‘Getting Sachin out is something'

James Pattinson has had incredible success in his young Test career, and on Tuesday, he added another achievement, the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar.

“I'm just loving it,” said the 21-year-old Pattinson, who took four wickets on the first day of the second Test. “I'm loving playing Test cricket for Australia. Getting Sachin out is something I'll remember for the rest of my life. He just seems to have so much time to play.

“It's so hard to get it past him, everything looks so good. He was pretty unlucky, but that's what can happen if you build enough pressure.”

Asked about his success — 24 wickets already in just his fourth Test — Pattinson said, “My plan is just to bowl it up there and look to get some swing. If you bowl it in the right areas consistently, you'll get any batsman out. It's a credit to Craig McDermott (the bowling coach). I've worked day in and day out with him.”

The Victorian said he had never strived for pace. “It's something that comes pretty naturally. I had a chat with one of the greatest ever, Glenn McGrath, and he said that all I need to worry about is line and length. That's advice I'm going to try and follow.”

Asked if India's batsmen were intimidated by Australia's bowlers, Pattinson said, “I think they're probably intimidated about the way we're bowling, the areas we're bowling, we're not giving them any loose balls.

“For them they've probably got it in their mind ‘where are we going to score', because they're not getting any loose balls at the moment. Intimidation comes with us bowling really well.”

Deserve credit

Duncan Fletcher, India's coach, said the Australian bowlers deserved credit for the way they had performed over three innings, but added that the batsmen need to do better.

“Whenever we have got a partnership going, we haven't taken advantage of it.

“We have to start taking advantage of it,” said Fletcher. “From my point of view, it's important the batting clicks together.

Loss of form

Rahul (Dravid) batted really well in England, but seems to have lost a bit of form. Sachin (Tendulkar) seems in really good touch.

“And it's only Laxy (Laxman), who is hitting the ball well, but needs a bit of fortune.

“We are pretty confident that at some stage we'll get the runs we need.” Asked to diagnose the batting failures in England and here in Australia, Fletcher said it was a case of not adapting to the conditions.

“But every team struggled with it,” he added, “just like foreign teams struggle on the slow, spinning fields in India, India can sometimes struggle when it seams and swings around.”

Fletcher said the batsmen had worked hard to adjust, but “sometimes in cricket you just need a bit of fortune.”

Keywords: India's tour of Australia, Pattinson

Clarke, Ponting centuries lead Australia

Michael Clarke's unbeaten double century and Ricky Ponting's first hundred in nearly two years placed Australia in total command on the second day of the second test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Clarke and Ponting shared a record 288-run partnership as Australia decimated the Indian attack to be 482-4 at stumps on Wednesday for a 291-run first innings lead.

Clarke is unbeaten on 251, his best test score and the highest by an Australian at the SCG, with Mike Hussey on 55 at stumps.

Ponting's 134 ended a century drought that stretched back to January 2010 when he scored 209 against Pakistan in Hobart. Since then, Australia's greatest test run scorer had gone 34 innings without reaching the milestone.

Scores:

India 1st innings: 191 (M.S. Dhoni 57 not out; James Pattinson 4-43, Ben Hilfenhaus 3-51).

Australia 1st innings: 482-4 (Michael Clarke 251 not out, Ricky Ponting 134; Zaheer Khan 3-106).

Keywords: India's tour of Australia

India hopes for a turnaround in its batting

What immediately strikes you about the Sydney Cricket Ground, especially after seeing its grand cousin in Melbourne, is the change of scale.

Even the statues — a fiercely moustachioed Fred Spofforth, a dashing Stan McCabe frozen in a vigorous hook stroke, a scheming, svelte Richie Benaud — are smaller. Development hasn't left the ground untouched.

But it still looks familiar, the distinctive, green-roofed Members and Ladies pavilions glinting in the sun as they have for so many years.

This is an intimate cricket ground that wears its history lightly. On Tuesday it will become just the third venue in the world, after Lord's and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, to host a hundred Tests. Some Test it will be if India and Australia express themselves like they did in Melbourne; India though will want to compete for the entire contest.

For those who seek such things, there are heartening signs for the touring side. Unlike the MCG, the SCG's playing field slopes away from the wicket square; it's smaller and the outfield is mown closer so it isn't as lush as the MCG: it's almost as if it has been designed for India's batsmen, who seek the comfort of boundaries.

