Sehwag falls for 319 as South Africa hit back

Virender Sehwag was dismissed for 319 as South African bowlers finally enjoyed some success in the first cricket Test against India here on Saturday.

India, resuming at their overnight 468-1 in reply to South Africa's 540, lost three wickets in the morning session of the fourth day to go to lunch on 547-4 in their first innings.

Rahul Dravid ensured the hosts gained the lead as he went into the break on 99, a single away from his 25th century after completing 10,000 Test runs on the way.

Venkatsai Laxman was the other batsman at the crease on six.

Some 35,000 home fans, who were hoping Sehwag would surpass West Indian Brian Lara's world record score of 400 not out, were silenced within the first 30 minutes of play.

Sehwag added 10 runs to his overnight score of 309 when he edged a drive off fast bowler Makhaya Ntini into the safe hands of Neil McKenzie at first slip.

Sehwag received a thunderous applause from the crowd and team-mates as he returned after an epic nine-hour effort that contained 43 boundaries and five sixes in the fastest recorded triple century in history.

Ntini struck again in his next over, this time forcing star batsman Sachin Tendulkar to edge a catch to Jacques Kallis at first slip before he had scored.

India lost both wickets at 481, but Sourav Ganguly helped Dravid put on 45 for the fourth wicket.

Left-hander Ganguly made 24 when an intended slash off left-arm spinner Paul Harris took a thin edge to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.

Dravid, playing his 120th match, became the sixth batsman in history to surpass 10,000 Test runs when he reached 80 with a single to mid-wicket off Morne Morkel.

The elite club, led by Lara, includes three Indians, Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Dravid, and two Australians, Allan Border and Steve Waugh.

Dravid, Lara and Tendulkar are the only ones to have more than 10,000 runs in both Test and one-day cricket.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa 1st innings 540 N. McKenzie 94, H. Amla 159, Harbhajan Singh 5-164
India 1st innings
Wasim Jaffer c Kallis b Harris 73
V. Sehwag c McKenzie b Ntini 319
R. Dravid not out 99
S. Tendulkar c Kallis b Ntini 0
S. Ganguly c Boucher b Harris 24
V. Laxman not out 6
Extras b12, lb8, w2, nb4 26
Total for 4 wkts at lunch 547
Fall of wkts 1-213, 2-481, 3-481, 4-526
Bowling
Steyn 24-2-88-0, Ntini 23-3-113-2, Morkel 24-4-73-0 (nb2, w1), Harris 43-6-166-2 (nb2), Kallis 14-0-71-0, Prince 3-0-16-0