Andrew Hall ground his way to his first Test century and helped South Africa to a position of strength on day 2 of the first Test against India at Kanpur on Sunday.
At close of play, the visitors were 459 for 7 after 182 overs. Shaun Pollock, 31, and Thami Tsolekile, eight, were at the crease.
Earlier, a 144-run partnership between Andrew Hall, 163, and Zander de Bruyn, 83, put South Africa firmly in command.
Anil Kumble was the only Indian bowler to make an impression and ended the day with figures of 50-13-116-5.
Morning session (72 runs, 30 overs, 1 wickets)
When India took the field on day 2 they must have expected the South Africans to accelerate. The new ball was well overdue and Sourav Ganguly took it after only one over was bowled.
There is heavy dew in the mornings and it does afford some help, even though very little, to the pacemen.
Zaheer Khan was immediately into the attack and though he maintained a good line and length, one got the feeling he did not make the overnight batsmen, Andrew Hall and Boeta Dippenaar, play the ball enough.
Ganguly, at the other end, must have just hoped to get the shine off the ball. Instead, the Indian skipper got the much-needed breakthrough when he dismissed Dippenaar (48 off 127 balls) and put an end to the 87-run partnership.
A good length delivery that pitched just outside the off-stump moved away late and drew the right-hander into the shot. The resultant edge flew straight to Karthik behind the stumps. (241 for 5)
Just the perfect start that India needed; now the advantage had to be pressed home. At this point, Ganguly needed to realise that having got the breakthrough it would be logical to get in his regular bowlers and let them have a go at the new batsman. But he continued a wee-bit too long. The first hour yielded only 14 runs for the South Africans, but the Indians surprisingly looked listless in the field.
The Indian skipper took himself out of the attack only after he was taken for 13 runs in his tenth over. From that point on it was spin at both ends.
The new batsman was all-rounder Zander de Bruyn, who made his Test debut. The fact that he was sent ahead of Shaun Pollock also told us that he is no mug with the bat.
Nothing much happened and South Africa began to consolidate after the fall of Dippenaar's wicket. The visitors realised that every run in the first innings is worth its weight in gold.
Soon after, Hall reached his first Test century with a four off Kumble. His ton came off 325 balls in 433 minutes. The right-hander's previous highest before this innings was 99 off 87 deliveries against England at Headingley in 2003. The contrast in the two innings is amazing and shows how Hall has changed his game to suit the conditions.
Bruyn started to chance his arm a little, and it reminded Hall that he could be aggressive as well.
Runs came a little bit more freely and one could feel the Indians were starting to get frustrated.
South Africa reached 300 in the penultimate over before lunch. Their first 100 runs came off 216 balls, the second off 271 and the third off 231.
To their credit, the Indians did not give it away and kept the runs down to the minimum. The pitch is deteriorating at a rapid rate and India will do well to dismiss the South Africans as quickly as possible.
At lunch, the visitors were 302 for 5 after 120 overs. South Africa scored 72 runs and lost one wicket in the session. The Indians, more than anything else, need to lift their spirits if they hope to get back into the match.
Post-lunch session (96 runs, 29 overs, 1 wicket)
One aspect most noticeable in India's play in the post-lunch session was lack of planning. The South Africans had changed their game. Hall, who is normally a very attacking batsman, was prepared to grind it out in the middle and Bruyn was patient as well. The visitors were prepared to wait for the bad ball and get the maximum when one did come.
Having been in big trouble at 154 for 4, the South Africans slowly but surely worked their way to a position of strength. The Indians needed to try something different but, strangely, they seemed content waiting for something to happen. What is required is going out and making things happen.
Murali Karthik was kept out of the attack throughout the morning session and it was only after lunch -- 34 overs had already been bowled in the day -- that he got a short spell before Ganguly decided to take him out of the attack again.
Perhaps, the only thing in India's favour was the pace at which the South Africans scored. It always meant that a few quick wickets would see India back in the game.
Soon after, Bruyn reached his first half-century in Tests. It was a superb knock and his application was impressive as well. He took a cue from Hall and the duo appeared very comfortable at the wicket.
The only bowler to maintain the pressure was Kumble, but the fact that he dropped Hall on 55 must surely have weighed on his mind.
Hall had made the Indians pay and reached 150 in the session. It is interesting to note that only 15 of those runs came straight down the ground.
But Kumble got his revenge when he bowled the right-hander around his legs. The ball pitched outside the leg stump and turned in to beat Hall even as he shuffled across the stumps. Hall tried to work it away fine but missed and the ball hits the leg stump.
It was the end of a marathon innings that lasted 453 minutes and was worth 163 runs, including 17 boundaries. It was Kumble's fifth wicket and he joined Shane Warne on 28 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. It was also the leg-spinner's third five-for against South Africa.
Pollock joined Bruyn at the wicket and the duo safely negotiated the remaining overs to tea. At the break, South Africa were 398 for 6, with Bruyn on 54 and Pollock on 12.
Post-tea session
South Africa continued to consolidate, though at a slow rate. The visitors have eliminated almost any chance of defeat in the Test and the onus of making a fight out of the match is on India.
Bruyn and Pollock played with a lot of sense and did what was required. When the South Africans arrived, Ray Jennings had mentioned that the first thing he would be looking to do was make sure he does not lose a Test. The way his players have batted it seems he has succeeded in his primary goal.
De Bruyn went on to hit a strokeful 83, including three sixes against Harbhajan Singh before he was out to the off-spinner towards close of play.
The 29-year-old batsman added 60 runs for the seventh wicket with Pollock but missed out on a well-deserved century, edging a drive to Rahul Dravid at slip. (445 for 7)
The partnership for the sixth wicket was worth 60 runs.
At the close, Pollock was batting on 31 with debutant wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile on eight piling on the agony for an already disheartened India.
Only 61 runs came in the 33-over session. Kumble, the only bowler who looked like taking wickets on the slow pitch, claimed five for 116.
South Africa will aim to reach 500 as soon as possible on day 3 and then look to put India in to bat.
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