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BP XI holds Proteas to draw

It is an ironic commentary of the state of affairs in Indian cricket that while a bunch of hopefuls took on the visiting South Africans at the Brabourne Stadium in a three day game, most of the excitement happened off the field of play.

Day two was characterised by high drama, consequent on Sachin Tendulkar's decision to renounce the captaincy, and the selection of the national team. Day three began with the news that Mohammad Azharuddin, injured by a lifter from Morganantu Hayward minutes before the national selectors met to pick the team, has now been ruled out of the first Test due to injury.

Later today, Nayan Mongia -- another senior who has been out in the cold of late and was looking to stage a comeback -- got a lifter from Hayward off the very first ball he faced, and walked off with a finger injury. He however came out to bat at the fag end of the innings and managed to hang on till close of play, helping his team draw the game, so his injury unlike Azhar's does not appear to be as serious.

Two senior stars, both injured by the same Protean paceman, on a track that, when the Indians were bowling, showed no sign of alarming pace and/or bounce tells its own tale. Donald, Hayward, Kallis and Klusener got lift and pace out of the seemingly docile track, and underlined the difference between top quality pace and the variety that is dished up at the domestic level in India.

When play resumed this morning, South Africa, 93/3 overnight, had an overall lead of 214. Which seemed more than sufficient to go for an outright win.

Hansie Cronje, however, preferred to get in some batting practise, and thus the morning session saw Cronje and Styrdom add a further 54 before the South African skipper fell LBW to Mohanty for a well compiled 55.

Klusener, who loves the ball coming on to bat, looked at sea on the slower paced Brabourne track, several times hitting the ball hard but too early to be effective, and his innings ended when he pulled Bhandari straight to Kaif at midwicket. Styrdom, however, played a good hand of 63, remaining unbeaten when Cronje applied the closure with SA 207/5 after 63 overs, giving them an overall lead of 328.

J Arun Kumar, who wasn't fortunate enough to be picked for the national squad, had yet another bad outing in the opener's slot, tamely edging a Donald delivery into the slip cordon for Klusener to do the needful.

However, Wasim Jaffar and Mohammad Kaif, both of whom have earned selection to the senior team, combined in a 63-run second wicket partnership during which they, in contrasting ways, showed solidity against the pace of Donald (who was rested after bowling just 5 overs), Hayward and Kallis. Both batsmen looked particularly assured against the spin of Eksteen, time and again playing him off the pads to the on side for runs.

Once Kaif departed, attempting to step to leg and hit Eksteen over the midwicket region as the bowler went round the wicket only to miss the line and be bowled (33 off 70 deliveries), the resistance ended. Ajay Jadeja, who earlier this morning heard the news that he had been drafted into the Indian squad to replace Mohammad Azharuddin, got a bad decision when he was given out caught behind after a ball from Hayward deflected off his thigh pad to Mark Boucher behind the stumps.

Wasim Jaffer then showed signs of some maturity, guiding Murali Kartik through a 24 run partnership before the latter lost his wicket. Jaffer's vigil (47 off 106 balls) ended an over later when he, like Kaif, hit all round an Eksteen delivery to lose off stump.

The rest of the evening belonged to Harbajan Singh and Debashish Mohanty. The young offspinner has been showing an increasing combativeness with the bat, and that was on display for the second innings in succession when he made merry to the tune of 39 runs off just 46 balls, in the process making light of an aggressive Protean bid to wrap up the innings.

Debashish Mohanty generally takes turns with Venkatesh Prasad to adorn the bottom rung of the Indian batting ladder, but here, he displayed rare grit, batting out 52 deliveries despite Cronje ringing him with a close cordon that featured five, sometimes six, fielders besides the keeper.

The BP XI ended with its last pair (effectively, that is, given that Azharuddin was in no position to bat) at the crease, having made 179/8 at the end of 52 overs.

The Proteas had a fair outing with bat and ball ahead of the first Test while, for the Indians, the pluses were the discovery of three promising newcomers in Wasim Jaffer, Mohammad Kaif and Murali Kartik.