Cricket: India heap pressure on SA

KOLKATA - V.V.S. Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni started where Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar left off Tuesday, each scoring an unbeaten century before India declared it first innings at 643 runs for 6 wickets on the third day of the second test against South Africa.

Laxman hit 143 and Dhoni 132 to put on an unbroken stand of 259 from 393 deliveries at Eden Gardens in a record seventh-wicket partnership for India, surpassing the 235 scored by Ravi Shastri and Syed Kirmani against England at Mumbai in 1984.

After India had resumed on 342-5, Laxman smashed 16 boundaries from 260 balls and Dhoni belted 12 fours and three sixes in 187 deliveries to steer their team to its highest score against South Africa.

South Africa was 6-0 from five balls of Zaheer Khan's opening over before bad light forced an early stumps. The Proteas trail by 341 runs after being dismissed for 296 in its first innings.

South Africa leads 1-0 in the two-test series after winning the first match in Nagpur by an innings and 6 runs.

On Monday, Sehwag smashed 166 and Tendulkar scored 106 for his record 47th test hundred.

Laxman is playing for the first time this series after recovering from a finger injury he hurt during the recent tour of Bangladesh.

The Indian middle order was ably supported by spinner Amit Mishra, who came in as night watchman after the departure of Subramaniam Badrinath on Monday.

Mishra was dropped twice - by Jacques Kallis while on 5 and Paul Harris while on 25 - before edging a catch to Kallis at second slip off a rising Morne Morkel (2-115) delivery to be out for 28. Mishra's innings came from 38 balls and included five boundaries.

Laxman also survived two chances .While on 23 when he edged a Morkel ball that wicketkeeper A.B. de Villiers failed to catch and then at 48 he was dropped by J.P. Duminy at gully.

- AP