The Hindu : Sport : Wickets tumble like nine pins on day two

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 05, 2004

Sport

Sport

Wickets tumble like nine pins on day two

By Sanjay Rajan

MUMBAI, NOV. 4. It was not the absence of a second medium-pacer alone that saw Rahul Dravid opt for Harbhajan Singh to open the bowling with Zaheer Khan.

The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium was offering both bounce and turn on Thursday, and Sachin Tendulkar's seam-up with the new ball might not have been effective in these conditions, considering that he does not possess the required pace to hurry the Australian batsmen.

Moreover, India, resuming its first innings at 22 for two, managed just 104. It obviously did not miss Dravid's keen eye that debutant off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, who took three wickets, had gained considerable purchase on this surface.

Day Two of the fourth and final Test in the TVS series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was quite astonishing in that 18 wickets fell in 95 overs.

Australia, which clinched the series after 35 years in the third Test at Nagpur last week, certainly did now allow the `dead rubber syndrome' to come in the way of its pursuit of a 3-0 verdict. Ricky Ponting's side took a first innings lead of 99 runs, which under the given conditions, could prove to be significant.

At stumps, the host was five for no loss from three overs. Jason Gillespie, who blew away the Indian first innings with a sensational three-wicket burst in the morning, opened the bowling with Hauritz. `Dizzy', as Gillespie is called, just continued from Nagpur, where he took nine wickets in the match.

Martyn in control

The surface was not unplayable. At least not for quality players as Damien Martyn showed, notching up a magnificent half century, batting for nearly three hours. His top-hand was in total control, and barring an early reprieve (he was on 11 and the team 56 for two) when debutant Gautam Gambhir at silly point dropped him off left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, his innings was quite flawless.

The Indian innings was a total collapse. Rahul Dravid (overnight 9) remained undefeated on 31 and watched helplessly as eight wickets fell for the addition of just 82 runs and being bowled out for the lowest-ever total at home against Australia.

Overnight batsman Sachin Tendulkar edged behind to Adam Gilchrist in the third over of the day as he pushed at a Gillespie delivery that left him.

V.V.S. Laxman paid the price, yet again, for playing half-cock, only to edge Gillespie behind. Two overs later Gillespie had Mohd. Kaif leg-before with a delivery that cut back sharply.

Familiar script

The script was beginning to seem a touch familiar. Dravid withdrew into his shell, playing defensively when he could have played aggressively and put some more runs on the board. But wickets fell in such a hurry at the other end that he must have been transfixed by the horror of it all. In fact, he was on 17 for nearly half-an-hour.

Kasprowicz used clever change of pace to confuse batsmen. He lined up debutant Dinesh Kaarthick with two well-concealed in-cutters and then had the wicketkeeper-bat bowled while playing all over what was virtually an off-break.

The tail, inspired by Anil Kumble's positive approach, took the score past 100. During these tense moments, there was a verbal exchange between Harbhajan Singh and Glenn McGrath.

Fine debut

The 23-year-old Hauritz had a fine debut, deceiving Kumble in the air for a wicket in his very first over. The Queenslander possesses a smooth action and a nice follow through.

Dinesh Kaarthick had a harrowing time keeping wickets to Harbhajan Singh when the off-spinner was operating with the new ball. The bowler from Punjab swung it into the left-handed opening pair of Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden, before getting it to spin away from the bat.

But the Tamil Nadu lad grew in confidence thereafter. If Harbhajan Singh went wicket-less, it was because he tried too many things. Meanwhile, Kumble returned his 27th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. He also took his tally in the series to 26 wickets, which makes it 50 in the last seven Tests against Australia. The Karnataka leg-spinner kept attacking the off-stump.

He also became the most successful bowler ever at the Wankhede Stadium when he ensnared left hander Katich through a bat-pad catch at short leg. Kumble surpassed Kapil Dev's venue record of 28 wickets.

