The Hindu : Sport : Yuvraj Singh stands tall amidst ruins

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Saturday, Oct 06, 2007
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Sport

Yuvraj Singh stands tall amidst ruins

S. Dinakar

Australia leads the series 2-0; uphill task ahead for India

— Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

WHIRLDWIND KNOCK: Andrew Symonds knocked the stuffing out of the Indian attack with a punishing knock of 89.

Hyderabad: The Australians elected to bat under a cloud cover at a avenue that had, in the past, offered considerable assistance to the pacemen early on. The move reflected their confidence.

The Indians meanwhile in a defensive move omitted a bowler for an extra batsman after having conceded more than 300 in the first two ODIs. Psychologically, India lost the match before the first ball was bowled. In the event, India went down in the third Future Cup ODI by more than the actual margin of 47 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Friday.

Australia leads 2-0 with four games remaining while the host stares at a series defeat.

Valiant and stroke-filled

Yuvraj Singh’s valiant and stroke-filled 115-ball 121 was a diamond amidst the ruins. There was a pat on his back from the Aussies after his hundred which indicated that this match was played in better spirits. However, there was a debate between the two captains because of a ball change.

India had restricted Australia to 290 for seven. Yet, this was no flat surface. The odd delivery kept low and the ball had gripped for Harbhajan Singh earlier in the day. Introduced in the second set of Power Play overs — the captains now can have an additional fielder outside the circle in the second and third Power Plays — Harbhajan bowled splendidly.

India required a good start but was reduced to 13 for three here. Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa played across the line and were undone by the length and movement. Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson are developing into a right-left combination of speed, swing and variations. Lee was fast and furious while Johnson got the delivery to hasten off the pitch.

Symonds’s knock

Once again, the Aussies won the crucial moments of the contest. Man of the Match Andrew Symonds’s 67-ball 89 was an effort of composure in the first phase and some brutal blows — none better than a straight hit off Zaheer — in the second.

When India batted, Matthew Hayden’s alert catch at first slip — Adam Gilchrist had dived across and blocked his vision — after Rahul Dravid edged Lee displayed the Aussie keenness.

Tendulkar and Yuvraj were orchestrating an Indian revival when Brad Hogg removed the former. Tendulkar made room to cut Hogg only to find his stumps in shambles. Lee then pitched one a little shorter to signal the end of a fighting Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Finally when Yuvraj was blazing away after his eighth ODI hundred, the impressive Johnson pulled out a sizzling yorker.

The extra batsman Rohit Sharma contributed little, succumbing to the pressure with a tame pull.

In the morning, Hayden and Gilchrist rattled up 76 in 13.2 overs. India fought back through Harbhajan but the Aussies kept finding partnerships, the most influential among them being a 123-run association between Symonds and Clarke.

The Indian fielding and catching was a mixed bag. Australia gains at least 20 runs in the department. That’s a big difference in an ODI.

SCOREBOARD

Australia: A. Gilchrist b Pathan 29, M. Hayden c Dhoni b Pathan 60, R. Ponting c Sreesanth b Yuvraj 25, M. Clarke c Pathan b Zaheer 59, A. Symonds c Uthappa b Sreesanth 89, B. Hodge b Zaheer 3, J. Hopes c Dravid b Sreesanth 11, B. Lee (not out) 0, Extras (b-2, lb-3, w-9): 14; Total (for seven wkts. in 50 overs): 290.

Fall of wickets: 1-76 (Gilchrist), 2-112 (Hayden), 3-135 (Ponting), 4-258 (Clarke), 5-263 (Hodge), 6-290 (Symonds), 7-290 (Hopes).

India bowling: Zaheer 10-1-61-2, Sreesanth 9-0-58-2, Pathan 10-0-57-2, Harbhajan 10-1-38-0, Yuvraj 7-0-49-1, Tendulkar 4-0-22-0.

India: G. Gambhir lbw b Lee 6, S. Tendulkar b Hogg 43, R. Uthappa lbw b Johnson 0, R. Dravid c Hayden b Lee 0, Yuvraj b Johnson 121, M.S. Dhoni c Gilchrist b Lee 33, R. Sharma c Lee b Hopes 1, I. Pathan lbw b Hogg 3, Harbhajan (not out) 19, Zaheer c and b Hogg 3, S. Sreesanth b Clark 1, Extras (b-1, lb-3, nb-1, w-8): 13; Total (in 47.4 overs): 243.

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Gambhir), 2-11 (Uthappa), 3-13 (Dravid), 4-108 (Tendulkar), 5-173 (Dhoni), 6-176 (Sharma), 7-183 (Pathan), 8-219 (Yuvraj), 9-226 (Zaheer).

Australia bowling: Lee 8-1-37-3, Johnson 10-0-51-2, Clark 8.4-1-44-1, Hopes 10-0-43-1, Hogg 9-0-46-3, Hodge 2-0-18-0.

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