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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| India batsmen in first day slump | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| India's illustrious batting line-up found the going tough on a truncated opening day of the series against South Africa, reaching 156-5 at the close. | |
| Following a 90-minute delay for damp patches on the pitch, India chose to bat but soon slipped to 14-2. | |
| Rahul Dravid (32) and Sachin Tendulkar put on 69 in 25 overs but Tendulkar (44) edged to slip just before tea. | |
| VVS Laxman fell just before an early close but returning ex-captain Sourav Ganguly was unbeaten on 14 in 42 balls. | |
| Ganguly has not featured at Test level for 10 months and many believed his Test career was finished. | |
| The tourists also included another experienced middle order batsman, VVS Laxman, but left out Harbhajan Singh to play Anil Kumble with a three-pronged seam attack. | |
| AB de Villiers gets ready to pouch the key edge from Sachin Tendulkar | |
| South Africa also banked on an all-seam attack of Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock and Andre Nel. | South Africa also banked on an all-seam attack of Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock and Andre Nel. |
| Test specialist batsmen Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince returned to the team. | Test specialist batsmen Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince returned to the team. |
| Left-arm spinner Nicky Boje was not replaced after his sudden decision on Tuesday to retire. | Left-arm spinner Nicky Boje was not replaced after his sudden decision on Tuesday to retire. |
| There was an unusual delay to proceedings when it emerged that hessian sheets that had been used to protect the pitch from sun had caused sweating and left damp patches, which were combated with an implement resembling a hairdrier. | |
| The first wicket fell with the final ball of the 10th over when Wasim Jaffer chose to play no stroke at the familiar angling in pace of Ntini and a became a prime lbw candidate. | The first wicket fell with the final ball of the 10th over when Wasim Jaffer chose to play no stroke at the familiar angling in pace of Ntini and a became a prime lbw candidate. |
| In the next over, Pollock, who later hit Dravid in the chest with a ball that rose up off a good length, found Virender Sehwag's outside edge. | In the next over, Pollock, who later hit Dravid in the chest with a ball that rose up off a good length, found Virender Sehwag's outside edge. |
| Tendulkar was looking increasingly settled, with four boundaries, when Kallis found a little extra bounce, coupled with some movement away off the seam. | |
| The master batsman, in search of his 42nd Test half-century in his 133rd match, prodded forward and AB de Villiers took a catch at comfortable height at second slip. | |
| A thunderstorm caused more delays around the tea interval but shortly after the resumption, Dravid, fit to take his place after a finger injury, also fell victim to a full-length, away-swinging delivery from Kallis and Graeme Smith took a neat low catch by his boots at first slip. | |
| With the ball moving considerably off the seam for all the bowlers, Laxman was next to go, in what turned out to be the final ball of the day. | |
| Ntini, from wide of the crease as ever, got one to straighten and found the edge through to keeper Mark Boucher. |