I am probably tempting Fate by bringing this up, but I shall say it nevertheless. Kallis has scored 38 centuries in Tests, yet his highest score is just 189. (His highest first-class score is just 200). Scoring large centuries is just not his style. So, historical data suggests that Kallis is not the one who will be leading the charge on the 3rd day. Lying in wait is Abraham Benjamin de Villiers.
The Indians are in for a leather hunt and statisticians worldwide are going to be reaching for the record books.
Wow! Jacques Kallis really took my words to heart, didn't he? But do give me props for identifying who the wielder of the bludgeon would be. AB de Villiers scored a century that seemed so inevitable from the first ball he hit that it was a surprise it took him so many balls (75 in all) to get to it.
Between the two of them, they took South Africa to a position from where they will not lose this Test. And they did it in (Ravi Shastri-style) quick time, allowing for a pre-Tea declaration that I had not envisioned even in my dreariest of dreams.
The ease with which the Indian batsmen, including Rahul Dravid, played Dale Steyn and Mornie Moekel put into perspective the true nature of the pitch which has eased up considerably now that the moisture has evaporated away. But still, take your hats off to Kallis and de Villiers. It was exciting cricket to watch as they went along at more than a run-a-ball for three hours.
When I checked the 5 day forecast for Centurion yesterday before the start of play, there was just a 10% chance of rain on each of the next 3 days. It says a lot about the (in)ability of the folks at the Weather Channel to do a half-decent job at their sole job that within 24 hours that very-same prediction has changed dramatically to a 50% chance of rain. Yup, that old favorite cop-out - 50% chance of rain - has reared its ugly head again.
The Indians will do well to ignore the weather and simply bat out time. They have the batsmen to do so. The SAffers need just 8 more moments of fortune. The pitch does not seem conducive enough to expect that they will produce them. Instead the pressure of the situation should generate those moments for them.
Weather permitting, I sense that the Indians will get one extra day to practice those throw-down sessions in the nets from Gary Kirsten that they love so much. Too bad the bowlers don't get to bowl to batsmen who will repeatedly get out in the nets so as to boost their confidence.
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