Score line: -
Australia 430-10 (149.5 overs, Mike Hussey 146 (276 Balls), Zaheer Khan 5-91)
India 313-8 (101.0 overs, Harbhajan Singh 54 (110 Balls), Mitchell Johnson 4-62)
Report Sheet of the Day: - Australia 71 % - India 29 %
Match-Report:-
When the day began, all the focus was on whether India (read Sehwag) could survive the early burst & then chase the Aussie total. When the day ended though, it was about whether India (read Kumble & co.) could eat up enough time to topple an Aussie surge for an amazingly dominated victory.
In yesterday’s match report, I had predicted this:-
1. India would be very much disappointed to have allowed Australia to score 430, when they shouldn’t have been allowed to go past 350. Those 80 extra runs were given by allowing Mike Hussey to play his game, and (as always) fielding poorly. Those 80 runs now…have become a precious gold to Australia, and have given them an unbelievable advantage which could yet prove to be the difference between the two teams.
2. As I said, it was Lee and Mitchell Johnson who were going to be the key, who can make the ball reverse-swing at pace, not somebody like Stuart Clarke-who essentially is dependant entirely on seam or swing movement (a precise reason why he is not in the league of Glenn McGrath yet).
3. The new SG ball is very different from a new Kookaburra ball, it swings very less, so it’s not as dangerous as it seems. It’s actually the old SG ball (about 25-30 overs old), which can prove to be difficult to handle with its reverse-swing, an art which was displayed today by Johnson and briefly (& surprisingly) by Watson.
Session-1: Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag started quite confidently. Neither Lee nor Johnson looked menacing, although Lee seemed to have improved upon his line-which was too straight yesterday. Today he just concentrated on that outside the off-stump line…and was actually lucky to get Gambhir against the run of play. The ball was pitched on a short-of-good length angling to middle stump, ball hit a crack and just straightened enough to beat the bat. Gambhir was shaping for a flick down the leg side, played all round the ball, and was struck dead-in-line on the back leg. (1-70)
Sehwag on the other hand, had settled down and was looking quite relaxed-picking up singles. At the other end, Dravid had come and immediately looked a man on a mission. There was a big stride forward on every possible opportunity, the ball hitting the middle of the bat, and there was some intent on show even when Dravid defended the ball. This is when though, the good brief period ended for India.
Johnson was bowling from around the wicket, I can not help but think that it’s a bit tough to get used to him with this angle & his slinging action. He bowled a pretty harmless ball-a wide half-volley swinging further away, Sehwag just had a brain explosion, he threw his bat at it (to be fair to him, he does go after these sort of balls)-got a very healthy edge, and Hayden actually took it very well, it was flying. (2-76)
Gary Kirsten would’ve saved some choice words saved up for some of the Indian betters today. Sachin Tendulkar came up, & immediately looked in good touch. He faced Lee confidently, and was actually looking quite positive with good long strides. At the other hand, Johnson had just picked up some really good bowling form, he was hitting the line of stumps more often, getting some sharp bounce and bowling some beautiful cutters. Things about this pitch has been that the off-cutters & leg-cutters have actually bounced sharply-making them difficult to handle. While the Back-of-Hand slower balls that Lee has bowled, have rather stayed down.
Tendulkar looked clueless against three slower balls, and finally fell with a fourth one. Johnson, in the midst of a beautiful & intelligent spell, got Sachin to play to a slower half-volley (very difficult to pick with his slinging action), the ball looped up, waiting to be caught. Tendulkar waited for a possible bump-ball issue, but finally went, furious with himself. (3-94)
VVS Laxman came and looked strangely out of place. He kept pushing and prodding, finally edging another accurate ball from Johnson, pitching and moving slightly away on a length. (4-106)
It was perhaps no surprise that it was Dravid who looked close to impeccable on the pitch, settling down after surviving Johnson very well. Sourav Ganguly, to his credit, looked quite solid. From a seemingly safe 2-76, India were suddenly staring at a follow-on. Situation was perfectly tailor-made for a Dravid special. He kept hitting singles, mixed with a few fine leg-glances. Ponting got Watson in the attack, and IPL special was intent to move the ball into Dravid. Mr. Wall completed a well crafted 50, and was done in by Mr. Dubious Asad Rouf. He was well forward, and there was a possible inside-edge + Height issue. Anyway, the ball was good, and perhaps deserved a wicket. (5-155) Watson looked a father with a baby just born-celebrating like kid having got a piece of ice-cream.
