Kanpur, April 11
Indian bowlers exploited a helpful track to dismiss South Africa for 265 in the first innings but the total appears to be big enough to leave the crucial third and final cricket Test interestingly poised here today.

The visitors frittered away a solid start to be be bundled out at the fag end of the day on a Green Park track which has given enough indication that it will deteriorate rapidly.

For India, Harbhajan Singh (3-52) and Ishant Sharma (3-55) shared six wickets among them to restrict the South Africans.

Captain Graeme Smith (69) and Hashim Amla (51) were the notable contributors for the South Africans but none of the other batsmen could hang around for long on a pitch which gave some assistance to the spinners.

The home team's quest for a series-levelling win started on a note of despair as they not only lost a crucial toss but had to go into the match without their captain Anil Kumble, who pulled out because of a groin injury.

Electing to bat, the two South African openers Smith an Neil McKenzie (36) provided a solid start of 61 runs before the young Piyush Chawla celebrated his return to Test cricket by scalping McKenzie in his very first over.

The right-handed McKenzie jumped out of the crease to hit the young spinner but was beaten by flight and stand-in captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was quick to do the stumping work.

McKenzie's exit was the only success for the Indians in the pre-lunch session but the complexion of the game changed to some extent midway through the second session with the hosts dismissing the dangerous trio of Smith, Amla and Jacques Kallis (1) in the span of five overs to roar back into the game.

The visitors were comfortably placed at 152 for one before India hit back much to the delight of the sparse crowd who cheered lustily as wickets tumbled.

Resuming at the lunch score of 80 for one, Smith and Amla continued from where they had left.

Just when Smith started to look dangerous and accelerated the pace of scoring by clobbering two sixes, Yuvraj Singh managed to evict him, triggering off a mini top order collapse.

The South African captain came forward for a defensive shot to a flat and quicker delivery from Yuvraj but failed to keep the ball on the ground and Wasim Jaffer took a diving catch at short leg.

Smith's knock of 69 came off 134 balls and contained eight boundaries and two sixes. Amla was bowled with Ishant's incoming ball flipping his pads and then dislodging the bails.

Scoreboard

South Africa (1st innings):

McKenzie st Dhoni b Chawla 36

Smith c Jaffer b Yuvraj 69

Amla b Sharma 51

Kallis b Harbhajan 1

Prince lbw b Sehwag 16

de Villiers c Ganguly b Chawla 25

Boucher b Sharma 29

Morkel c Dravid b Harbhajan 17

Harris b Sharma 12

Steyn c sub Kaif b Harbhajan 0

Ntini not out 0

Extras: (lb-3, nb-4, w-2): 9

Total: (all out, 87.3 overs): 265

Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-152, 3-160, 4-161, 5-199, 6-215, 7-241, 8-264, 9-265

Bowling: S Sreesanth 11-0-32-0, Ishant Sharma 12.3-1-55-3, Harbhajan Singh 31-9-52-3, Piyush Chawla 16-3-66-2, Yuvraj Singh 11-1-39-1, Virender Sehwag 6-2-18-1. — PTI

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has shown himself to be a natural leader of men and his unflustered and cool demeanour even in tough situations makes a huge contribution to the lack of panic that one sees in the rest of the team in those crisis times.

It is easy to see why his team will do anything for him. However, even as he progresses in the tactical area there is one crucial aspect that he has to try and get right and that is the spin of the coin.

In India this is especially important because winning or losing the toss can make a big difference to the outcome of the game.

This is simply because of the uncertain quality of pitches that India gets for
its test matches.

These can range from the green tops that some 'maalis' make to some dust bowls that are fit more for wrestling than playing cricket, leave aside international cricket.

The green tops are a 'maalis' favourite recipe for a 'sporting' wicket. They feel that leaving grass in an uneven manner will give the fast bowlers help and so the pitch becomes a 'sporting' one.

God knows where they have got this idea that a pitch with grass is a sporting one and one without it is not.

Two of the quickest pitches that were on offer in the 70s and 80s were in Chennai and one against Pakistan in 1979-80 in Delhi.

They had lots of pace and bounce but they did not have any grass on it. If a pitch with an even layer of grass is needed, it is at the domestic level where more often than not that dry crumblers give an exaggerated idea of the quality of a spin bowler.

Dhoni being the home captain only spins the coin, so it is not he who wins or loses the toss but the visiting skipper who calls which way the coin is going to fall.

Here a clever skipper will after a game or so be aware of what the visiting captain's favourite call is and practice spinning the coin so it doesn't fall that way.

Graeme Smith not only won the toss but also gave his team a good start along with the in-form Neil Mackenzie.

It was just the stabilizing factor that the visitors needed for the ball was spinning though there was no bounce.

A steady start at the beginning of a Test match is invariably good for the nerves in the dressing room.