Kartik, the left-arm slow bowler from Railways, has a fine loop and deceived the batsmen in the air. He finished with four wickets, including the big one of Martyn, bowled while trying to make an adjustment in the last second.

Langer picked the wrong length to cut Zaheer and Dravid at first slip pocketed his 109th catch, thus going past Sunil Gavaskar's record for India.

Kumble claimed Ponting leg-before. It did seem that the ball hit his rear leg a shade high. The 44-run stand for the third wicket between Hayden and Martyn proved crucial.

The visitor realised quickly that survival on a surface such as this would always be difficult and so stuck to their positive approach.

Hayden struck a six each of Harbhajan, Kumble and Kartik before being beaten in the air by Kartik and offering a catch to Kaif at short-leg. Simon Katich got a rough decision, and the talented Michael Clarke, who struck Kumble for two sixes, paid the price for being impetuous. Gilchrist took the score past the 150-run-mark. Gillespie displayed staying power.

It does seem that the contest is heading for an early finish. India needs to bat positively and a lot depends on the start. Virender Sehwag, the only batsman who is in form, has to fire if India is to make a match of it.

India's lowest scores at home

India's lowest innings score Tests at home (read as year, opponent, venue, total): 1964-65, New Zealand, Mumbai, 88; 69-70, New Zealand, Hyderabad, 89; 83-84, West Indies, Kolkata, 90; 87-88, West Indies, Delhi, 75; 99-00, New Zealand, Chandigarh, 83; 04-05, Australia, Mumbai, 104.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA — 1st innings

G. Gambhir lbw
b Gillespie
3

(8b)

V. Sehwag b McGrath 8

(11b, 1x4)

R. Dravid (not out) 31

(104b, 3x4, 1x6)

S. Tendulkar c Gilchrist
b Gillespie
5

(35b)

V.V.S. Laxman c Gilchrist
b Gillespie
1

(10b)

Md. Kaif lbw
b Gillespie
2

(3b)

D. Kaarthick
b Kasprowicz
10

(28b, 2x4)

A. Kumble c Ponting
b Hauritz
16

(19b, 4x4)

Harbhajan c Katich
b Hauritz
14

(26b, 3x4)

M. Kartik c Gilchrist
b Hauritz
0

(3b)

Zaheer b Kasprowicz 0

(3b)

Extras (b-6, lb-7, nb-1) 14

— —

Total 104

— —

Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Sehwag), 2-11 (Gambhir), 3-29 (Tendulkar), 4-31 (Laxman), 5-33 (Kaif), 6-46 (Kaarthick), 7-68 (Kumble), 8-100 (Harbhajan), 9-102 (Kartik).

Australia bowling: McGrath 16-9-35-1, Gillespie 12-2-29-4, Kasprowicz 8.3-3-11-2 (nb-1), Hauritz 5-0-16-3.

AUSTRALIA — 1st innings:

J. Langer c Dravid
b Zaheer
12

(23b, 2x4)

M. Hayden c Kaif
b Kartik
35

(73b, 1x4, 3x6)

R. Ponting lbw b Kumble 11

(19b, 1x4)

D. Martyn b Kartik 55

(114b, 3x4)

S. Katich c Kaif b Kumble 7

(15b)

M. Clarke st. Kaarthick
b Kumble
17

(28b, 2x6)

A. Gilchrist c Kaif
b Kartik
26

(18b, 3x4, 1x6)

J. Gillespie c Kaif
b Kumble
2

(32b)

N. Hauritz c Harbhajan
b Kumble
0

(6b)

M. Kasprowicz c Kumble
b Kartik
19

(28b, 2x4)

G. McGrath (not out) 9

(17b, 2x4)

Extras (b-2, lb-4, nb-4) 10

— —

Total 203

— —

Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Langer), 2-37 (Ponting), 3-81 (Hayden), 4-101 (Katich), 5-121 (Clarke), 6-157 (Gilchrist), 7-167 (Gillespie), 8-171 (Hauritz), 9-184 (Martyn).