Saturday, January 19, 2008

India push Australia to the wall

It's like leading the king to the gallows. There is this bubbling expectation coming off a rebellion, and there is respect. There also is this uncertainty, that maybe, it isn't over yet.

In the case of an Australian defeat, many experts and critics will be silenced, and Kumble & Co will celebrate.

It would be huge in the context of the game, and big in impact on the series and on cricket journals. All of it, though, through little happenings on-field.

Those little away-shaping deliveries that Irfan Pathan managed this evening to make Australia go two down in their pursuit of 413, those little helpings with the bat from Virender Sehwag, Pathan, MS Dhoni and RP Singh in the absence of big scores, and that little extra urge to excel in pressure situations that VVS Laxman showed.

Australia are 65/2 in their second innings at the end of third day's play, their record-cracking 17th victory a further 348 runs away. India are a little better in the sum total despite the average fare today. Their batsmen had a fat chance of throwing an astronomical figure at Ricky Ponting, but the Aussie captain will come out tomorrow, resuming on 24 in the company of Michael Hussey, batting on 5.

Sehwag started the day in fourth gear, with two stunning square drives off Stuart Clark, racing into his forties. He was lucky to survive on 43 when Hussey dropped him off Brett Lee, but the Delhi opener failed to negotiate further from that score. From the other end Clark cut one back, the ball whizzing past his pads to rattle his stumps.

Almost a norm in this Test, one wicket led to a heap. Rahul Dravid edged to Lee and then Sachin Tendulkar didn't bother to look at the umpire after getting rapped straight on his pads against the same bowler. Sourav Ganguly walked in at number six and left immediately for no score while overnight bat Pathan stood at the other end, looking at the scoreboard moving from 79/2 to 125/5 where just 16 came from the established men. Just when it all smelled of a familiar Indian plot, the climax came with a pleasant twist with Laxman as a superhero. Chastised for his hesitancy to bat along with the tail, Laxman cleared himself of that charge by forging three sizeable partnerships of 35, 75 and 51.

Laxman first joined Pathan before lunch and stopped the carnage. Pathan left off the eighth ball in the second session for a well-complied 46, and Dhoni proved a great ally for the highest partnership of the innings-the Indian deputy in command curbed his natural stroke-making, moving over from a cautious first 5 runs from 43 balls and pulping two sixes against each only when Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke sent down 16 overs in a row between them.
Dhoni made a sedate but timely 38 but lost his wicket to a cheeky attempt at a sweep.
Laxman reached his half-century from 97 balls with just four boundaries, but each of those was a signature shot. Today he showed more responsibility than elegance, playing a caretaker role, especially in that ninth wicket partnership with RP Singh that lasted 17 overs. He absorbed most of Lee's lethal stuff and allowed RP to wander into Shaun Tait and Clark. RP made 30 with one six and three boundary hits as the lead stretched into 400-plus. Clark and Lee bowled outstandingly to share seven wickets, getting the opposition for under 300.

Then India got what they wanted - two quick wickets as Pathan once again accounted for left-handed openers Chris Rogers and Phil Jaques.

It is a steep climb for Australia now. They will have to beat Don Bradman and The Invincibles. On Australian soil, the home side has a record of 369/6 in the fourth innings while beating Pakistan in Hobart in 1999-2000.

Scoreboard

India1st innings: 330

Australia 1st Innings: 212

India, 2nd Innings (Overnight: 52/1)

V Sehwag b Clark 43
I Pathan c Ponting b Clark 46
R Dravid c Gilchrist b Lee 3
S Tendulkar lbw b Lee 13
S Ganguly c Clarke b Johnson 0
VVS Laxman c Gilchrist b Lee 79
MS Doni c Gilchrist b Symonds 38
A Kumble c Clarke b Symonds 0
R P Singh c Gilchrist b Clark 30
I Sharma not out 4
Extras: (14-lb,8-nb,5-w) 27

TOTAL: (all out) 294

Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-79, 3-82, 4-116, 5-125, 6-160, 7-235, 8-235, 9-286

Bowling: Lee 20.4-4-54-3, Johnson10-0-58-1, Clark 19-4-61-4, Tait 8-0-33-0, Clarke 13-2-38-0, Symonds 10-2-36-2.

Australia, 2nd Innings

C Rogers c Dhoni b Irfan 15
P Jacques c Jaffer b Irfan 16
R Ponting batting 24
M Hussey batting 5

Extras: (3-lb,1-nb,1-w) 5

TOTAL: (for 2wkts; 15 overs) 65

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-43.

Bowling: RP Singh 5-1-24-0, Pathan 6-1-22-2, Ishant 3-0-10-0, Kumble 1-0-6-0

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