The Hindu : Sport : Petersen puts South Africa ‘A’ in command

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Thursday, Sep 20, 2007
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Sport

Petersen puts South Africa ‘A’ in command

Special Correspondent

Indians on the defensive

— Photo: PTI

PACKING A PUNCH: Alvira Petersen acknowledges the cheers after reaching his century.

DHARAMSHALA: With a calculated assault, South Africa ‘A’ pulled India ‘A’ out of its comfort zone in quick time and walked away with the opening day’s honours of the second ‘Test’ at the HPCA Stadium here on Wednesday.

After last evening’s rain left the outfield soggy and ensured that there was no play possible in the pre-lunch session, the South Africans made the most of winning the toss to reach 264 for four in 70 overs.

Opener Alvira Petersen, who played two one-day internationals against Zimbabwe last year, was the man to watch as he smashed an entertaining 109 before being third out. He vindicated skipper Boeta Dippenaar’s positive decision to bat first on an untested pitch this season and stood out the brightest under the cloud cover.

Petersen’s onslaught not only pushed the Indians on the defensive after the initial success but also sent the right message to his teammates in the dressing room. During his two fruitful partnerships, he showed that neither the pitch nor the attack held any terrors.

The fact that the South Africans hit three sixes and 43 boundaries in two sessions amply reflects the way they handled the Indian bowlers.

Petersen treated all the bowlers with disdain. With the 60-member ground staff doing a fantastic job, Petersen’s placements raced away to the fence on the fast outfield. When left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was introduced as early as in the seventh over, Petersen decided to give him the charge with two boundaries.

If he was lucky with the first one, when his intended drive flew off the outer edge to the third man fence, the second to the cover fence was straight out of the coaching manual.

Fruitful partnerships

Dropped by substitute Suresh Raina off Ojha when on 23, Petersen did not play another false shot en route to his seventh first class century that came with his 17th boundary. Before stepping out to Ojha and getting stumped, Petersen had raised 116 for the second wicket with Hashim Amla, and another 89 with Dippenaar.

Amla, though unlucky to miss his half-century, was extremely fortunate on 26 to be dropped twice in the space of three deliveries off leg-spinner Amit Mishra. Dippenaar, too, matched Amla’s 49 before misreading Mishra’s googly to be adjudged leg-before.

However, television replays showed that the ball appeared to be drifting down the leg-side. If Amla hit a six and eight boundaries,

The scores: South Africa ‘A’ — 1st innings: M. V. Wyk lbw b Ishant 9, A. Petersen st. Parthiv b Ojha 109, H. Amla c Kaif b Ojha 49, H. Dippenaar lbw b Mishra 49, A. Prince (batting) 17, J. Ontong (batting) 22; Extras (lb-6, nb-3): 9; Total (for four wkts. in 70 overs): 264.

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-125, 3-214, 4-231.

India ‘A’ bowling: Pankaj 6-1-30-0, Ishant 14-5-35-1, Ojha 24-3-98-2, Yomahesh 10-2-41-0, Mishra 16-4-54-1.

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