The skipper looked good to get a ton but that wasn't to be but his two partnerships with Mackenzie and Amla had given just the boost that the team wanted.

The Indian skipper, never one to stick by orthodoxy, tried part-timers Yuvraj and Sehwag when the regulars were not able to make an impact and Yuvraj got the breakthrough.

Ishant Sharma also bowled splendidly and Harbhajan was tough to get away. Yet South Africa will be more than satisfied with the score that they have on the board.

It gives their bowlers something to defend and don't forget that it will be India who will be batting last, so unless they get a very big score it won't be easy for them to chase in the fourth innings. — PMG

New Delhi, April 11
Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj displayed incredible fighting spirit and staying power to cart India to a comfortable 2-0 lead against Japan in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I second round tie at the R. K. Khanna stadium here today.

Bopanna, who fired 23 aces and committed eight double faults, stunned Japan's top-seed Kei Nishikori, who was making his Davis Cup debut, 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in two hours and 31 minutes.

Prakash battled back from a two-set deficit to conquer Go Soeda 4-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 in four hours
and three minutes.

Prakash just hung there when the going was getting tougher, and it looked like a no-hope contest for him, to wear out the energetic Japanese youngster, who fought till the last point was decided.

The over six-and-half-hour battle of attrition under searingly hot conditions waged by the Indian duo on day one was worth the effort as with a 2-0 lead in hand, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi can comfortably wrap up the tie tomorrow, without bothering about the outcome of the reverse singles.

For Satoshi Iwabuchi and Takao Suzuki of Japan can at best only stretch them and not conquer the Rohan Bopanna gave India a dream start, albeit after weathering many an anxious moment, when he took the measure of the 18-year-old Nishikori largely on the strength of his booming serve.

Whenever he faulted in his serve and return, Bopanna made up with an ace or two to douse the spirit of Nishikori, who seemed determined to take the fight to the wire, and he did that by winning the second and fourth sets.

With his agile movements on the court, and amazing, pointed double-fisted return winners, he had the experienced India, who is 10 years older to him, on a leash.

Prakash Amritraj should have got off the blocks confidently after Bopanna's fine start-up, but the Indian top seed found himself in deep waters, when he trailed 0-30, and after a brief show of power play, he relapsed into errors to drop the game.

Then on, it was a down hill journey for Prakash as he was broken in the first game of the second set as well and failed to cash in on the break back in the very next game, to lose the second set as well.

But the son of Davis Cup veteran Vijay Amritraj did not chicken out in the face of adversity, and slowly and surely, he started serving and volleying well to assert his domination on the grass court to subdue Soeda.

Augusta, Georgia, April 11
Jeev Milkha Singh began his campaign in the the Masters Tournament with a solid one-under-par 71 tied to occupy the tied 11th spot here.

''Oh yes,'' beamed Jeev when asked if he was delighted with his start. ''I drove the ball really well and hit it at the right places.''

''I made a few mistakes but I think you're allowed a few on this course. I'm pretty pleased with my round. I birdied all the par fives and had a few chances,'' he added.

''The greens are tough and you can't be too aggressive out there. I left a few short but I'm happy with one under par.''

Jeev was especially delighted with his par on the opening par four, 455-yard hole. He made birdies on the second, seventh, 13th and 15th and dropped bogeys on the fourth, ninth and 14th.

''It's the best score in five rounds for me here at Augusta National. Under par on this course is always good. I'll try to do the same tomorrow and maintain my process and routine,'' he remarked.

The tenacious Indian, three shots off the early first round lead, was staring at a bogey but drained a 12-foot putt for par on the opening hole to launch his campaign on a strong note.

With the course drying out after a one-hour fog delay, Singh said he was always cautious on the devilish greens.

''It was a good par. I holed a 12 foot putt so that got me going. The course was playing different from the practice rounds,'' he said.

''The greens were quicker and firmer but we'd expected that. The course is in excellent condition.'' — UNI

Chandigarh, April 11
A scintillating 63 by opener I. Khaleel and 29-run cameo late in the innings by R. Satish enabled India XI pip Pakistan XI in a thrilling tie in the third match of the Indian Cricket League World Series being played at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, tonight.

After Pakistan XI put 152 for eight batting first, India XI coasted home with just two balls to spare to record their first victory in the competition.

Imran Nazir’s 47-ball 56 earlier powered the Pakistan innings. He slammed six fours and two sixes while none of the other batsmen could make any substantial contribution.

India, who were provided a rollicking start by Khaleel and G. Vignesh, never lost sight of the target. A. Jhunjhunwala chipped in with a useful 29 in the middle order.

Satish’s efforts in the match took the match away fron Pakistan helping India emerge deserving winners. For his superlative knock, Khaleel was given Man of the Player award.