| Scores | Upcoming | Results |
Centurion: Gautam Gambhir (80) and Virender Sehwag (63) gave a solid start as India staged a spirited fightback after conceding a mammoth 484-run lead on the third day of the first Test against South Africa on Saturday.
After South Africa declared their first innings at an imposing 620 for four riding on Jacques Kallis' maiden unbeaten double century and AB de Villiers' record-breaking 129, India put up a better batting display to reach 190 for two in their second innings when the stumps were drawn, still trailing by 294 runs.
Rahul Dravid was batting on 28 from 48 balls while night-watchman Ishant Sharma was giving him company on seven to raise hopes of saving the game on a Super Sport Park pitch which has eased out considerably.
The good start given by openers Virender Sehwag (63) and Gambhir with a 137-run stand from just 29.3 overs should serve as a confidence booster for the other batsmen.
With two full days left in the match, the formidable Indian batsmen will have to bat out of their skin to fancy their chances of salvaging a draw in the series-opener.
Showing no signs of pressure, Sehwag and Gambhir sought to make amends for India's batting debacle in the first innings though both were lucky to get a reprieve once.
Sehwag was let off when he was on 34 with a diving Hashim Amla spilling a difficult chance at short cover, Lonwabo Tsotsobe being the unlucky bowler. Gambhir was dropped by Alviro Petersen at cover region of the bowling of Dale Steyn when the Indian was on 35.
Sehwag's 63 came from 79 balls and was studded with nine fours and a six.
Gambhir seemed to be looking for his 10th Test century and first one on South African soil before he was done in by a Dale Steyn delivery which kept low without much bounce towards the end of the day.
Steyn angled his delivery from round the wicket and it kept a touch low after pitching at the off. It missed Gambhir's bat and thudded into his pads to be plumbed in front of wicket. Gambhir's 80 came from 124 balls and was studded with 10 fours.
The day clearly belonged to the in-form de Villiers who smashed the fastest century by a South African, taking just 75 balls to complete his ton, and Kallis (201 not out) who notched up his maiden double century in his 143rd Test.
De Villers eclipsed the previous fastest record shared by Denis Lindsay, Jonty Rhodes and Shaun Pollock, who had taken 96 balls to score a century.
Earlier, resuming at the overnight score of 366 for two, Amla (140) and Kallis continued from where they had left on Friday as they scored the runs at a brisk pace.
The two batsmen seemed to be in no discomfort at all as the Indians pacers S Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma tried to get the breakthrough with the second new ball.
Amla was the more aggressive of the two batsmen as he spanked both S Sreesanth and Ishant every time they erred in line and length.
It was Ishant who brought an end to the marathon 230-run partnership for the third wicket by evicting Amla, who played a rather poor shot.
Amla tried to flick a delivery going way down the leg side and only managed to edge it to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stump. Amla batted for 296 minutes, faced 202 balls and hit 14 boundaries and a six.
It was just the kind of luck India needed after being thoroughly outplayed on the first two days of the series-opener.
The in-form de Villiers, who joined the action after Amla's dismissal, made his intentions clear by clobbering Ishant and debutant pacer Jaidev Unadkat to the boundary in quick succession.
Soon after the drinks break, de Villiers picked up Ishant for special treatment by smashing him for two successive boundaries. He first smacked it in front of covers and then eased it past mid off for the second boundary.
Kallis remained unbeaten on 201, a knock which came off 270 balls and contained 15 boundaries and five sixes. His previous best score in Test cricket was 189 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in 2001.
For the Indians, paceman Ishant (2/120) and spinner Harbhajan Singh (2/169) were the two bowlers who got the wickets in an otherwise lacklustre bowling display.
Brief scores
India 136 and 190 for 2 (Gambhir 80, Sehwag 63)
South Africa 620 for 4 dec (Kallis 201*, Amla 140, de Villiers 129)
Status India Trail by 294 runs
