Australia vs India – A fascinating see-saw day leaves match in balance

Dramatic events entertained an appreciative MCG crowd on day 3 in which as many as 15 wickets fell, leaving the match poised on a knife’s edge. After Australia made light work of the Indian middle and lower order, two veterans held forte for them as Indian seamers rattled the home side’s top order with incisive new ball bowling.

Match Report – 1^st Test: Day 3, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 26-30 December 2011

India’s expectations of getting first innings’ lead were dashed in the very first over of the day when Hilfenhaus shattered Dravid’s off stump with a lovely away swinger. He did not add to his overnight score of 68. It was an uncharacteristically struggling innings from the veteran. Half the batting side was gone at 221 when Siddle accounted for VVS Laxman whose snick was superbly taken by Haddin.

Virat Kohli and Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the last recognised pair, and they had a job to do. But soon similar fate was waiting for Kohli, who gave Hilfenhaus his 3^rd scalp on come back. New ball was taken and he had his 4^th wicket when Dhoni tamely edged to gully. When Ishant fell to him, it was his first 5-fer in Test and he smiled broadly to acknowledge the crowd.

Rapid end to Indian innings was completed when Siddle accounted for Ashwin who made entertaining 31 with 3 furs and a six over keeper’s head off Pattinson. Indians were all out for 282, giving a vital 51 run lead to Australia. There last 8 wickets fell for just 68 runs as Hilfenhaus sparkled with 5 for 75.

Zaheer and Yadav started brilliantly for India. Their movement and aggressive body language rattle Australian top order as they were reduced to 27 for 4. It was a scenario which Indians dearly needed after failing to post a decent first innings total. At 13 for no loss after a patient start, Yadav got two in one over to put the cat among pigeons for Australia. After Warner played on a harmless-looking ball, Cowan paddled needlessly a ball that straightened after pitching. Although replays showed the ball would have missed the off stump, Cowan should curse more his indecision rather than umpiring on this occasion.

Yadav then repeated the dose to Shaun Marsh who perished in the same way to Warner, ending his come back Test in misery. Ishant, who had bowled well only in patches in the first innings, accounted for Captain Michael Clarke. He produced a beauty that moved in and crashed into the stumps taking a faint edge along the way. Australians were looking at the barrel as two veterans, Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey came together.
 
Hussey started nervously with an edged four but then gained some confidence with a pull off Yadav for four two balls later. Ponting was cautious but Hussey continued to find boundaries and tick the score along as lead grew past 100. They continued their vital partnership after the Tea break and contributed 115 runs for the 5^th wicket, bringing their team back into contention once again. Zaheer was introduced by Dhoni and the moves reaped immediate rewards. Ponting was held at gully by Sehwag as he poked at a fuller wider delivery giving Indians a crucial opening. He made an exact 60.

Zaheer then removed Haddin cheaply but India crucially dropped Hussey just before close of play. Ever reliable Dravid failed to hold on to a simple slip catch off Ashwin who had done well to draw Hussey forward. As Hussey held forte on 79 not out, Siddle and Lyon departed leaving Australia at 179 for 8 at Stumps. Yadav again was among wickets, taking 4 for 49.

An over all lead of 230 runs with 2 wickets remaining means the match is still up for grabs. If Australia could extend the lead to 270 and beyond they would become favourites for a remarkable win. On the other hand India would relish chasing any thing around 250 on a wicket which has variable bounce and some seam movement.

Another intriguing Test cricket battle awaits us on the fourth day, which might turn out to be the last one.


Summarised Scores:

Australia 179/8 (Hussey 79*, Ponting 60; Yadav 4/49) and 333 (Cowan 68, Ponting 62; Zaheer 4/77, Yadav 3/106) lead India 282 (Tendulkar73, Dravid 68; Hilfenhaus 5/75, Siddle 3/63) by 230 runs with 2 wickets remaining

Heroes of the Day: Umesh Yadav, Michael Hussey

Flop of the Day: Michael Clarke

Disappointment of the Day: Rahul Dravid

Australia vs India - India on top after Tendulkar’s fluent knock

fter overcoming the Australian lower order resistance, India replied with solid batting performance and were on top after the close of second day’s play. Dravid’s resilient batting coupled with flamboyance of Tendulkar and Sehwag were the highlights of the day as lady luck eluded Australian pace attack on a track which has flattened out.

