Harbhajan, Ishant restrict South Africa to 265

Kanpur: Electing to bat, South Africa were dismissed for 265 in their first innings at close on the first day of the third and final cricket Test against India at Green Park here today.

Earlier, the Indians suffered a big jolt with captain Kumble being ruled out of the crucial match because of a groin injury, leaving Dhoni to become the first wicket-keeper to lead India's Test team.

Smith and McKenzie were quite content in playing the waiting game but were prompt to dispatch the loose deliveries to the boundary.

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The Indians began the bowling operations with S Sreesanth and Ishant, who returned to the team in place of Irfan Pathan following an injury lay-off, but both the paceman could not make much of an impression.

Ishant hardly looked menacing and was a trifle expensive in his first spell of nine overs. Smith hit him for two boundaries in the same over. Dhoni introduced spin in the form of Harbhajan as early as the ninth over but the off-spinner could not get much turn from the track in the morning session.

Smith and Amla, who has been in fine nick right through the series, added 91 runs for the second wicket and never really looked in any discomfort. The South African captain notched up his 22nd half-century in style by hitting Chawla for a six while Amla also managed to crack a half-century to continue his good form.

The South African captain came forward for a defensive shot to a flat and quicker delivery from Yuvraj but failed to keep the ball on the ground and Wasim Jaffer took a diving catch at short leg. Smith's knock of 69 came off 134 balls and contained eight boundaries and two sixes.

Ishant, who was brought back into the attack from the pavilion end soon after Smith's dismissal, dealt another blow to the visitors by sending back the well-set Amla to reduce South Africa to 160 for three.

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Amla was bowled with Sharma's incoming ball flipping his pads and then dislodging the bails. A few minutes later, the visitors found themselves in more trouble when the in-form Kallis was bowled by Harbhajan.

Kallis moved back and across to defend one that pitched around off and spun into him, but he missed and got hit on the thigh. The ball bounced off the thigh, hit the back of his gloves and then ricocheted back on to the stumps.

The South Africans went for the tea break at 175 for four with Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers ensuring that there were no further setbacks. The pair put on 38 runs for the fifth wicket before Chawla again did the damage in the very first over of his new spell from the pavilion end by removing de Villiers (25) with Sourav Ganguly taking a well-judged catch.

The dry and grass-less pitch, which was said to be tailor-made for the Indian spinners, had low bounce and some turn but it was not alarming enough to pose much problems for the batsmen. Harbhajan and Chawla got a couple of deliveries to jump up discomfortingly, a clear sign that the pitch would deteriorate rapidly at a later stage of the contest.

The right-handed McKenzie jumped out of the crease to hit the young spinner but was beaten by flight and stand-in captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was quick to do the stumping work.

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The South African openers, who hold the world record for the opening partnership, looked quite comfortable on the Green Park track which, contrary to expectations, played quite easy in the opening session.

McKenzie’s exit was the only success for the Indians in the pre-lunch session but the complexion of the game changed to some extent midway through the second session with the hosts dismissing the dangerous trio of Smith, Amla and Jacques Kallis (1) in the span of five overs to roar back into the game.

The visitors were comfortably placed at 152 for one before India hit back much to the delight of the sparse crowd who cheered lustily as wickets tumbled.

The second half of the post-lunch session turned out to be productive for the Indians with Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan and Ishant claiming a wicket each.