As India and South Africa prepare to slug it out in the third Test of the four-match series at Nagpur, we go back in time and look at the last time these two teams met in a five-day game at the venue.
Backdrop: This was the first Test of the series between India and South Africa in 2010, which began on February 6.
Toss: South Africa won the toss and decided to bat first.
Teams
India: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, Subramanian Badrinath, Wriddhiman Saha, MS Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra
South Africa: Ashwell Prince, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris
The Amla-Kallis show: He may be short on runs and confidence now, but five years back when he came to India, Hashim Amla was in pristine form. South Africa, having elected to bat first, amassed 558 for 6 declared. Of those runs, Amla made an unbeaten 253. He never looked like getting out during his stay at the crease. In all, Amla occupied the wicket for 675 minutes during which he hit 22 exquisite fours. In comparison, Jacques Kallis' 173 was more of a support act, but he too made a crucial contribution. He batted for over 400 minutes and hit 15 fours and two sixes before being dismissed. Kallis and Amla added a whopping 340 for the third wicket.
They were good supporting acts for South Africa in the form of a half-century from AB de Villiers, who was mortal back in those days. Mark Boucher also chipped in with a crucial 39. For India, Zaheer dismissed Smith and Prince early in the innings, but from thereon it was a struggle as everyone from Ishant Sharma to Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra failed.
India's batting collapse: Having failed with the ball, India needed to bat well. But, that did not happen. 233 was all they managed as Dale Steyn ran through the Indians. Virender Sehwag was the only one to offer resistance with his 109. Steyn got the big wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, having him caught behind for 7. He added the scalps of Murali Vijay and debutant S. Badrinath before overcoming the tail without much trouble as he sent back the other debutant Saha, Harbhajan, Zaheer and Mishra. Steyn ended with 7 for 51. For India, Sehwag's 109 came from 139 balls with 15 fours. Badrinath also gave good account of himself with a patient 56.
Ton-dulkar comes too late: With India crumbling in the first innings, South Africa enforced the follow-on. To avoid a defeat, India needed to bat spectacularly well. Tendulkar got a fluent hundred, but it wasn't enough to save India from an innings defeat. The Indian maestro hit exactly 100 from 179 balls before being clean bowled by Paul Harris. Gambhir and Sehwag fell early to Steyn and Morkel, and there were a number of 30s from the Indians. But, 317 was all they managed in the end. Steyn and Harris claimed three wickets each as South Africa won by an innings and 6 runs. Amla was declared man of the match.
-- By A Cricket Correspondent
