3:58pm Monday 15th February 2010
South Africa coach Corrie van Zyl admitted his team were thrown off course today by a typically aggressive innings from India opener Virender Sehwag.
The Proteas, needing just a draw in Kolkata to win the two-match series, made a solid, if unspectacular, 296 all out in their first innings, but soon saw that total overhauled as Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar both registered hundreds as the hosts closed day two on 342 for five.
Sehwag’s knock was particularly eye-catching, his 165 coming off just 174 balls.
Van Zyl conceded the assault put his team’s plans in disarray.
”I think it is unsettling to everybody,” he said.
”The fact that he scores very quickly and gets the crowd behind him. All of that is unsettling.
”That is the time when you have got to stick to game plans and get back to basics.
”I thought, sometimes, we didn’t do that and that is the strength of Sehwag.”
The tourists can at least console themselves with the fact both Sehwag and Tendulkar were dismissed before stumps while paceman Dale Steyn also accounted for Subramaniam Badrinath.
”Going into the dressing room tonight I think we are happy with those three wickets that we took,” added Van Zyl.
”That just brought the balance of the game back. We need to look at a few things and we need to set up in a few areas.”
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