Sehwag effort boosts India

India opener Virender Sehwag scored a fine half-century to ensure the Test is in the balance in Kolkata

India opener Virender Sehwag helped his side make a solid start to their first innings against South Africa to ensure there is all to play for after the second day of the second Test in Kolkata.

The tourists were eventually all out for 305 after the tail had done its best to frustrate the home attack earlier in the day.

Sehwag (82 not out) then joined forces with Rahul Dravid (33 not out) to leave India on 129 for one when bad light brought a premature end to play.

Resuming on 227 for five, the Proteas lost Zander De Bruyn for 15 in the second over of the day when he edged Zaheer Khan to wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik with only three runs added to the overnight score.

Jacques Kallis’ marathon innings finally came to an end when he was bowled by Sourav Ganguly for 121 after over six-and-a-half hours at the crease.

Shaun Pollock had made 18 when he edged Anil Kumble to Dravid to leave the tourists on 273 for eight.

They crawled to 289 with the loss of no further wickets by lunch, with Thami Tsolekile and Justin Ontong sticking around to halt the hosts’ progress.

However, Harbhajan Singh caught and bowled Tsolekile for 15 shortly after the interval and, two balls later, added the scalp of Makhaya Ntini, caught by Irfan Pathan at mid-off.

Ontong failed to add to his run tally after lunch and ended the innings unbeaten on 16.

In response, Gautam Gambhir was trapped in the crease playing around his legs by Pollock for seven and was adjudged leg before wicket by umpire Daryl Harper.

But that signalled the arrival of Dravid and, although he played second fiddle to Sehwag in terms of scoring, the pair have so far enjoyed a partnership of 112.

Sehwag survived a scare shortly after notching his half-century, when he offered no shot to an Ontong delivery and had to rely on umpire Simon Taufel turning down a convincing lbw appeal.

And the opening batsman made the most of his reprieve, scoring 18 of the 19 runs his team amassed during that same Ontong over.

There were still 13 overs scheduled in the day’s play when bad light forced the players off, leaving the match finely poised heading into Tuesday.