da blaze casino： Graeme Smith has taken South Africa to within touching distance of the Indian total, and now all eyes are on India, writes Dileep Premachandran

da stake casino： Dileep Premachandran in Cape Town04-Jan-2007

Graeme Smith set the tone with a typically battling innings at the top of the order © AFP
When South Africa emerged to bat on the second afternoon, it was clearthat they would need a special innings or two to remain in the contest.India’s total of 414 was less than what they would have envisaged at onestage, but it was still imposing on a pitch that was starting to reveal afew gremlins. That South Africa made such a good fist of getting withintouching distance owed much to a superb innings from Graeme Smith.Pilloried after the Wanderers defeat and battling his own batting demons,Smith had shown signs of regaining the high ground in the second inningsat Durban. That though was a patchy, uncertain effort. But there wasnothing fortuitous or hesitant about the brilliant 94 in front of hisadopted home crowd at Newlands.The pitch prepared for the game must have been a small stake through hisheart, a surface that India were likely to revel on even as it largelyneutralised South Africa’s four-man pace attack. As at Nagpur in 2004,when a green top greeted an incredulous Australian side, the curator hadcome up with 22 yards that were more to the liking of the visiting team.Wasim Jaffer, who cashed in to the tune of 116 runs, went so far as toconsider it a New Year gift.It would have been all too easy for Smith to let those big shoulders slumpand sulk, but he never lost heart on the field and the same positiveattitude was in evidence when he arrived at the crease. The booming drivesand cuts came off more often than not, and there were some sublime flicksoff the pads when Anil Kumble pitched too full. His steadying influencealso undoubtedly helped Hashim Amla, who stitched together a sedate andcomposed half-century under immense pressure.Amla remains a controversial selection, with many championing the causesof Jacques Rudolph, Boeta Dippenaar and Neil McKenzie, and the 63 he madehere will at least buy him time as he attempts to find his feet in Testcricket. Until he got bogged down and had a wild flail at Sreesanth, hiswas an unflustered and classy supporting act.Smith had departed by then, another victim for the indefatigable Kumble,and the spin noose tightened as the afternoon wore on. After a usefulpartnership, Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince fell in quick succession,with Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar rewarded for tireless work on a pitchwhere the turn was as slow as it was sharp.South Africa’s recovery was completed by two sun-beaten old stagers. ShaunPollock is surely the best No.8 batsman in the world, and in Mark BoucherSouth Africa have a man who knows not how to back away. Built like aboxer, Boucher has the heart of a bar-room brawler, and the manner inwhich he stroked his way out of trouble must have been especially gallingfor an Indian side looking to wrap things up.There have been only 13 successful chases at Newlands down the years, andbarring an exceptional Australian side hunting down 331 in 2001-02, noteam has pursued in excess of 179. If Smith and his men are to pull off aremarkable come-from-behind series victory, they’ll have to overcome theweight of history. But as Smith has already shown in this Test, he has theshoulders of Atlas.