Amla hits first double century to put SA on top

Nagpur, Hashim Amla slammed his maiden double hundred as South African batsmen continued to frustrate Indian bowlers, reaching 477 for five at tea on the second day of the first cricket Test here yesterday.

Amla, whose previous highest was 176 not out, reached his double hundred in the second session of play after batting for almost nine hours, facing 374 balls.

The 26-year-old put on 108 runs in only 104 minutes with A B de Villiers (53) for the fourth wicket after having piled on a mammoth third wicket stand of 340 with Jacques Kallis who was out for a fine 173 before lunch. South Africa, 379 for three in the first session, ended the second session at a commanding 477 for 5 off 153 overs. They added 98 runs in this session.

Amla, dropped on 149 off Harbhajan Singh, was unbeaten on 215 that came off 410 balls and was decked with 20 fours. Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher (0) was the other unbeaten batsman.

The Indian bowlers toiled hard and tasted success twice in the second session of play by sending back de Villiers and Jean-Paul Duminy (9). Virender Sehwag got de Villiers' wicket while Harbhajan Singh took his second of the innings by packing off Duminy close to tea interval.

Ishant Sharma bent his back but without success and then gave way to leg spinner Amit Mishra.De Villiers struck Mishra for successive fours when in his 40s before reaching the 21st half century in his 57th Test with a single off Virender Sehwag in 88 minutes and 76 balls.

Sehwag, who had come into the attack in place of Harbhajan, finally drew blood when De Villiers stepped out to swing him to leg and got a leading edge to backward point fielder Subramaniam Badrinath.

Zaheer Khan, meanwhile, could not add to his overnight two-wicket tally.In the morning, Harbhajan provided the all-important breakthrough just after the first hour's play by having Kallis caught at short leg for 173 after the tourists had started at 291 for two.

The 34-year-old Kallis once again missed out on his career's first double century, 189 not out being his best-ever score among his 34 hundreds. The 340-run third wicket partnership between Amla and Kallis in 646 balls was also the third highest ever for this wicket for South Africa after 429 (unfinished) between Boeta Dippenaar and Jacques Rudolph against Bangladesh at Chittagong in April 2003 and 341 between Eddie Barlow and Graeme Pollock against Australia at Adelaide in January1964.