India solid at start of 2nd Test against SAfrica

DURBAN: India reached 76-1 at lunch in a solid start to the second and final Test against South Africa at Kingsmead on Thursday, a match where the home team bids farewell to retiring allrounder Jacques Kallis.

Shikhar Dhawan was the player out for 29 after his opening partnership of 41 with Murali Vijay for the tourists, who won the toss and opted to bat first on a Durban pitch that already looked good for the batsmen.

Vijay was 33 not out with seven fours and going well. Cheteshwar Pujara, who made 153 in the first Test, was 13 not out alongside him.Only Morne Morkel managed a breakthrough for the South Africans on the first morning, when the left-handed Dhawan poked at one outside off stump and edged to Alviro Petersen at second slip in the 14th over.

Dhawan had also started well, hitting four boundaries before he was tempted to play at a wide one from Morkel.

Apart from that, India made a confident start to the series decider, where the winner will take all in the short two-match contest between the two top-ranked teams in test cricket following an epic draw at the Wanderers last weekend.

Morkel passed a late fitness test to be included in No. 1-ranked South Africa´s lineup following his ankle injury in the first game, and he was the home team´s most dangerous bowler on the first morning.

South Africa allrounder Kallis is playing his last Test before retiring from the long format and led the Proteas out onto the field at the start of the day. He took off his hat and waved it in the air to acknowledge the crowd at the same ground where he made his debut 18 years ago.

Kallis is fourth in the all-time Test runscorers list and has also taken 292 test wickets as a quality seam bowler in his 165 tests before this game. The 38-year-old South African is widely considered to be one of the best allrounders to have played Tests.

No. 2-ranked India made one change for the decisive game, replacing Ravichandran Ashwin with fellow spinner Ravindra Jadeja as it attempts to become the first team in nearly five years to beat South Africa in a test series.

South Africa also made a single change from the first test, dropping legspinner Imran Tahir and recalling left-arm slow bowler Robin Peterson. (AP)