The numbers, at least the convenient ones, show that India prefers batting here. Sachin Tendulkar has never been dismissed here after passing 45; his 664 runs have come at an average of 221.33. V.V.S. Laxman, who averages just over 14 at the MCG, gets his runs at a rate of 96 every innings at the SCG; each time he has visited, he has made a hundred.

India's batting average (runs per wicket) at the SCG moreover is 44 since 1990 — its highest at any ground in Australia.

Diverse opinions

A lot of course will depend on the pitch, which seems to be drawing diverse opinions. Tom Parker, the curator who has prepared splendid cricket wickets here, hopes for a surface with consistent bounce.

The grass is different from the thatched mat at the MCG; it's lighter, as Michael Hussey observed, but there will be movement off it. For how long, is the significant question. There should be more turn here, but again no one is certain.

India's batsmen will need to make Australia's bowlers work harder for their wickets. “Put miles in their legs,” is how international batsmen look to play Test bowlers. See off spells if need be, but never lose sight of scoring and turning the strike over — anything to dismantle them. India will have to challenge Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, and James Pattinson. As they showed in the first Test, they are relentless when allowed to settle.

In addition to a batting turnaround, India will need its bowlers to recapture their Melbourne form. R. Ashwin might have a more attacking role to play here at the SCG, on days four and five at least (if the match goes that long). But it's the three seamers that will have to ensure that Australia's batsmen are cut down to size.

The Australian tail was a problem in the first Test. In Pattinson, Siddle, and Hilfenhaus, the home side has a lower-order capable of both stone-walling and stroke-making.

The bowlers need to find a solution; but it'll prove useless if M.S. Dhoni continues to captain conservatively. Wickets, not runs, must remain the primary consideration of captains — even in an age when better protective equipment and the increased emphasis on batting has seen the tail-ender as he was known all but disappear.

India will know the importance of the second Test. Over the last decade — but before England — this was the Test in which India traditionally stormed back during tours. Even at Trent Bridge last year, India at least twice gained command of the Test.

But once its position was overturned, India crumbled mentally.

The 0-4 clean-sweep was waiting to happen. Glenn McGrath, true to form, has already made that prediction. (He actually said 3-0, before learning it was a four-Test series; he admitted he had “stuffed up” and changed it to 4-0).

India's response here in the second Test will tell us a little more about whether England was an aberration or whether it was something worse.

The teams (from):

Australia: Michael Clarke (capt.), Ed Cowan, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin (wk), Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Lyon, and Ryan Harris.

India: M.S. Dhoni (capt. & wk), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vinay Kumar, and Pragyan Ojha.

Umpires: Marais Erasmus and Ian Gould.

Third umpire: Bruce Oxenford.

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Hours of play (IST): 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.; 7.40 a.m. to 9.40 a.m., 10 a.m. to close.

Famed batting line-up crumbles; India bowled out for 191

Once again the Australian speedsters proved too hot for the Indian line-up. The Indians were bowled out for 191 in the second Test at Sydney with Dhoni remained unbeaten on 57.

Earlier, before tea, the much-vaunted Indian top-order batting line-up crumbled against a disciplined Australian pace attack as the visitors were left gasping for breath at 178 for eight at tea on the opening day of the second cricket Test on Tuesday.

Young fast bowler James Pattinson grabbed four wickets for 43 runs, which included the scalp of Sachin Tendulkar (41) who now will have to wait for India’s second innings for his 100th international ton.

Tendulkar’s lunch-time partner Virat Kohli had earlier departed for 23, surprised by the bounce of a Peter Siddle delivery which he edged behind the stumps.

The slide was somewhat arrested by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (44 batting) and Ravichandran Ashwin (20) who put on 54 runs for the seventh wicket before the latter fell to Ben Hilfenhaus just before tea.

Ashwin closed the face of his bat all too soon at a swinging delivery from Hilfenhaus which took the edge of his bat and went to Michael Clarke in the slips.

The next delivery, the last before the break, was a short-pitched delivery at Zaheer Khan’s throat which caught him completely unawares. Zaheer was still in a tangle when the ball hit the handle of his bat and lobbed to Ed Cowan at forward short leg.

