Hashim Amla, and Jacques Kallis shared an unbroken 136-run partnership
Riding on the unbroken 136-run stand between Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, South Africa reached 255-2 at stumps of the opening day of the first Test against Australia at Gabba, Brisbane on Friday.
Hashim Amla (90 not out) and Kallis (84 not out) became the most productive batting pair in South African cricket history and recorded their 11th century stand.
Amla smashed six boundaries and a six in his 205-ball knock while Kallis’ 136-ball vigil was laced with eight boundaries and a maximum. The play was halted eight overs early due to bad light.
The body language of Aussie fielders was miserable as they put down Amla on 62 and 74 and Kallis on 42.
Amla, who was earlier involved in 90-run stand with Alviro Petersen (64) for the second wicket, also accomplished the milestone of 5000 runs in his 63rd Test appearance.
Skipper Graeme Smith’s leg-before off seamer James Pattinson on the turning strip of BCG put the early smile on the Aussies faces but they had to wait a long to bring it back.
Hashim Amla survived a strong leg-before appeal before opening the account but recuperated soon and started building the innings in the company of Petersen cautiously.
The two right-handers drove up Proteas to 90-1 at lunch and in the first over after break Petersen brought up his fourth Test fifty.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon eventually scalped Petersen to give the much-needed breakthrough to Australia. Petersen mistimed the low-pitched delivery to hand a spoon a comfortable catch to Mike Hussey at covers.
But Hashim Amla found another ably partner in Kallis and concentrating largely on rotation of strike, the two batsmen continued the acceleration of flow of runs on scoreboard.
South Africa dominated day ended with a sour note for them when their batsman JP Duminy was rushed to hospital after suffering an ankle injury in a post-stumps training exercise.
The MRI scans confirmed the injury and later South Africa team manager Mohammad Moosajee announced that the middle-order batsman is not able to take part in the series anymore and will return to home.
Duminy’s replacement has not been named yet.