SPORT LD IND 3

To make matters worse for India, their injury woes hit
rock bottom with Laxman being declared unfit and his cover
Rohit Sharma spraining his ankle before toss.
Amla was the beneficiary of India's lax fielding twice
when he was let off by Murali Vijay at slip off Zaheer's first
over post-tea and then dropped by Badrinath at short mid-on
off Ishant Sharma. The batsman was on 61 and 82 when he got
those reprieves.
These couple of chances and a few shouts of leg before
against Kallis initially, were the only plus points for India
after Zaheer's twin strikes in successive overs got rid off
Smith and makeshift opener Prince very early in the day.
Zaheer, who came into the match after having taken a
career-best 10-wicket haul at Mirpur against Bangladesh in
India's previous Test, bowled a fiery spell to dismiss Smith
and Prince in successive overs, his third and fourth.
Prince was out to a snorter that Khan was able to come up
with even on this brownish, slow-natured pitch of low bounce.
The batsman awkwardly fended at it and the ball struck the arm
guard and ballooned to wicket keeper Dhoni.
The umpire raised his finger as he walked away towards
square leg much to the delight of the home team. TV replays
suggested the ball might have gone off the arm guard. Just the
previous ball the 32-year-old makeshift opener had survived a
confident shout for leg before. MORE PTI