Tendulkar and Kohli had put on 37 runs for the fifth wicket when Siddle made a ball bounce on the young Delhi batsman which he could do no better than edge it behind the stumps.

But for his dismissal, Kohli had looked good during his stay of 41 balls before an error in judgment cut his innings in full bloom.

Tendulkar was in immaculate touch and twice hit Hilfenhaus through the offside for fours off the backfoot to move into the 40s. Yet, he was drawn into a cover drive off a fullish, widish delivery from Pattinson and dragged the ball on to his stumps. Tendulkar made 41 off 89 balls and hit eight fours.

India v Australia - Live updates

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11:15: Cowan out! Zaheer can do no wrong. Pitching full just outside off, Cowan comes half-forward to defend. But the ball has other ideas and swings in sharply. Thuds into Cowan's pads on off stump, huge appeal and the umpire feels it would have hit middle-leg. Cowan out for 16 and India are in this thanks solely to Zaheer.

Steve Waugh is at the ground! This is his home ground and the fans love him. He is surrounded by autograph seekers. No smile, not even a hint of emotion from Steve Waugh. Just like his playing days. Good ol' Steve! Bet he could teach the Indian batsmen a thing or two about preserving a wicket when times are tough.

11:08: Almost an unbelievable dismissal! Ishant Sharma slides one way down Ponting's pads. Ponting nudges it, Dhoni to his left dives but drops the one-hander. Ishant is unhappy, but the umpire signals leg-bye. Replays, of course, show the ball came off the bat.

11:06: Ishant Sharma is introduced.

11:03: Zaheer Khan is right on the money. Not a single short ball, not a single ball drifting onto the pads.

Ravi Shastri and Ian Chappel remind viewers of Dhoni's mistake in the first Test when he spread the field and became defensive when Ponting barely reached 20. Cannot ease the pressure this time, they say. You have to agree. 22/2 is a good time to go 'all in'.

10:52: Umesh Yadav strays onto Ponting's pads, and Ponting takes the gift with a four through fine leg.

10:50: Ricky Ponting is here. 2 fifties in the first Test and you could say he is slowly inching back to form.

10:49: Ed Cowan is playing just his second Test, but showed his mettle in the first Test when he made a composed, gritty 68. What is he made of, ask demanding Australian fans.

Ujwal Deole reckons the pitches have been prepared differently this time -

'The pitches that Australia have prepared for this tour are very different than the ones in 03/04 and 07/08 – which were India’s best tours to Australia. Even the perth victory in 08 was on a batsman friendly perth wicket not the traditional bouncy perth wicket. These pitches are much like the ones in 91/92 and 99/00 – bouncy and seamer friendly. It feels like 99/00 all over again. The highlight of the 99/00 tour was the VVS Laxman century in the Final Test. That resurrected his career and may be gave some respect to India’s performance in that tour. May be this year, it will be Gambhir – but we will have to wait for the final test for that to happen!'

10:46: Ponting negotiates the hat-trick ball with a flick for a single.

10:43: Marsh departs! Zaheer at his best here. Keeping it simple, doing the basics right. Full just outside off, no movement or extra bounce. Marsh just plays down the wrong line and gets an edge to Laxman at second slip. First ball duck for Marsh.

Sreekanth Prasad N.S. -

'India needs definite changes. Laxman and gambhir needs to be relooked by selectors.'

Cannot ask for better start if you are an Indian fan. Zaheer does it again for India with an early breakthrough. Shaun Marsh is first drop.

10:37: Warner gone! Zaheer does the trick! Full and straight with a hint of away movement. Warner tentative and gets the outside edge to Laxman at second slip. Laxman cannot hold on to it, the ball bounces off to Sachin at first slip who holds on. Warner dismissed for 8.

And once again, the bowlers are under severe pressure to compensate for the batsman's inadequacies.

10:33: David Warner and Ed Cowan are here. Zaheer with the new ball.

The key, if India wants to make a match of this, is to adjust their length and keep the ball full. The pitch does assist seam bowling, but only if you get the batsman on the frontfoot. Set them up with the odd short ball for sure, but keep it up consistently.

Terrible, terrible show by India. This is not a 191 pitch, despite what the experts might suggest. Even bounce, perhaps more bounce than expected, but consistent nevertheless. Swing in the air and off the pitch, once again along expected lines. Poor shot selection, coupled with accurate and effective Australian bowling brought India's downfall.

