Team India celebrate

Team India celebrates the 2nd Test win vs South Africa in Durban

Pic courtesy: Associated Press, AFP, Getty Images

Venomous Steyn leaves India reeling

India 183 for 6 (Steyn 4-36) v South Africa

Lonwabo Tsotsobe took two wickets and an excellent low catch to assist Dale Steyn, who took four wickets, in dismantling India's batting line-up © AFP

Take a green, pacy pitch, add overcast conditions, and unleash perhaps the world's best new-ball attack on it. That's what awaited India's batsmen at Kingsmead, and though they responded marginally better than they did in the first Test in Centurion, another exhibition of top-class fast bowling from Dale Steyn put South Africa in charge. Several of the batsmen got starts, but then either played poor strokes or received near unplayable deliveries - everyone got into double-digits but the highest score was VVS Laxman's 38.

South Africa were also helped by two vital contributions from Lonwabo Tsotsobe, whose place was under scrutiny coming into the second Test: first removing Sachin Tendulkar with a delivery angling across, which was edged to second slip, and then pulling off an incredible low catch at mid-on to end Laxman's resistance.

The perils in store for the batsmen were evident right from the first delivery of the match, which reared from a length and struck Virender Sehwag painfully on the fingers. The ball was jagging around prodigiously and the openers had a tough time: Sehwag was beaten by a peach off the final ball of the first over from Steyn. In the next over from Morne Morkel, a ball swerved in sharply to cut Sehwag in half. Other batsmen may be unnerved by that; Sehwag just smiled and went for his shots without worrying about the movement. The approach paid off for a while, bringing the usual flow of early Sehwag boundaries.

With Morkel guilty of bowling too short and Tsotsobe unable to control the runs, India survived nearly till drinks. Steyn, though, had been probing consistently outside off, working his outswinger beautifully. It was one of those outswingers that accounted for Sehwag - pitched up and asking to be driven, only for the late movement to get the outside edge to slip.

In his next over, Steyn sent back the other opener, M Vijay - in for the injured Gautam Gambhir - who had looked less in control than Sehwag. A beauty of a delivery had Vijay fishing outside off, and nicking to the keeper. Vijay had started the innings leaving most deliveries outside off, but had a chancy stay - dropped by Paul Harris at first slip when on 3, and later by AB de Villiers, who nearly plucked a blinder at third slip.

Tendulkar was adventurous in the short spell till lunch, using the uppercut to pick up a couple of boundaries, though he also had the fortune of a pull flying over the keeper for four. India would have been satisfied with the 74 for 2 they posted in the morning session, but they lost the big wicket of Tendulkar off the fifth ball after the break.

India's two other middle-order stalwarts - Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman - then started a recovery act. Neither batsman was particularly fluent, and their 38-run partnership had periods of total calm sandwiched by bursts of boundaries. Three fours came in the space of seven deliveries early on - with Laxman capitalising on some wayward Tsotsobe bowling - before a six-over spell in which only four runs were scored. Steyn was brought back to break the stand but bowled his only expensive over of the day - a gorgeous straight drive from Laxman brought up India's hundred before he pulled a short ball for a flat six, only the fifth of his Test career.

Once again, just as India seemed to have stabilised, Steyn struck: working over Dravid with a relentless offstump line before getting him to nick an away-going ball to the keeper. Two overs later, he was gifted a wicket as Tsotsobe held on to a casual pull from Laxman and India were down to 130 for 5.

Cheteshwar Pujara, taking the place of the struggling Suresh Raina, responded well to the challenge. He had a reprieve when Hashim Amla dropped him at forward short leg, but he was confident through his innings, highlighted by an uppercut for four off Morkel one delivery after he had mishit an attempted hook. He had moved to 19 when he threw it away, miscueing a pull to the keeper.

That left India at 168 for 6, and Graeme Smith a satisfied man. Only a couple of overs were possible after tea, with the fading light forcing an early stop. Harbhajan Singh and MS Dhoni have added 27 brisk runs, and India need them to stick around to boost their hopes of staging a comeback in the series.

Zaheer Khan may return, Yadav, Pujara may play too

After centurion loss, India hope Zaheer returns in Durban; Yadav, Pujara may play too

There could be wholesale changes to the Indian XI for the second

Test against South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban with Zaheer Khan getting fitter, Umesh Yadav impressing bowling coach Eric Simons with his pace and bounce, and Cheteshwar Pujara pushing under-performing Suresh Raina for a spot in the middle-order.

Zaheer Khan bowls during a nets session earlier this year in Bangalore. PIC/Getty Images

Skipper MS Dhoni feels that Zaheer's experience would help a lot. "That would be a big boost because he brings a lot of experience. He also brings new plans to the table," said Dhoni.

On Sunday, during the lunch interval when India had their backs against the wall, reeling on 277-6, the bench players were seen putting in a strenuous workout session alongside coach Gary Kirsten, mental conditioning expert Paddy Upton and Simons.

With India's fast bowlers failing to trouble the Proteas in the first Test here at SuperSport Park, the strapping Yadav could force his way into the team. "I am enjoying bowling on these tracks. I was here last year for the IPL (for Delhi Daredevils) too," said Yadav.

So would he be ready if called up for the Durban Test? "It is a good learning curve to be in this dressing room. I am not thinking far ahead. The captain has told me to just enjoy myself," said Yadav.

Pujara, too, is ready just in case he is called up in place of Raina: "Spending time at Gary Kirsten's academy was very useful. There is lot of bounce in these pitches, you needs to alter your batting style to succeed. It is a great challenge to do well here.

"I am happy with my preparations. I would be ready if called upon to play, I'm not thinking about it though," added Pujara.

Kirsten fended off a bouncer thrown at him by this correspondent with a pinch of sarcasm. When asked if a better performance was expected at Durban, Kirsten said: "No mate, we are going to put up an even worse performance," he laughed before adding, "of course, we will look to put up a better showing at Durban. The morale in the team is good."

Zak is back
Meanwhile, it was an encouraging sign to see pace spearhead Zaheer bowl in the nets. He was seen being attended to by team physio Paul Close. "Zaheer is doing a lot better now. It is good to see him bowling in the nets. He could be fit for Durban. Hope he can recover," Close said minutes after the net session.

S Sreesanth, who led the attack in the absence of Zaheer here, blamed the toss for India's debacle: "Wish we had first use of the wicket. We could have done a lot better in the game then. The pitch flattened out too much as the match progressed," he said.

A glance at India's record at Durban does not make for good reading. But, the team management is doing everything in its capacity to keep the spirits high in the dressing room.