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January 02, 2007 (Link to Scorecard)

A fairy tale opening partnership between Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik has helped India to make good use of some unusually ideal batting conditions presented at Newlands for the deciding Test Match. India closed the opening day's play at a good looking 254 for 3 after being lucky to win the toss and batting first. Wasim Jaffer has answered the Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar's and the team management's faith in his abilities by cracking his third test match century. Finally on this tour, the right handed opener from Mumbai has stood tall on his own to help India ride on his innings. At stumps, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were the unbeaten batsmen having survived the second new ball. With some more good batting left in the resources, India will be pushing towards making a huge first innings total and leave the rest to Anil Kumble to try and win this test match. For the South African fast bowlers, this wicket has been a nightmare and a completely alien wicket that one finds in this land.

There were a few notable changes in both the sides as they locked horns for one last time in this series. The visitors had to bring in Dinesh Karthik for the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni whose fingers had taken a battering while keeping and batting on the bouncy tracks in the last few days. There was just another change with Munaf Patel playing in place of VRV Singh. Munaf had an accident yesterday in practice when Gautam Gambhir had accidentally stamped on the medium pacer's left hand, but Munaf was fine enough to play the test match. Virender Sehwag was dropped down the order for his own good and the team's good. SA had brought back Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn who were back from their respective injuries. Out of the side were Andrew Hall and Andre Nel (ankle injury) and Morne Morkel whose place went to Paul Harris, the left arm spinner who became the 301st player to represent SA.

It was a slow and steady start from Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik, they came onto the frontfoot with utmost confidence whenever they could and they had smartly gone back and across to defend the short deliveries. And most importantly, they resisted from poking at anything that was outside their offstump. The pacers couldn't find any movement in the air or off the wicket which was ideal for India to make best use of the opportunity to bat themselves in control of the game. Once the new ball was seen with comfort, out came the shots from Wasim Jaffer to different parts of the ground while Dinesh Karthik batted sensibly. Graeme Smith had to use as many as five bowlers in the first session without any success which also included three overs of spin which is a rarity in test cricket played in SA! India didn't score the runs at a good rate but had put on a promising 61 in the 26 overs bowled in the first session.

The post lunch session as well went India's way. But there was a chance on offer for a breakthrough when Graeme Smith, the lone slip fielder had dropped Dinesh Karthik off Shaun Pollock. The fielding side wasn't in the best of moods, the players were having a go at themselves which showed that they were very frustrated first with the pitch that was presented for the game and then the sight of watching a makeshift opener not getting out cheaply. The two openers carried their side to the Tea Break, there wasn't any gradual increase in the tempo with India collecting another 91 in 28 overs. Wasim Jaffer at this stage was on 84 while Dinesh Karthik got his second fifty, he got 63 having faced 170 balls which is so unlike his nature. With the scoreboard reading 153 for no loss, the tourists were the ones who required to push the game forward but their progress was hit back by a poor umpiring decision from Asad Rauf that gave Dinesh Karthik caught at bat pad to give Paul Harris, his first test scalp. TV Replays had shown that there was absolutely no contact made by Karthik with his blade and the silly point fielder had thrown the ball back to the keeper instantly for trying out a possible run out which meant that he wasn't sure about the catch! Anyway, Dinesh Karthik's long stay in the middle was a bonus for his side, he had nicely set up the game for the middle order to take the bowling apart at a later stage.

The Indian feast on the Newlands wicket continued with Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid stitching another good partnership. Jaffer got to his third century as well which had come in 197 balls. Shaun Pollock at this stage was getting the ball to reverse swing and he was finally rewarded with a wicket that of Rahul Dravid's. The Indian Skipper was forced to nick a reverse swinging outswinger behind the stumps after having made 29, his side had put on 202 at his exit. Wasim Jaffer was the only other wicket to go down in the day's play when he had pushed at a short delivery outside his offstump in the 86th over to be taken in the slips. It was the second new ball that had got the wicket with Dale Steyn being the bowler. Jaffer made 116 having stayed almost a full day. Tendulkar with 28 (from 57 balls with 5x4s) and VVS Laxman on 4 saw the remaining part of the play to make sure that India ended at 254 for 3.

The morning session of day two will be critical in terms of what happens in this test match. If India can get through it with ease, then it could be a win or a draw for them. South Africa have to strike with the second new ball which is just a few overs old. They would have to get through Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag along with the two overnight batsmen. For India, this is one rare chance of winning a test series in alien conditions and its up to the senior batsmen to take the mantle and set this match up for the bowlers!

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