India vs South Africa Cricket Series 2007-08 in India
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India vs South Africa Cricket Series 2007-08
South Africa will play 3 Tests during the Indian tour starting March 20, 2008
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First Test at Chennai India vs South Africa Cricket Series 2007-08
India vs South Africa Cricket Series 2007-08
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 5: South Africa draw with India in first test
Mar 30, 2008
The first Test between India and South Africa ended in a tame draw at Chennai on Sunday.
It was a match that the bowlers would like to erase from their memory as quickly as possible. South Africa ended their second innings at 331/5 with Neil McKenzie remaining unbeaten on 155. For India, Harbhajan Singh took eight wickets in the match off an astonishing 78.5 overs.
Earlier, Neil McKenzie continued to frustrate the Indian bowlers as he moved past 150. Scored in 313 balls, McKenzie’s 150 was starred with 13 boundaries and a massive six.
The last day of the Chennai Test started with South Africa resuming their second innings from an overnight score of 131 for 1. With Neil McKenzie batting on 59 and Hashim Amla looking compact as ever on 35, a result in the match looked like a distant possibility unless either of the teams produced a miracle. The pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium did not have any significant help for the bowlers on the first four days and was not expected to behave any different on day five.
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 5: South Africa 540 & 331-5 v India 627
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 4: South Africa end day at 131 for one
Mar 29, 2008
South Africa were 131 for one in their second innings at stumps on day four of the first cricket Test against India at Chennai Saturday.
Earlier Rahul Dravid hit 111 to give India an 87-run lead on the fourth day of the first cricket Test at the Chidambaram stadium. India, resuming at their lunch score of 547-4 in reply to South Africa's 540, lost six wickets in the afternoon session to be bowled out for 627 in their first innings just before the tea break.
South Africa will begin their second knock after tea hoping to keep the Indian bowlers at bay on a wicket that is starting to show signs of wear and tear. India, looking for quick runs after Virender Sehwag's triple century the previous day, were slowed down by the South African attack which finally tasted success after hard toil in stifling heat and humidity.
Fast bowler Dale Steyn claimed four of the last five wickets to finish with 4-103. Left-arm spinner Paul Harris was the most expensive with 3-203, while Makhaya Ntini ended with 3-128. Sehwag was dismissed for 319 before Dravid gained the lead for the hosts with his 25th century after completing 10,000 Test runs on the way.
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 4: South Africa 540 & 131-1 drew with India 627
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 3: Sehwag’s triple-century takes India 468 for 1
Mar 28, 2008
Virender Sehwag slammed a brilliant 309 not out as India piled up a mammoth 468 for one in their first innings at stumps on the third day of the first cricket Test at Chennai Friday, in reply to South Africa’s 540.
Overnight batsman Wasim Jaffer (73) was the only wicket to fall during the day. Giving company to a belligerent Sehwag was Rahul Dravid who was batting on 65.
It was Sehwag’s second triple century, the first one having come against Pakistan in Multan in 2004.
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 3: South Africa 540 all out v India 468 for 1
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 2: India begin well in reply to South Africa's massive total
Mar 27, 2008
Replying to South Africa's 540, India were 82 for no loss in their first innings at close on the second day of the first cricket Test at the M A Chidambaram Stadium at Chennai today.
Wasim Jaffer with 25 and Virender Sehwag with 52 were the unbeaten batsmen at stumps.
Earlier, South Africa were all out for 540 in their first innings on the second day of first cricket Test against India at Chennai today.
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 2: South Africa 540 all out v India 82-0
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 1: South Africa make 304 for 4 at close
Mar 26, 2008
South Africa on Wednesday sent Indian bowlers on a leather hunt, making 304 runs for the loss of four wickets on the first day of the Chennai Test being played at the M A Chidambaram Stadium.
Captain and opener Graeme Smith made 73 before being caught by VVS Laxman off the bowling of Indian skipper Anil Kumble. Neil McKenzie made 94 and Jacques Kallis made 13 before falling victims to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Kumble also snared the wicket of Ashwell Prince. Hashim Amla and A B de Villiers were at the crease with scores of 85 and 10 runs respectively at the close of play.
Earlier in the day, cricket fans said they were looking forward to an entertaining contest here between South Africa and India. South African skipper Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat against India.
India recalled pacer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to the side because of an injury to teenager Ishant Sharma. South African left-arm spinner Paul Harris was drafted into his side as the only change from the team that played in their previous test in Bangladesh this month, where they swept the series 2-0. While the first Test is being played in Chennai from March 26 to 30, the second Test will be played in Ahmedabad from April 3 to 7 and third Test match in Kanpur from April 11 to 15. Fans said they were confident about India's chances of winning the Test.
"I am sure that India is going to win and India will win. Since their comeback from the Twenty-20, they are really in great form. India is going to win. Come on India," said Shekhar, a cricket fan.
"We are back to the Chepauk Stadium here. Whether it is India or South Africa...no doubt who is going to win, its India, India and India and that's it," said Mavia, another cricket enthusiast.
India aims to cash in on their traditional home advantage after their strong showing in Australia, where they climbed to second in the Test rankings despite losing the series 2-1 against the champions.
