Post-tea Steyn embarrasses India

On a Vidarbha Cricket Association pitch that looked dead until Sunday evening,the 26-year-old South African put on as fine a fast bowling display as any seen in this country,opening up Indias top-order with the new ball and wrapping up the tail with the old to send the hosts on their way to what could be Mahendra Singh Dhonis first loss as Test captain.

India lost their last six wickets for 12 runs five of them to Steyn as the first innings wound up at 233 all out. They then ended the third day at 66/2 in their second after Graeme Smith enforced the follow-on. Steyns figures were 7/51 in the first and 1/14 in the second,and Sachin Tendulkar and Murali Vijay unbeaten overnight will have to fight really hard to keep him out on Tuesday. If the first hour pans out anything like Mondays,an early finish is on the cards.

It was Morkel who landed the first blow,getting Gautam Gambhir to poke at the first ball he faced in the morning. South Africa had just the start they wanted,and just the man to capitalise on it.

Having bowled big out-swingers for three overs,Steyn got one to jag back in off a length; Murali Vijay shouldered arms only to see the ball smash into the top of off-stump his expression a mixture of shock,awe and embarrassment.

Pitching it up

The next wicket was the best of the lot. Sachin Tendulkar had been watching the ball closely and generally looking in control before Steyn got one to pitch on a length on off-stump and shape away enticingly. Drawn into the drive,Tendulkar only managed a faint nick through to Boucher. Cue manic celebrations. As a quick bowler,you know that if you pitch the ball up,youll get driven. But when you pitch it up,you have a chance of finding the edge. I didnt mind being hit for four down the ground or being nicked for four. If hes willing to drive,theres a chance I can get a wicket, he said later.

Subramanian Badrinath,on debut,walked into a highly charged atmosphere and showed that he could handle the stress. He may not have looked as comfortable as he does when hes picking domestic attacks apart,but he showed a willingness to get forward and good technique off the back foot as he buckled down to support Virender Sehwag in the rescue act.

The duo stitched together a 136-run partnership that seemed to have taken India to firmer ground before Sehwag,having just completed his century,fell to a ridiculously wide delivery from the unimpressive Wayne Parnell.

Badrinath continued to hang around with Dhoni,and brought up a half-century on debut with a cover-driven boundary as India went into tea at 221/4.

Death rattle

After the break,all hell broke loose. The fourth ball after tea,bowled by left-arm spinner Paul Harris,landed in the rough a foot outside leg-stump and exploded,taking the edge of Mahendra Singh Dhonis bat and ballooning to Jacques Kallis at slip.

Smith called on Steyn for his third spell of the day to mop up a long tail,which he did in spectacular fashion. Badrinath chipped an inswinger to short mid-wicket,Wriddhiman Saha left one that crashed into off-stump,Harbhajan Singh was caught plumb in front,Zaheer Khans bat came down far too late on one that jagged back while last-man Amit Mishras attempted late cut crashed into the woodwork.

Steyns third spell read 3.4-2-3-5. Against the worlds top-ranked Test team,no less.