Kallis, De Villiers take S Africa past 200

NEW DELHI: Indian bowlers look for breakthrough as Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers took the South African first innings past 200-mark after lunch on Day 3 of the second Test against India at in Durban.

Scorecard

Both batsmen have brought up their 100-run stand, giving tough challenge to the visitors after losing three quick wickets, earlier during the day.

Ravindra Jadeja spun out both South African openers to give India early progress on the third day.

Jadeja had two of India's three strikes in the first session after South Africa had reached 103 without loss chasing 334.

Jadeja had Graeme Smith (47) caught at midwicket and Alviro Petersen out off an edge to slip for 62. One ball before Petersen fell, Hashim Amla was bowled by Mohammed Shami for 3 and India took those three wickets for just 13 runs.

The retiring Kallis received a guard of honor from the Indian fielders when he came out to bat at Kingsmead, the ground where he made his debut 18 years ago. He then pushed emotion to one side to share an unbroken 68-run stand with AB de Villiers to settle South Africa and cut its first-innings deficit to 153.

In his 166th and final test appearance, the 38-year-old Kallis _ one of the game's great players _ strode out with South Africa 113-2 and watched Petersen fall next ball to Jadeja, who has drawn turn out of the Durban pitch to be a danger throughout South Africa's reply.

Jadeja forced Smith to miscue a lofted shot for the initial breakthrough at the start of the eighth over, when Shikhar Dhawan took a good running catch to dismiss the South African skipper. Shami also found movement off the pitch to completely beat Amla, and Petersen nicked one to Murali Vijay at slip to put South Africa in trouble.

But after shaking hands with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and being applauded by India's fielders and reserve players in the guard of honor, Kallis was responsible for part of the fightback alongside De Villiers.

Kallis was mainly watchful, but did send recalled slow left-armer Jadeja back over his head for successive fours to stamp his authority. De Villiers hit four fours in his 39 from 75 balls as South Africa chases a farewell victory for its veteran allrounder.

Kallis took his 200th test catch in India's first innings and would create a fairytale story if he finished with another century at the ground where he made his debut in 1995.

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Shweta Pandey

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