Dhoni remains unbeaten on 57.

10:22: Umesh Yadav departs and India bowled out for 191. Yadav no match for Siddle, gets and edge and another catch for Haddin.

10:10: Back after Tea and Ishant Sharma is the first to go.

Join us at about 10.05 (IST) for the final session.

K. Preethi feels it's time to take bold decisions -

'Why can't Rohit Sharma come in place of Kohli, and Rahane in place of Gambhir? Gambhir is mentally out of form. Let the Indian management take a stern decision and decide on the seniors also.'

Dhoni is still at the crease, and is the only hope India have now if they even want to reach 200. This series is slowly turning into an England-like nightmare. India in a deep, deep hole.

Another session, and Australian mini-victory. Four more wickets fell in this session, including the key of Sachin Tendulkar. Ashwin and Dhoni put up a fight, but the Australian quicks had the final say. Kohli looked comfortable too, but his dismissal proved how much thought the Australian bowlers put in. Bouncers, keep the batsman on the back foot, then bowl full and get him out. That's the key difference. The Australians have plans for every Indian batsman, and they come out and execute. Short-leg for the Dravid inside edge, fly deep square leg for the odd bouncer, bouncer first-ball to Zaheer with a short-leg just a few examples.

Well, Hilfenahaus will have to wait because the umpires call Tea.

09:40: Hilfenhaus sends Zaheer packing! Nasty bouncer for Zaheer first ball, heading straight to the throat. Zaheer ducks, takes his eyes off the ball, hangs his bat out to protect his neck, ball hits the gloves and short-leg is around to pouch it. I just loved this dismissal. Hostile, brutal bouncer had the batsman in serious strife. So Hilfenhaus on a hat-trick.

Ashwin the fifth Indian batsman to get out behind the stumps. Indicates late swing and bounce.

09:38: Ashwin out! Full ball on middle from Hilfenhaus, slants away slightly, Ashwin is deceived and closes the face the bat to flick. Ball gets the edge and Clarke holds on to a regulation catch at first slip. Ashwin gone for 20.

09:34: Vital partnership between Ashwin and Dhoni yields 50.

09:31: Ashwin taking on the Hilfenhaus bouncer. First bouncer is hooked without much control, just evades the deep square-leg positioned for exactly this shot. Second bouncer is neatly played by Ashwin this time, rolls his wrist, keeps it on the ground. Rolls on the turf to deep square-leg and takes a single. Quick learning.

09:27: Heartening to see some fight from the batsmen, at last. India, by the way, have crossed 300 just twice in all of 2011. Trend will continue in its first Test of 2012, most likely.

Dhoni and Ashwin lead a mini-fightback with a 37-run partnership.

09:24: Nathan Lyon has bowled 7 overs with zero impact. Dhoni and Ashwin are playing him comfortably. Time to get Pattinson or Siddle back.

09:14: R. Ashwin, meanwhile, is keen to do some damage himself. Steps out to Lyon and drives with elegance through cover for four.

09:09: Huge crowd in to watch today's play. Near full house. Great crowd response at the MCG for the first Test too. They have seen high quality bowling, not so much high quality batting though.

08:55: So how will Dhoni go about things now? If he attacks, which is his best chance of making runs, he might get out and people will label him irresponsible. If he defends, he will perish eventually, simply because the wickets and bowlers here will sort him out. I reckon measured attack with quick singles is the way to go for Dhoni.

08:50: So once again Sachin is dismissed when you least expect it. Was middling literally every ball, but felt the pressure as batsmen fell regularly at the other end.

08:45: Sachin gone! Pattinson does it again, can you believe it! Overpitched way outside off, almost a yorker on the sixth stump. Sachin bends low and drives, but gets a thick inside edge and the ball crashes into the stumps. Sachin is disgusted and stares at his bat, but he's got to go for 41 and India in all sorts of trouble now.

I reckon it must be easy for Australia to work out Dhoni. Keep it really full outside off, swing it away and hope for an edge while Dhoni slashes/drives without moving his feet. Happened time and again in England.