Match Report – 1st Test: Day 2, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 26-30 December 2011

Very early in the day, Zaheer Khan teased Haddin with his bag of tricks before luring him into a flashing drive which landed in Sehwag’s hands at gully. He then successfully worked out Siddle who went after making important 41 runs. Hilfenhaus hit three fours before falling prey to Ashwin while Pattinson and Nathan Lyon extended the score to 333 when latter was clean bowled by Ashwin to end the innings just before Lunch.

Although Australia would have liked to have a score around 400 after batting first, but still they were in a position to trouble India provided they got early inroads. Lack of DRS also did not help their cause. Zaheer was again the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 77, while Yadav and Ashwin grabbed three each.

Virender Sehwag had scored a magnificent 195 on the first day on this ground when he toured here last time, while it was Gambhir’s first Test down under. Sehwag started batting as if in that mode but Gambhir was undone by an away swinger from Hilfenhaus. Pattinson bowled with aggression clocking up to 150 kph and troubled Sehwag on the off stump, beating him regularly early on.

Rahul Dravid joined Sehwag and both produced contrasting but important innings to deny Australian pace attack any more in-roads with the new ball. Siddle troubled Dravid with his movement but could not dislodge him despite bowling his heart out. Sehwag was given a life, a dangerous sign for bowling teams, when after hitting a couple of fours he was dropped by Warner, a tough chance at mid on but a crucial miss. 

Pattinson came back to test Sehwag again and Hifenhaus almost got reward immediately but a regulation nick was grassed by Haddin. At the other end Dravid too was living a charmed life as well, as he got beaten a number off times on the off stump. The two misses, luckily, did not cost Australia as Sehwag played on trying to slash a cut against Pattinson, who dearly deserved a wicket. Sehwag made 67 off 83 balls with 7 fours.

Then came the man sitting on 99 international hundreds, Sachin Tendulkar who survived Tea after a couple of nervy moments. On the first ball after Tea, with India on 99/2, Tendulkar upper cut Peter Siddle for a six and then played like the old little master. After a couple of overs, he showed his class again, first by caressing Siddle through the slip and gully and then thumping a classical cover drive on the next ball.

With Dravid looking solid now and Tendulkar in his old groove, it was testing times for the home side.
Tendulkar then treated Hilfenhaus in the same fashion by hitting fours on both sides of the wicket. Dravid almost played on but again put his head down as an absorbing contest between bat and ball continued. The trend of playing solid and then missing a couple continued for Dravid, but the real threat was Tendulkar who was moving closer to the much-awaited batting milestone of recent history. 

Both batsmen reached fifty one after the other as India posted 200. Dravid’s luck continued to shoulder him as he was comprehensively bowled by Siddle off a no ball. India continued to move towards supremacy as Stumps neared, but Australia inflicted a body below in what proved to be the final over of the day. Peter Siddle went through Tendulkar’s gate, bowling him for 73 (8 fours, 1 six), again short of a hundred. It was a just reward for an honest effort from Siddle.

Ishant was sent as night-watchman, but Tendulkar had lifted India to a strong position with still a lot of batting to come apart from Dravid who is at the crease, fighting albeit struggling.
Australia, on the other hand, must be hoping that after two tough days, the stars might change favours come the third day of this intriguing Test.


Summarised scores:

India 9214/3 (Tendulkar 73, Dravid 68*; Pattinson 1/35) trail Australia 333 (Ed Cowan 68, Ponting 62; Zaheer 4/77) by 119 runs with 7 wickets in hand in 1st innings

Hero of the Day: Sachin Tendulkar

Flop of the Day: Gautam Gambhir

Disappointment of the Day: Brad Haddin

Spark of the Day: Peter Siddle

 Complete Scorecard

Credits – AFP (Image), CricketArchives (Scorecard)