Now it was a backs-to-the-wall situation for India. Mahendra Singh Dhoni looked intent on defending. Dhoni survived a very good-hostile 7-over burst from Lee. Ganguly, on the other hand looked like waiting for a loose ball-unless dead defensive. Finally, it was the Australian over-rate which came to India’s help. An over-rate of 12 was increasingly getting punishable, Punter finally turned to Puppy for some rapid overs. He was turning the ball quite sharply even with 90 KPH speeds, with the ball occasionally jumping up or staying down. He finally gave Australia a bonus by getting Dhoni bowled with a sharp-turning delivery. But was perhaps helped by Dhoni’s penchant to maneuver the ball everywhere rather than playing straight. (6-195)
Indians were now looking hopeless. Ganguly meanwhile, carried on, seemingly intent on latching onto anything loose on Michael Clarke. At the other end, it was surprise, Harbhajan Singh coming ahead of Anil Kumble. I just feel he was sent by Kumble to capitalize on the spin of Michael Clarke. Harbhajan is a clean striker of the ball; he is aggressive at the start of his innings, and then settles down for singles. Anil Kumble, on the other hand, starts out by defending everything, and then opens up after settling down-which could have played straight into Australia’s hands. So, the decision to send Harbhajan, not surprisingly, worked wonders.
Ganguly looked largely untroubled before falling to yet another brilliant burst of bowling by Johnson. The ball came in from a length and struck plumb in front, and although it was a marginal decision (once again Asad Rouf), it looked out from naked eye-and the ball deserved the wicket. (7-232)
Then on, first it was rain-then mayhem for India & anguish for Australia. Zaheer Khan initially looked a bit clueless against White, but was helped by White continuing for a bit too long, and Harbhajan already settled down. Johnson was taken off with the rain, and then it was all Harbhajan & Zaheer show. As soon as Australia took the new SG ball, Harbhajan targeted Lee. New SG ball doesn’t swing much, and on a slow turning track, it was coming nicely onto the bat. Once having got settled, Zaheer got into the act. He looked worked up by something being said to him by Hayden or Haddin, but after that he was a batsman transformed. He and Harbhajan literally tore Stuart Clark apart. Although Zaheer benefited from a very close LBW shout by Clark, the ball seamed in from a length and hit the front pad plumb in front. The only thing that saved Zaheer was perhaps that the ball had too much distance to travel before hitting the stumps.
As Clark doesn’t have too much pace, Harbhajan & Zaheer stood outside the crease & repeatedly showed a touch of contempt by walking down and slogging hard. Immediately Clark was taken off-not before he learned a lesson or two about bowling in India-and was replaced by the half-decent Watson. Watson was getting a nice shape into the right-hander, occasionally getting extra bounce, but repeatedly bowled too wide of both sides of the wicket. Zaheer promptly greeted him by an upper cut and a heave down the wicket.
Australia finally got their man: Harbhajan chased a fairly wide half-tracker by Watson, the shot was on, but Harbhajan was defeated by extra bounce-edging the ball to Haddin, but not before he had irritated Australia again (this time with a bat). (8-312) Anil Kumble came, and kept defending…good thing for India is that they still have 3-pesky tail-enders left to bat-all of them can be a nuisance.
In the end…India have escaped from a huge embarrassment, but only just. It will be very crucial that how much time the Indian tail-enders can eat up in the first session. The lead is 117-which can still be very handy for Australia. But if the Indians can add another 30-40 runs, they can still think of an outside chance of a victory. The pitch isn’t very conducive for quick runs-if the bowlers keep their head, so it won’t be too easy for Australia either. Indians currently need a slice of luck, and one session of batting. If they manage that-the game looks a cracker, if not-Australia might just run away with the game.
Pitch: - Finally showing signs of uneven bounce. The turn is increasing to be a real handful on day-5. Ball has started jumping up & down while also turning sharply. This might just be the surface that Harbhajan relishes. As the surface has become more & more abrasive, reverse-swing will come into play as early as the ball 20-25 overs old. Time for Indians to show some steel and fight Australia for every inch. Aussies would surely looking for a quick 250 (if they get a big-enough lead), and then inviting India to bat before the end of the 4th day.
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