Sachin has employed the upper-cut today as well. Very safe shot to play when there is no third-man on bouncy wickets such as these. His first upper-cut went for four, so let's see when he uses it again.

08:33: Nathan Lyon is introduced for the first time. Slip and short-leg in place for Sachin. Negotiated the over with ease.

08:24: Dhoni reluctant to come forward as well. Drives an overpitched ball while stuck on the backfoot. Very Calypso, very visually appealing, but fraught with danger.

08:19: M.S. Dhoni in at no.7 and you got to say his presence does not inspire confidence, given his poor batting record overseas. Yesterday, some reporters at his press conference even asked him to go all-out attack and get a few runs like he did in a couple of innings in England.

The consistent bouncers have taken its toll on the Indian batsmen. None apart from Sachin are keen to come on the frontfoot. That's what got Kohli as well. Couple of bouncers from Siddle, then a full ball catching Kohli on the back. Oldest trick in the book, but still effective!

The Indian top half is dismissed for just 96. Many Facebook statuses say this Indian team is similar to the team from the 90s. Harsh, but not without reason. The overseas form of this team has been poor, 90s poor.

08:10: Kohli gone! Spoke too soon! Length ball just outside off from Siddle gets massive bounce and clips the top of Kohli's bat. Another edge, another catch behind the bat. Kohli departs for 23. Fantastic ball from Siddle.

08:05: Kohli gallops with confidence to 23 off 36. Take a minute to understand the pressure on Kohli. The toast of the town after huge performances in the ODI team this year. Comes to Australia and is hailed as India's next no.6 in Tests. Failure in the first Test and everyone calls for his head. And now, he comes in at 59/4 to face a hostile and charged up Australian pace attack.

What do you make of Malcom Conn's article on Sachin losing the respect of some Australian cricketers after 'Monkeygate'? Here is the link to how it was reported in India. Send your views to liveresponse@thehindu.co.in

07:55: Sachin starts the second session with a delightful cut for four off a wide, poor delivery. He moves on to 27.

Massive responsibility on Kohli now. It's quite simple really, bat with patience and keep Sachin company. Sachin needs partners to carry on in his free flowing form. Back to the basics of cricket!

07:50: Here comes Siddle, pounding in. Day in and day out, pounding in.

S.N. Iyer has a few suggestions to improve the Indian team's performance -

'Our selectors do not consider the age factor and selected a team of old players who find it difficult to see the fast moving ball. Our bowlers are incapable of learning the same tactics when Australia bat. We need a change of selectors and an absolutely new team where players have an eyesight of 6/5 or even 6/4. An eye specialist with suitable equipment should be part of the Team.

We need young bowlers who should be on a suitable diet to build their muscles. Injury prone bowlers like Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma should be given a farewell.

These are all positive suggestions if we do not want our team to lose 4 wickets in one session.'

07:42: First ball after Lunch and Sachin gets a 2 through gully.

Be sure to tune in at 7.35 (IST) to catch the second session of play.

So Australia clearly on top, though the presence of an in-from Sachin gives hope to Indian fans. Can Kohli and others to follow give him company?

James Pattinson, the man-of-the-match in the first Test, comes to the party again with 3 wickets already. What a dream start to his Test career. Former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath is probably right in saying Pattinson is going to be one of the world's best.

India go to Lunch at 72/4, terrible start to the Test. Gambhir's run drought continues though he was dimissed with a beauty from Pattinson. Sehwag looked edgy and fell for 30. Laxman dismissed cheaply and the mainstay Dravid fell as well.

07:02: Lunch is called and India on the backfoot straight up.

07:00: Michael Hussey with his banana outswingers, the last over before Lunch.

06:45: Virat Kohli now. His place at no.6 has been in question after a tough first Test. Tough situation to come in with your place in the XI on the line.

06:39: Laxman out! Laxman cannot reproduce the Sydney magic, where he has centuries at will. Pattinson again with the full ball outside, Laxman reaches out and gets and edge to Shaun Marsh at third slip. India slide to 59/4.

VVS Laxman in with India in trouble. Laxman failed in both innings of the first Test, let's see if he can do his 'Australia' magic here.

06:25: Sehwag gone! Pattinson gets his man! Full and just outside off, Sehwag prods while stuck at the crease. Outside edge, safely done by Haddin behind the stumps. Sehwag gone for 30 and you got to say this was a long time coming. Sehwag looked quite uncomfortable.

