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India end day two on the charge
Steady batting took India to 82 without loss in reply to South Africa's first innings of 540 at stumps on the second day of the first test in Chennai on Thursday.
Wasim Jaffer was 25 not out with Virender Sehwag on 52, and the aggression they showed in the 21 overs that India faced before the close took some of the gloss off Hasim Amla's magnificent 159.
Amla faced 262 balls and hit 20 fours in his fourth test century, a marvel of patience and discipline.
A pitch that was even flatter than on the first day aided South Africa's cause, while the Indians looked more down in the mouth with the passing of every fruitless over.
South Africa resumed on 404 for four with Amla 85 not out and AB de Villiers on ten.
Amla went to his century in the sixth over of the morning with a flurry of three consecutive driven boundaries off Shantakumaran Sreesanth.
A moment after the third four sped to the extra cover ropes, Amla took off his helmet and acknowledged the cheers of a crowd that knew a fine innings when they saw it.
Amla and De Villiers took their fifth-wicket stand to 66 before, in the eighth over of the day, De Villiers drove at a delivery from Sreesanth.
The shot produced a thick edge, which wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni hung onto to remove De Villiers for 44.
Mark Boucher and Amla put on 99 runs for the sixth wicket before the partnership was cruelly snuffed out.
Anil Kumble bowled to Boucher, who drove into the covers and wanted a single. But Sreesanth fielded cleanly, and the throw went to Dhoni and then back to Kumble when the run was aborted. Amla was caught short of his ground and run out.
Morne Morkel and Boucher kept the runs flowing into the third session until Boucher tried to sweep a delivery from Sehwag and sent the ball arching over Dhoni.
Dravid made good ground to take the catch to remove Boucher for a well-played 70.
Morkel smacked seven fours in his 35 before being caught and bowled by Harbhajan Singh, who claimed five wickets but conceded 164 runs along the way.
Sehwag and Jaffer took the fight to the South Africans in some style. Sehwag, of course was the aggressor and hit six fours and a six.
Teams:
India: Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Anil Kumble (captain), Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh, Sreesanth.
South Africa: Neil McKenzie, Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini.
