Even 150 will be hard to get, Arthur warns India

SA coach said match was heading for an exciting finish and it was important to stitch a couple of big partnerships.

South Africa coach Micky Arthur reckons India may be ‘just 2 to 3 per cent’ ahead of his team in the crucial third and final cricket Test at this stage but warned the hosts that even a total of 150 in the fourth innings would be hard to achieve.

Arthur said the match was heading for an exciting finish and it was important for his wards to stitch a couple of big partnerships to put pressure on India.

“The game is hugely tight at this stage, and it will go down to the wire. We have to first get the last wicket quickly and bat well to put pressure on India”, he said after the second day’s play which saw the hosts taking a slender 23-run lead by finishing on 288 for nine.

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The South African coach said the key to the Indian innings was that they managed four consecutive fifty-plus partnerships.

“On a track like this, you tend to lose a few wickets when a partnership is broken. But they got four 50-plus partnerships in a row which helped them to take a lead,” he pointed out.

Arthur, who was critical of the track even before a ball was bowled, said it had probably behaved a little better than expected.

“It has probably behaved better than we expected. It looks like a fifth day Test track on the second day.”

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