06:06: Back after drinks and Ponting puts down an absolute sitter at slip! Sehwag survives. Genuine outside edge outside off, ball goes at a decent speed and perfect height to Ponting at second slip. He grabs the ball and spills it. Michael Clarke is at first slip and he cant believe it. Ponting would usually catch those with his eyes closed.

Sachin looks good, no doubt. But I'm going to refrain from saying this is the start to a big innings. Simply because it only takes one good moving ball - especially in bowler-friendly Australia - to send you packing.

06:01: Third four for Sachin, his second in the over. Overpitched from Siddle, Sachin puts it through cover and mid-off for four. Easy pickings.

'Indian team needs to work on defence'

Michael Nobbs has admitted that the Indian hockey team needs to work on its defence ahead of February's Olympic qualifiers. Speaking at the Sports Authority of India here, where the National camp got underway on Monday, the coach felt the team hadn't had much time between tournaments to iron out its troubles.

“The defence was always a concern,” he said. “We've concentrated on attack a lot because you win games by hitting goals. We've hit 17 and 29 goals in the last two tournaments — more than any recent Indian side that I can remember. We just haven't had the time to sit on the pitch and practise drill after drill to fix up the defence. It's not a difficult problem to fix. It's just a time issue.”

Nobbs also dismissed concerns over the team's temperament, attributing the yellow card shown to V.R. Raghunath in the final of the Champions Challenge — which he claimed had contributed to the defeat — to defensive organization rather than indiscipline.

“It tells us that we've got a few problems in defence,” he said. “We're not as mobile as we should be; we don't know our defensive patterns well. I don't think it's a temperament thing. It's also because of the way we play – this is an aggressive, attacking team that is not shy in coming forward.”

Nobbs also refused to view the fracas involving Pakistan in the four-nation tournament in Australia as a sign of any ill temper. “It would never have happened if we'd had strong umpires. It's not a temperament issue; India-Pakistan games are special.”

The three-week camp will feature 48 players, 22 of whom had arrived by Monday. The rest — with the exception of V.S. Vinay, Tushar Khandekar, and Rajpal Singh — will join before Wednesday. The camp would also offer a look at junior players — those that played in November's Sultan Johor Cup in Malaysia — and some Seniors that had recently not been involved, Nobbs said.

The camp will conclude on January 4, after which the team is expected to play test matches against international sides in Delhi.

Keywords: Indian hockey, Michael Nobbs

Vernon Philander bundles out Sri Lanka

South African opening bowler Vernon Philander claimed his third five-wicket haul in as many Tests as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 180 on the first day of the first Test at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

Philander took five for 53 and fellow fast bowler Dale Steyn grabbed four for 18 to end the Sri Lankan innings shortly before tea.

In reply South Africa had made 90 for the loss of skipper Graeme Smith's wicket at close.

Sri Lanka, which was sent in on a green pitch that offered bounce and movement, lost its last six wickets for 24 runs off 32 balls. The collapse was sparked by a burst of three wickets in five balls — all confirmed by television reviews — which ended a spirited fifth wicket stand of 65 off 79 balls between Thilan Samaraweera (36) and Angelo Mathews (38).

Philander broke the partnership when he had Samaraweera caught behind off a ball which bounced steeply. The batsman was given not out by umpire Rod Tucker but the South Africans asked for a review and the hotspot technology showed that the batsman had got a faint edge.

The next ball brought the wicket of Kaushal Silva, again after the batsman was given not out by umpire Rod Tucker. The review requested by South Africa showed that Silva gloved the ball down the leg-side to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Three balls later, new batsman Thisara Perera was caught at slip off leg-spinner Imran Tahir. He was given out by umpire Steve Davis and television umpire Richard Kettleborough was again brought into action when Perera unsuccessfully sought a review.

Philander had Mathews caught at slip to achieve the feat again before Steyn bowled the last two batsmen, Chanaka Welegedara and Dilhara Fernando, with successive balls.

Sri Lanka would have been in more trouble had Samaraweera not enjoyed a reprieve on 13 when he was caught at third slip off Morne Morkel, only for an umpire's review to show Morkel had overstepped.

Keywords: South Africa-Sri Lanka Test series