India staring defeat in the face; for three at lunch

Ahmedabad, Apr 5 (UNI) India were staring defeat in the face as they lost three wickets in their second innings by lunch making 95 runs on the third day of the second Test against South Africa facing a huge 418 run first innings deficit at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, here today.

At the break Laxman was batting on 19 while Ganguly was unbeaten on 10 runs, still needing a further 323 runs to make South Africa bat second time.

Earlier, the match which began 30 minutes late from the original start of 0900 hrs which was announced by the umpires yesterday due to the early closure of play on the second day following rains, saw South Africa declare their innings at the overnight score of 494 for seven, thus leaving India with a huge task of batting three full days being 418 runs behind on the first innings.

India began their second innings on a positive note, with Virender Sehwag sending first innings tormentor Dale Steyn into the stands for two huge sixes in the very first over. His first six was a hook over fine leg and then two balls later he flicked the bowler into the square leg stands to give India a rousing beginning.

Sehwag then survived a close leg before shout from Makhaya Ntini and then to rub salt into the wounds he flicked the bowler to the square leg boundary for a boundary.

But the Delhi's batsman luck ran out when he played with his bat behind his pads to a ball from Ntini which came back in sharply for the umpire to uphold the appeal this time. Sehwag made 17 in just 20 balls with two sixes and a boundary as India slumped to 31 for one.

MORE UNI GS CS PM1217