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Day 2: Symcox and De Villiers stop the rot

That the highest partnership of the match should have come from numbers eight and nine for South Africa was indicative, among other things, of the fact that this is not such an awful pitch after all. And in their 63-run association Pat Symcox and Fanie De Villiers showed why common sense is an admirable trait to possess.

They came together with South Africa on 119 for seven, a legacy of some poor cricket and some poor umpiring decisions.

Inexplicably, Sachin Tendulkar then supplemented his close catchers with fielders way out in the deep and while it succeeded in preventing the batsmen from playing big shots it allowed them to play themselves in.

Symcox was lbw to a beautiful arm ball from Sunil Joshi for 32. But De Villiers, on 40, is still going and with South Africa only 21 behind, a first-innings lead, which had looked remote, is now a distinct possibility and a match that had seemed India's is now wide open.

It was apparent when South Africa began their innings that spin was going to be India's chief weapon. It turned out to be their only weapon as the spinners took all eight wickets.

Only Darryl Cullinan among the top order looked untroubled until a ghastly lbw decision terminated his stay. His left-foot must have been eight feet from the stumps, and even though he offered no shot there could be no certainty at all of the ball hitting the stump.