BBC SPORT | INDIA IN SOUTH AFRICA | Das hits form as India recover

First Test, Bloemfontein, day three (stumps): India (96 for one & 379) trail South Africa (563 all out) by 88 runs

Lance Klusener put a poor run behind him when hitting his fourth Test century in the Bloemfontein Test against India.

And Shaun Pollock seemed to nail home South Africa's advantage when he had India's Rahul Dravid caught in the gully in India's second innings for just 11.

At that point, India were 29 for one, still 165 runs behind and with nearly seven sessions of cricket left in the match.

But Shiv Sunder Das hit a defiant 54 not out, and with VVS Laxman (25 not out) riding his luck India look well set to salvage a draw with two days left and the pitch still in fine shape.

But without Klusener's contribution, South Africa would barely have earned a first innings lead.

His innings was studded with 18 fours, and one big straight six off Anil Kumble.

Monday was all about Klusener's batting

Most of his runs came in a stand of 121 for the seventh wicket with Mark Boucher (47).

Wicket-keeper Boucher was eventually out moments after hitting a huge six off part-time spinner Virender Shewag.

The wicket-taker was the persistent Javagal Srinath, on the day he reached the 200 mark in Test history.

Srinath also had the final wicket for a bag of five - Makhaya Ntini caught behind for a useful cameo of 23, his best score in Tests.

Heavy bat

Klusener brought up his fifty with one of his cleaner hits - an extra cover drive off Zaheer Khan, facing just 41 balls to get there.

The century came with a simple pull off a dreadful Kumble full toss. But the leg-spinner had his revenge when Klusener then offered a simple caught-and-bowled chance.

Indians with 200 wickets

Kapil Dev - 434

Anil Kumble - 276

Bishan Bedi - 266

B. Chandrasekhar - 242

Javagal Srinath - 201

It was a welcome return to form for the all-rounder whose place in the Test side had begun to look doubtful.

In his last 11 Test innings, Klusener had managed just 110 runs at an average of 12.2.

At the start of the day, India had tried a combination of leg-spinner Kumble and left-arm seamer Khan. But Jacques Kallis and Boeta Dippenaar were totally untroubled.

Kallis got to his 50 with a slightly fortunate chop to third man off Khan, but it was a surprise when he was out, for the first time in Tests since 22 April.

Kallis had to leave the crease after making 68. He was out edging a loose shot away from his body - Laxman taking a fine catch wide to his right at second slip off Ashish Nehra.

Srinath then struck twice with successive deliveries as the second new ball swung for him and Nehra.

Gibbs was the big run scorer on Sunday

He nipped one back to bowl Dippenaar through the gate for 20. And the very next ball Pollock was caught off bat and pad.

In India's second innings, makeshift opener Dravid failed once again - clearly hating the job of Test opener.

But Laxman and Das saw off what was left of the new ball in competent fashion.

Laxman was fortunate early on - beaten by Pollock on numerous occasions. But Das combined some sweet shots with intelligent defence - an upper cut four off Makhaya Ntini probably the pick of his strokes.

South Africa: G Kirsten, H Gibbs, J Kallis, N McKenzie, H Dippenaar, L Klusener, M Boucher (Wkt), S Pollock (Capt), N Boje, M Ntini, M Hayward.

India: S Das, R Dravid, V V S Laxman, S Tendulkar, S Ganguly (Capt), V Sehwag, D Dasgupta (Wkt), A Nehra, J Srinath, A Kumble, Z Khan.


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