KANPUR, India, 25 November 2004 — Despite four quick wickets to the India spinners in South Africa’s second innings, the first Test ended in a predictable draw in yesterday’s final day.
South Africa were reduced to 115 for four at one stage before Jacques Kallis (28 not out) and Boeta Dippenaar (31 not out) played out the final session for the tourists to reach 169 without further loss.
Their unbeaten 54-run partnership gave South Africa an overall lead of 213 runs when play was abandoned as a draw late on the fifth evening. The tourists, who piled on 510 for nine declared in their first innings, bowled out India for 466 before lunch to take a 44-run lead, but any chance of a result had gone on the docile Green Park pitch. Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini grabbed three wickets in a fiery morning spell as India managed to add just 65 runs to their overnight 401 for four.
India owed their total to openers Virender Sehwag (164) and Gautam Gambhir (96), who shared in a stand of 218 runs for the first wicket.
All rounder Andrew Hall shone for the tourists with bat and ball, batting through almost five sessions to score 163, his maiden Test century in the first innings. He then claimed three for 93 with his medium pace to win the man-of-the-match award.
The South African batsmen, hoping to repeat their first innings effort, began well with Hall and captain Graeme Smith putting on 67 for the first wicket.
Hall then nicked off spinner Harbhajan Singh to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik and Smith fell to a bat-pad catch at forward short leg, having survived some close lbw appeals.
Martin van Jaarsveld failed again, trapped lbw for 13 by left arm spinner Karthik, and left hander Jacques Rudolph (2) was caught at the second attempt by Karthik after edging a Harbhajan delivery that spun viciously.
Dippenaar and Kallis played cautiously to deny more success to the spinners in the final session. India’s hopes of exerting any pressure on the tourists in the second innings were snuffed out in the morning by Ntini and Shaun Pollock in conditions that favored the seamers.
Ntini, having gone wicketless for two days, scalped three wickets to provide his team a psychological boost.
He removed Rahul Dravid (54) and Vangipurappu Laxman (9) in the early overs to trigger a collapse as India added just 65 to their overnight 401 for four.
Ntini had Dravid caught behind after he added only two runs to his overnight score, before forcing Laxman to play on to his stumps to finish with three for 135. Further wickets fell cheaply until No. 10 Zaheer Khan lashed 30 off 34 balls with three fours and a six before he was the last man out, bowled by paceman Hall.
