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Friday, Oct 08, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Australia well in command

By Sanjay Rajan

THROUGH THE GATE: Rahul Dravid looks back to see his stumps in disarray at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. - Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE, OCT. 7. Michael Clarke on-drove Zaheer Khan to the fence and then signalled to the dressing room for his baggy green cap. For a batsman of his calibre, the New South Welshman had been on 92 for far too long. It couldn't have been nervousness, he had shown no such emotion the previous afternoon when he walked into a pressure situation with the side at 149 for four and dominated the proceedings like a seasoned campaigner.

Clarke, 76 overnight, remained on 98 for long as well. Then, tugging the cap firmly over his head - possibly a sign of increased concentration - he on-drove Irfan Pathan for a two to bring up his century, on a day when the Aussies moved into the driver's seat.

Clarke said later, "I had promised my dad that if I ever played Test cricket for Australia and got a century, I'd do it with my baggy green on."

Even as he kissed the crest of his cap, the crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium rose to applaud the debutant's phenomenal effort.

The 23-year-old stylist, who reverted to the helmet almost immediately, then proceeded to make 151 as Australia, resuming at 316 for five, finished its first innings at 474 on the second day of the first Test for the TVS Cup Border-Gavaskar Trophy here on Thursday.

Crucial partnership

Adam Gilchrist, 35 overnight, reached his century nine overs after Clarke had achieved his.

The duo took their sixth-wicket association to 167 to bat their side into a commanding position.

It was left to the famed Indian batting line-up to live up to its stature in the afternoon. But Glenn McGrath displayed pinpoint precision to send back Aakash Chopra leg-before in his very first over with a delivery that cut back and Rahul Dravid in his second over, bowled through the `gate'.

And when leg-spin wizard Shane Warne foxed V.V.S. Laxman with a delivery that spun just enough, even as the Hyderabadi expected it to be spun big, it grew apparent that there would be no miracle this time. Kolkata 2001 is history. India finished the day at 150 for six and need 125 more to avoid the follow-on.

It obviously feels a lot more comfortable to bowl with a big total behind you. So, in the larger picture, it was Clarke and Gilchrist who put the side in the driver's seat. The first hour in the morning was crucial, and if India was to get anywhere it had to strike then.

A little late

Come to think of it, India should have taken the second new ball much earlier the previous evening. Perhaps, in the 81st over itself when Gilchrist had just walked in, rather than the 87th over, by which time the stand-in skipper had settled down nicely.

Gilchrist wasn't going to throw it all away; nor was Clarke, who batted majestically. Old- timers feel that the young man resembles the stylish Paul Sheahan.

Kumble was introduced in the seventh over of the day. Gilchrist brought up his 50 with a six over long-on off the leg-spinner.

Clarke had a close call when Kumble rapped his pads with a quicker delivery when the batsman was on 92. But that was as far as Kumble, or, for that matter, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, got, as Gilchrist, who notched up his 11th Test hundred, and Clarke put on 107 more runs in no time today.

Gilchrist, who played the sweep only once, tore into the spinners, cracking two boundaries off Kumble to reach his century. Harbhajan dismissed Gilchrist in the last over before lunch with a superb return catch while diving to his right.

100th catch for Dravid

Dravid held Warne at slip off Harbhajan, who finished with five wickets. It was the Indian vice-captain's 100th catch in Tests, but Clarke added 44 for the eighth wicket with Jason Gillespie, thrashing Kumble for two sixes and two boundaries along the way, before falling caught behind off Zaheer.

Gilchrist said, "I am pleased with my century because I executed the game plan perfectly. On the last tour I had a different game plan. I got a hundred in the first Test in Mumbai, but it all went awry after that."

"I've had three long years to think about it. Personal achievements aside, Clarke and I are excited about the position we've gotten the team into. But we are not getting ahead of ourselves, because we remember Kolkata," the skipper said.

Virender Sehwag and skipper Sourav Ganguly put on a fighting 83 for the third wicket; with the latter's attitude bringing back memories of his effort in Brisbane, as he countered McGrath and Gillespie, who both came around the wicket, only to be frustrated by the lack of bounce.

Michael Kasprowicz, the third seamer, has proved to be a dangerous customer in the sub-continent. He claimed Sehwag and Ganguly; the former failed to keep his flick down while the latter squared up and was caught behind. Yuvraj Singh played loosely outside the off-stump, and of all bowlers to McGrath. Warne bowled a lot flatter than what he usually does today. It is obvious that Australia has planned ahead and planned well. Ganguly and Co. need a rethink.

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