The world's two best batting line-ups faltered with 18 wickets - a Kingsmead record - falling on a wildly fluctuating second day as India clawed their way back into contention in the series. South Africa seemed to have the contest sewn up when their relentless quicks packed off the Indian tail in a hurry, but the returning Zaheer Khan inspired a comeback that resulted in a priceless 74-run lead before poor strokes from some of the much-decorated names in the Indian batting set up a tantalising third day.
after India's batting fails on a damp pitch, the sun comes out on the second day,the pitch eases out and South Africa's run-machines bat India out of the game. It may well have turned out that way but for the inspired Zaheer, whose relentless hostility when Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma were wasteful with the new ball kept India fighting. There was also a fortuitous Jacques Kallis run-out, an unplayable snorter from Sreesanth that accounted for AB de Villiers, and some outstanding catches - including No. 200 for Rahul Dravid - that combined to hurt South Africa.
Many Indian fans associate Durban with the infamous drubbing dished out in 1996, when India were bowled out for 100 and 66 in their two innings, but it hasn't been the best ground for South Africa either in recent times: they made 138 against Australia in 2008-09, and 133 against England last year, and this time fared even worse, folding for 131.
Things were going to plan for South Africa till ten minutes before lunch, by when they had moved to 67 for 2 with their middle-order bulwarks, Hashim Amla and Kallis, building a partnership. Amla punched a ball back towards Ishant, who half-fielded it and unintentionally parried it back onto the stumps at the non-striker's end, catching Kallis out of his ground. Worse followed for South Africa, when de Villiers was dismissed by a ripper from the hitherto off-colour Sreesanth, bouncing sharply and cutting away to surprise the batsman, who thumbed it to the keeper.
Still, there was no need to panic as Amla continued to be in supreme form. His back-foot drives were the stand-out shots in a calming innings, but he missed a straighter one from Harbhajan Singh to be struck in front of middle, for 33. Like most other batsmen in the match, he too failed to convert his start; this was only the seventh time since 1935 that no batsman from either team has made a half-century in the first innings.
The last specialist batsman, Ashwell Prince, was troubled by Zaheer's movement right through his innings. He made an edgy 13 before finally falling to Zaheer, the ball cannoning onto the stumps as he attempted a footwork-free drive.
It continued the excellent work Zaheer had done with the new ball. If India were demoralised by their limp batting, Zaheer showed no signs of it. He was accurate, getting the ball to jag around, and frequently mouthing off at the batsmen. He was rewarded with the wicket of Graeme Smith - for the 10th time in Tests - as a leaden-footed prod ended in MS Dhoni's gloves. Then, a confident Alviro Petersen walked across the stumps, attempting to work the ball to the leg side, but had the misfortune of seeing his bails dislodged as the ball was dragged back from his pads.
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