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai, Day 1: South Africa 304-4 v India
IND vs SA, 1st Test, Chennai: India plan huge totals against South Africa
Mar 25, 2008
India hope to bombard South Africa with mammoth first-innings totals in the three-Test series starting on Wednesday, captain Anil Kumble said.
"The key is to post big scores and let the bowlers put pressure on the visiting batsmen," Kumble said on Tuesday ahead of the first Test at Chidambaram stadium at Chennai. "It is a game plan that has worked well for us in the past, both at home and abroad, and there is no reason why we can't do that again. "We have the batsmen who produce good scores on any sort of wicket and I expect the same from them again," said Kumble.
The 37-year-old, who will lead the spin attack alongside Harbhajan Singh, said the brown, grassless wicket produced for the first Test was a "typical Chennai" track.
"It's always been the same here," said Kumble. "It will be good for batting for the first two days and then the spinners will definitely will come into play. "The hot and humid weather will affect both teams, but I suppose we are more used to it than the South Africans."
India plan to play six specialist batsmen with wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni coming in at number seven, followed by two seamers and as many spinners.
Kumble's men returned as heroes after losing the acrimonious Test series 2-1 but denying the hosts a world record 17th successive win with a memorable triumph in Perth. Dhoni's young one-day squad then defeated Ricky Ponting's team 2-0 in the tri-series finals, indicating India had turned the corner after an embarrassing first-round World Cup exit last year.
India, coached for the first time by former South African opener Gary Kirsten, will bank on veterans Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Ganguly and Venkatsai Laxman to realise Kumble's plans.
Tendulkar, 34, could end the series as Test cricket's leading batsman, needing only 172 more to overtake retired West Indian Brian Lara's world record tally of 11,953 runs. India Team (from):
Anil Kumble (Captain), Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Venkatsai Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh, Harbhajan Singh.
First Test at Chennai India vs South Africa Cricket Series 2007-08
India vs South Africa Cricket Series 2007-08
Scores
South Africa won the toss and decided to bat
|
540 all out (152.5 overs)
|
331 for 5 (109.0 overs)
|
|
627 all out (155.1 overs)
|
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
|||
| Smith | c Laxman | b Kumble | 73 |
97 | 13 | 0 |
| McKenzie | c Dravid | b Harbhajan | 94 |
156 | 18 | 0 |
| Amla | run out | 159 |
262 | 20 | 0 | |
| Kallis | c Jaffer | b Harbhajan | 13 |
42 | 1 | 0 |
| Prince | c and b | Kumble | 23 |
60 | 2 | 0 |
| de Villiers | c Dhoni | b Sreesanth | 44 |
58 | 8 | 0 |
| Boucher | c Dravid | b Sehwag | 70 |
146 | 9 | 0 |
| M Morkel | c and b | Harbhajan | 35 |
54 | 7 | 0 |
| Harris | c Dhoni | b Harbhajan | 5 |
16 | 0 | 0 |
| Steyn | c RP Singh | b Harbhajan | 15 |
21 | 3 | 0 |
| Ntini | not out | 1 |
6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Extras | 1nb 1w 1b 5lb | 8 | ||||
| Total | all out | 540 | (152.5 ovs) | |||
|
|
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
|||
| Jaffer | c Kallis | b Harris | 73 |
166 | 6 | 1 |
| Sehwag | c McKenzie | b Ntini | 319 |
304 | 43 | 5 |
| Dravid | c Kallis | b Ntini | 111 |
291 | 15 | 0 |
| Tendulkar | c Kallis | b Ntini | 0 |
5 | 0 | 0 |
| Ganguly | c Boucher | b Harris | 24 |
29 | 4 | 0 |
| Laxman | c and b | Harris | 39 |
64 | 4 | 0 |
| Dhoni | c Boucher | b Steyn | 16 |
33 | 2 | 0 |
| Kumble | b Steyn | 3 |
18 | 0 | 0 | |
| Harbhajan | b Steyn | 0 |
2 | 0 | 0 | |
| RP Singh | b Steyn | 0 |
8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sreesanth | not out | 4 |
15 | 0 | 0 | |
| Extras | 4nb 4w 20b 10lb | 38 | ||||
| Total | all out | 627 | (155.1 ovs) | |||
|
|
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
|||
| McKenzie | not out | 155 |
340 | 13 | 1 | |
| Smith | lbw | b Harbhajan | 35 |
30 | 5 | 0 |
| Amla | c Dravid | b Kumble | 81 |
148 | 9 | 0 |
| Kallis | c RP Singh | b Harbhajan | 19 |
40 | 1 | 0 |
| Prince | c Jaffer | b Harbhajan | 5 |
11 | 1 | 0 |
| de Villiers | c Ganguly | b Sehwag | 11 |
40 | 0 | 0 |
| Boucher | not out | 11 |
46 | 0 | 0 | |
| Extras | 1nb 8b 5lb | 14 | ||||
| Total | for 5 | 331 | (109.0 ovs) | |||
|
|
Umpires: Asad Rauf, A L Hill
India: Sehwag, Jaffer, Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman, Dhoni, Kumble, Harbhajan, RP Singh, Sreesanth
South Africa: McKenzie, Smith, Amla, Kallis, Prince, de Villiers, Boucher, M Morkel, Harris, Steyn, Ntini