December 16, 2006	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 24, 1427

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JOHANNESBURG, Dec 15: The recalled Saurav Ganguly was the only Indian top-order batsman to survive a sustained pace onslaught by South Africa on the first day of the first Test at the Wanderers Stadium here on Friday.

India were 156 for five after a day shortened by a damp pitch, the threat of lightning and bad light. Only 56.5 overs were bowled.

Ganguly was unbeaten on 14 at the close which came because of bad light immediately after VVS Laxman was caught behind by Mark Boucher off Makhaya Ntini.

All-rounder Jacques Kallis struck two crucial blows for South Africa on either side of tea when he claimed the crucial wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid after India's most experienced pair had staged a painstaking recovery following the early loss of both their opening batsman.

Tendulkar was caught at second slip for 44 after he and Dravid put on 61 for the third wicket. Dravid followed when he edged a drive to first slip after making 32.

Laxman and Ganguly put on 46 for the fifth wicket before Ntini was called back into the South African attack late in the day and induced an edge from Laxman, pushing away from his body.

Ganguly was struck on the chest by a lifting ball from Andre Nel and then played and missed at the next ball but otherwise batted solidly for 72 minutes during which he faced 42 balls.

Kallis finished the day with two for 37, while Ntini took two for 34. Fast bowler Dale Steyn left the field after bowling one ball of his eleventh over because of a left thigh strain, which appeared to be a recurrence of an injury which caused him to miss two domestic first-class matches leading up to the Test.

The morning's play was restricted to an hour. The start was delayed by 90 minutes because of damp patches, which the Gauteng Cricket Board said were caused by wet hessian placed on the pitch overnight because groundsman Chris Scott was concerned that the surface was too dry and that it might break up on the fourth and fifth days.

Despite the late start, the pitch looked good for batting on a hot, cloudless day and although there was grass cover it had a brown tinge.

Batting proved awkward, however, with South Africa's all-seam attack able to extract plenty of bounce from the surface and India limped to lunch at 19 for two. Tea was taken early and extended by 44 minutes because of an approaching thunderstorm, with lightning flashing near the ground.

Dravid was particularly watchful, eking out his runs in 151 minutes off 83 balls. Tendulkar was also cautious but his innings was interspersed with some sparkling strokes, including a cover drive off Ntini that raced to the boundary. He faced 89 balls and hit seven boundaries before edging an out-swinger from Kallis.

Dravid and Tendulkar came together after opening batsmen Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag fell within the space of six balls. Jaffer was leg before wicket to Ntini for nine when he padded up to a ball just outside his off stump which was slanting in.

Sehwag was caught behind off Shaun Pollock in the next over when he was squared up by a lifting delivery. The normally dashing Sehwag scored only four runs off 26 balls.

Dravid, recovered from a finger injury, took a painful blow in the ribs from Pollock before he had scored but batted with typical resolve on the ground where he made his maiden Test century ten seasons ago.

Scoreboard

India (1st innings):

W. Jaffer lbw b Ntini 9

V. Sehwag c Boucher b Pollock 4

R. Dravid c Smith b Kallis 32

S. Tendulkar c De Villiers b Kallis 44

V. Laxman c Boucher b Ntini 28

S. Ganguly not out 14

M. Dhoni not out 0

EXTRAS (NB-6, LB-8, W-11) 25

TOTAL (for five wkts, 56.5 overs) 156

FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-14, 3-83, 4-110, 5-156

TO BAT: A Kumble, Zaheer Khan, V Singh, S Sreesanth.

BOWLING: Steyn 10.1-3-26-0 (2nb); Ntini 12.5-1-34-2; Pollock 12-7-14-1; Nel 12.5-4-37-0 (1nb, 1w); Kallis 9-0-37-2 (3nb, 10w).

SOUTH AFRICA

G Smith, H Gibbs, H Amla, J Kallis, A Prince, A de Villiers, M Boucher, S Pollock, A Nel, M Ntini, D Steyn.

UMPIRES: Mark Benson (England) and Daryl Harper (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: K Hurter (South Africa)

MATCH REFEREE: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka).—Agencies