 South Africa in command at Motera
3rd Apr 2008 20:02 IST
Agencies
By stumps, the visitors had taken an iron grip on the match, after a brief wobble when they lost three wickets quickly to the off spin of Harbhajan.
Kallis was unbeaten on 60 off 124 balls that included five fours and a six, while de Villiers's unbeaten 59 came off 102 balls and had seven fours in it. The duo has put on 106 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket in 147 minutes and 205 balls.
It was a nightmarish performance by the Indian team which was sans Sachin Tendulkar who skipped the match with groin injury.
Ntini started the demolition job and struck three times in six balls without conceding a run in his deadly spell to leave India gasping at 30 for four within the first 45 minutes.
Ntini first had Jaffer poking at a ball that came in slightly to edge low to Graeme Smith.
Then the most experienced bowler in the Proteas' attack struck two big blows in the space of three balls which sent VVS Laxman (3) and Sourav Ganguly (0) packing.
Laxman shouldered arms to a ball that pitched wide, seamed and then swung back to rattle the stumps while the left-handed Ganguly was in two minds whether to play or leave the ball and ended up inside-edging it on to his stumps.
In between, Steyn struck the biggest blow as far as his team was concerned by sending back Virender Sehwag, their tormentor and triple centurion in the Chennai Test, for 6.
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