Thursday 27th March, 2008 13 McKenzie, Amla shape South Africa's domination of India

pointment, but I would have a return catch to Kumble (2-61). dear on the opening day. gladly taken 90 if someone had McKenzie said South Africa "It was difficult to dismiss mentioned it in the morning." would look to strengthen its the South African batsmen, but Kallis fell to a sharp tweak position by adding at least 150 we allowed them to dominate by from (2-92), more runs Thursday, while conceding too many boundaries snapped by Wasim Jaffer at Indian spinner Singh said way- in the morning session," Singh short-leg, while Prince offered ward attack cost the home side said.

South Africa's Ashwell Prince plays a sweep shot as India's keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni reacts during first test of Future Cup series in Chennai, India Wednesday, March 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

CHENNAI, India (AP) - other batsman at the during the record-shattering South Africa opener Neil close. partnership, struck 18 bound- McKenzie fell six runs short of Smith and McKenzie con- aries off 156 deliveries posting successive test cen- tinued the run-amassing form Wednesday to sustain his turies and com- of their previous test in resounding comeback after a piled an unbeaten 85 Bangladesh, where they put on four-year absence from South Wednesday as the tourists dom- a world record 415 for the open- Africa's national squad. inated the opening day of the ing wicket that eclipsed a five- "The pitch had a lot more first test against India. decade old record set by India's bounce that one expected from Amla's sedate knock fol- Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad. a subcontinental track, and I lowed an imposing opening McKenzie, who posted 226 really enjoyed myself today," stand of 132 between McKenzie said McKenzie. (94) and skipper SCOREBOARD "Opening was the only slot (73) that powered South Africa South Africa 1st inn available for me on this trip to to 304-4 at stumps, on a placid G. Smith c Laxman b Kumble 73 the subcontinent, but then an pitch offering little assistance N. McKenzie c Dravid b Harbhajan 94 opener's position is the ideal to the bowlers. H. Amla not out 85 one for subcontinental tracks first after winning J. Kallis c Jaffer b Harbhajan 13 as the ball comes on quite well," the toss, South Africa overcame A. Prince c and b Kumble 23 said McKenzie, asserting that the challenge of Indian spin, A.B. de Villiers not out 10 test matches "in Bangladesh along with intense heat and Extras: (1b,4lb,1w) 6 were a watershed for me." humidity. The temperature was Total: (for 4 ) 304 The opening stand was bro- touching 32 degrees Celsius (90 Overs: 90 ken by leg-spinner Anil Kumble F) and the relative humidity Fall of wickets: 1-132, 2-196, 3-244, 4- when Smith played an uppish was measured at 74 percent. 291. on-drive to V.V.S. Laxman at Amla struck 10 boundaries Still to bat: M. Boucher, M. Morkel, P. short mid-on. Smith's 157-ball off 159 deliveries, and was clos- Harris, D. Steyn, M. Ntini. knock featured 13 boundaries. ing in on a fourth century from Bowling: R. P. Singh 14-1-68-0, McKenzie was looking good 23 tests. Sreesanth 15-3-60-0 (1w), Kumble 29-8- for his fourth test century in 45 Amla witnessed the depar- 61-2, H. Singh 26-2-92-2, Sehwag 6-1-18-0. tests when he nicked off-spin- ture of seasoned batsmen Umpires: A. Rauf (Pak) and T. Hill ner Harbhajan Singh into the (13) and vice (NZ). hands of lone slip Rahul TV umpire: A. Saheba (Ind) Ashwell Prince (23) in Dravid. Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama the day's final session, with McKenzie said missing a (SL) A.B. de Villiers (10 not out) the test century was "a big disap- Belgium could consider

Olympic boycott BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) Recent unrest in the He called on International - The Belgian government was Chinese province of Tibet has Olympic Committee president not ruling out a boycott of the killed at least 22 people. The Jacques Rogge, who is also Beijing Olympics if the situa- uprising was the broadest and Belgian, to respond to the tion in Tibet worsened. most sustained against Chinese Tibetan events. Vice Premier Didier rule of the region in almost two "It is high time that the IOC Reynders told Le Soir newspa- decades. proves that granting the games per Wednesday that staying It was against this backdrop was not a blank check," away from China "is not an that the Belgian government Anciaux wrote on his Web site. option that we reserve today. was holding out the possibility "Now the IOC has to speak and But we can never exclude the of a boycott. say what it expects. To be silent worst." "The government remains now is to be complicit in the His comments came a day very attentive how the situation terror against Tibet and thou- after French President Nicolas develops," Reynders said. sands of dissidents." Sarkozy suggested he could boy- As things stood though, he European governments had cott the opening ceremony of stuck to the government line: largely rejected any snub of the the Olympics. "A boycott is not a good solu- Olympics for political reasons. The sports minister of the tion." Last week, European Union northern Belgian region of Bert Anciaux, the sports nations and Olympic commit- Flanders said he will not attend minister of the regional gov- tees opposed a boycott of the the opening ceremony in ernment of Flanders, said he Beijing Games over the Tibet Beijing, as it could be used for would not go to the opening cer- protests. propaganda purposes. emony. The EU sports ministers And in the European "If public opinion wants to and Olympic committees said Parliament, some members give a signal about human sports should not be linked to wore T-shirts with the five rights violations and cultural political issues and that previ- Olympic rings shaped as hand- rights, then the use of the open- ous Olympic boycotts had limit- cuffs during Wednesday's ses- ing ceremony is not bad," ed efficacy. sion in Brussels. Some also had Anciaux said, adding he would "A boycott will only destroy Tibetan flags draped over their "not try to be part of the the dreams of thousands of ath- seats. Chinese propaganda machine." letes," Anciaux said.