Bhajji, Zaheer script South Africa's late collapse

Tapan Mohanta

Kolkata, Feb 14 (PTI) Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh combined to rip through South Africa's middle order as India staged a dramatic late comeback to reduce the visitors to 266 for nine on the opening day of their second and final cricket Test here Sunday.

It was a stunning collapse for the Proteas, who were at one stage cruising along courtesy fluent centuries by debutant Alviro Petersen (100) and Hashim Amla (114).

At stumps, Wayne Parnell (2) and Morne Morkel (3) were at the crease for South Africa when play was called off early due to bad light.

The South Africans went into tea break at 228 for two but in a stunning reversal of fortunes, the so-far-off-colour Harbhajan picked up three wickets in the space of two overs to wreck the the visiting line-up.

The off-spinner ended the day with figures of 23-2-63-3.

PSPB retain men’s and women’s titles

PSPB retain men’s and women’s titles

By our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 13: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) once again proved their supremacy in National Table Tennis Championship winning both men’s and women’s team crowns in the 71st Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships held at the Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phukan Indoor Stadium here today.

In men’s final, PSPB beat Maharastra by 3-0 while in the women’s section PSPB derailed RSPB by 3-1.

The men’s final was totally a one sided affair as PSPB’s star paddlers A Sharath Kamal, Soumyadeep Roy and A Amalraj were very confident in their games and though Soumyadeep Roy and A Amalraj faced little challenges from their opponent but it never looked that their opponent could be able to make an upset.

A must win for team India

KOLKATA, Feb 13: Their number one ranking under threat, a desperate India cannot settle for anything less than a win when they go into the second and final Test against South Africa, who might have to take the field without inspirational captain Graeme Smith.

Smith has been rendered a doubtful starter because of a finger injury he sustained during practice on Friday and a final call on his availability will be taken on Sunday.

Having crushed India by an innings and six runs in the first Test in Nagpur, South Africa lead the two-match series 1-0 and they just need a draw at the Eden Gardens to snatch the top spot in the ICC rankings from the hosts.

With both the series and their Test ranking at stake, India have been bolstered by the return of VVS Laxman, who is all set to make a comeback at his happy-hunting ground where he scored a 281 in the second innings to script an epochal turn-around in their Test against Australia in March 2001.