NAGPUR, India, (Reuters) – Hashim Amla posted his first test double century to grind India’s insipid bowling into submission on the second day of the opening test yesterday.
The 26-year-old Amla scored an unbeaten 253 to enable South Africa declare their first innings at an imposing 558 for six at Nagpur’s VCA Stadium.
India were 25 without loss in reply at the close with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir not out on nine and 12 respectively.
Number three batsman Amla shared in a 108-run fourth wicket stand with AB de Villiers (53) after taking his overnight partnership with Jacques Kallis (173) to 340.
Mark Boucher struck 39 and put on 78 for the sixth wicket with Amla, 115 overnight, after Kallis, De Villiers and JP Duminy (9) were dismissed by spinners on a pitch that had started to offer turn and bounce.
Boucher fell to left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan to give the bowler his third wicket and South Africa declared after Amla reached the 250-mark.
Amla’s marathon effort enabled South Africa to recover after losing both openers for six runs and has offered the chance to set up a rare series victory on Indian soil.
Kallis, 159 overnight, was caught at short leg by Murali Vijay off off-spinner Harbhajan Singh after the tourists resumed at 291-2.
Amla was dropped on 149 by Vijay at short-leg off Harbhajan who bowled an attacking line after playing a restrictive role on the opening day.
Wristy De Villiers hit five fours in his breezy fifty before an ambitious drive off part-time spinner Virender Sehwag resulted in a catch at point to debutant Subramaniam Badrinath.
In-form Amla, who hit a century in the first test of the drawn series against England last month, reached his double century with a boundary off Sehwag.
Amla, who has given South Africa a platform to wrest back the top ranking from India, stroked 22 fours in his brilliant knock, batting for over 11 hours.
Harbhajan took his second wicket when he had Duminy lbw just before tea.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra went wicketless despite bowled superbly to beat the batsmen time and again, further frustrating India.
Amla’s effort has put the pressure on India’s batting which wears an inexperienced look with two debutants in Subramaniam Badrinath and Wriddhiman Saha following injuries to Rahul Dravid, Vangipurappu Laxman and Yuvraj Singh.
