such conditions, especially if the batsmen propped forward with little more than hope, Kallis chose to reverse-sweep.
Having struck two fours, and prompted the stationing of deep-point and the removal of first slip, Kallis toyed with this field, using the same stroke for ones and twos. He executed it with great control, hitting down on the ball and turning his wrists to knock it into the turf: rarely has playing off the weaker side against the break looked as risk-free. Its purpose served, the reverse-sweep was put away for much of the middle-session, used just once, before tea.
Zaheer Khan was the only one to trouble Kallis, beating both his inside — and his outside-edge from around the wicket. Kallis survived. A.B. de Villiers didn't, bowled when he lingered over long on a decision to leave. Kallis and Ashwell Prince added 32, but when the left-hander fell, caught at point off Ishant Sharma after lunch, South Africa had fallen to 130 for six. The next man in, Mark Boucher, was playing for his career.
Inch by meticulous inch, Kallis and Boucher took South Africa from a parlous position to one of security. Boucher was given two on his pads to glance and one short and wide to cut, all three by Ishant; this settled him, as did the presence of his friend at the other end.
Kallis again batted through injury, as he had for a part of his first-innings 161. He seemed to aggravate the strain during his stay — he fell to his back and had to be cared for by the physio. But although he winced from time to time his batting wasn't affected.
A straight-drive, hit with classical form, brought up the half-century; an on-drive, created with the wrists and a slight turn of the body, celebrated it. Boucher was eventually dismissed for a hard-earned 55, trapped infront by a shooter from Sachin Tendulkar.
Dale Steyn swung a spirited bat, as did Morne Morkel, their runs increasing the scale of India's task. At the other end, Kallis advanced serenely to a great hundred and stayed unbeaten.
For India, it was a desperately disappointing day. The bowling in the morning session was disciplined, but as the day wore on, both the bowlers and the fielders wilted.
M.S. Dhoni's fields — like many of Graeme Smith's — didn't levy on the transaction for runs sufficient risk. India had seized the contest in Durban; it failed to do so here.
Scoreboard:
South Africa — 1st innings: 362.
India — 1st innings: 364.
South Africa — 2nd innings: G. Smith lbw b Harbhajan 29 (47b, 3x4), A. Petersen lbw b Harbhajan 22 (47b, 1x4), P. Harris lbw b Harbhajan 0 (8b), H. Amla b Harbhajan 2 (11b), J. Kallis (not out) 109 (240b, 8x4), A.B. de Villiers b Zaheer 13 (58b, 1x4), A. Prince c Sreesanth b Ishant 22 (35b, 2x4), M. Boucher lbw b Tendulkar 55 (82b, 4x4), D. Steyn c sub (Vijay) b Harbhajan 32 (48b, 2x4, 1x6), M. Morkel c Sreesanth b Harbhajan 28 (45b, 4x4), L. Tsotsobe c Sehwag b Harbhajan 8 (3b, 2x4); Extras (lb-7, nb-12, w-2): 21; Total (in 102 overs): 341.
Fall of wickets: 1-50 (Smith), 2-52 (Harris), 3-53 (Petersen), 4-64 (Amla), 5-98 (de Villiers), 6-130 (Prince), 7-233 (Boucher), 8-287 (Steyn), 9-333 (Morkel).
India bowling: Zaheer 20-2-64-1, Sreesanth 24-3-79-0, Ishant 18-1-62-1, Harbhajan 38-1-120-7, Tendulkar 2-0-9-1.
