The Hindu : Sport : Skipper Kumble inspires Indian fightback

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Thursday, Dec 27, 2007
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Skipper Kumble inspires Indian fightback

S. Ram Mahesh

Matthew Hayden continues his love affair with Boxing Day Test matches

— Photo: AFP

FIGHTBACK: Anil Kumble appeals for a leg-before decision against Brett Lee in the first Test at Melbourne on Wednesday. The Indian captain’s heroics restored the balance on the opening day. Kumble bagged five wickets for 84 runs as Australia slid from 135 without loss to 337 for nine at close.

Melbourne: Over 68,000 came to the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday morning, braving cold, blustery winds, and were rewarded with a day of warm sunshine and gripping cricket.

India, thanks largely to captain Anil Kumble, arrested Australia — this, after Matthew Hayden had seemingly built his side a safe house with his sixth century in the last seven Boxing Day Tests.

As the shadows closed in at the cavernous MCG, Australia ended day one of the first Test on 337 for nine in 90 overs. India’s fightback was striking, for Australia, braced by an opening partnership of 135, was at 225 for three one stage.

Leading from the front

Teams over time tend to reflect the character of their leaders. India, on Wednesday, was fashioned in Kumble’s mien: firm, proud, and fiercely competitive. It was enough to see Kumble hitching his pants, pulling at his shirt, bounding to the crease for another assiduous delivery, to realise this Indian side will not give in.

The conditions helped. The strip, while not the sticky dog of 1931-32, which saw South Africa rolled over for 36 and 45, wasn’t easy to bat on. It had shed some of its moisture by the time Ricky Ponting won the toss, but the first hour privileged the bowlers.

Bowling without luck

Zaheer Khan and R.P. Singh, however, were without luck. On another day, they might have picked up a couple of wickets each in their first spells, so well did they bowl.

Zaheer cut it away from Phil Jaques, leaving the left-handed opener fencing at air. Then he swung one back in. Jaques shouldered arms, but the ball had gained sufficient height to compromise the appeal for leg-before. Hayden, put through the same routine, survived.

Both openers scored their early runs from edges, keeping the slips in a constant state of excitement. Several times they pushed without joy at deliveries that held up on the tacky strip.

But as the left-arm seamers tired, Jaques and Hayden saw their opportunity. Jaques advanced to his 50 first, taking 80 balls and hitting seven fours, a glorious straight drive off Zaheer the best of them. Hayden joined his partner at the milestone immediately after lunch.

— PHOTO: AFP

POINT OF NO RETURN: It’s curtains for Phil Jaques as M.S. Dhoni effects a smart stumping off Anil Kumble.

With neither Harbhajan Singh, picked to complement Kumble in a two-man spin attack, nor Sourav Ganguly, having a testy 100th, appearing threatening, Australia looked to be in a position of strength.

Quality deliveries

But, three genuine wicket-taking balls in a six-over period did the trick. The first, a googly from Kumble, defeated Jaques in flight. M.S. Dhoni was caught off balance in collection, but his superior upper-body strength came to his aid. His right foot, the one nearest the stumps, bucked, depriving him of the anchor to help swing his arms back towards the bails. He powered through regardless, finding Jaques short of his crease.

Zaheer extracted Ponting with a moment of inspiration. Slanting in from around the wicket, as he did to such great effect in England, he commanded the ball to hold its own. The length, near perfect, caught the Australian captain on the move, squaring him up.

Kumble trapped Michael Hussey’s back pad in line with a perfectly weighted googly. But, Hayden went to his 28th Test hundred, cover-driving R.P. Singh for four, and took Australia to tea on 213 for three.

Michael Clarke, who despite never seeming settled, helped add 60 for the fourth wicket before edging a full length delivery from R.P. Singh for V.V.S. Laxman to take a smart, low catch at second slip.

Zaheer finally had Hayden caught at mid-on off a ball that swung in late towards the shine, and the big man left the field to deserved applause. It was an innings forged on muscle but tempered by patience.

He hit just nine fours and slowed noticeably after passing his hundred in 126 balls.

Twin strike

A 40-run partnership between Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist kept Australia afloat, but Kumble dismissed both. Symonds was consumed on the pull. Gilchrist fell to an ugly hoik across the line, probably pre-empted by Kumble’s change of run-up.

The leg-spinner stepped towards the umpire on his third stride, but leapt away at delivery, widening the angle. The steepling top-edge was held by Sachin Tendulkar at backward-point.

Kumble slayed Brett Lee with the ball that has built his legend — fast and straight like a dagger to the ribs — and registered his 35th five-wicket haul. Not even Stuart Clark’s curious outbreak of proper cricketing strokes at No. 11 could dim Kumble’s day.

scoreboard

Australia — 1st innings: P. Jaques st Dhoni b Kumble 66, M. Hayden c Dravid b Zaheer 124, R. Ponting b Zaheer 4, M. Hussey lbw b Kumble 2, M. Clarke c Laxman b R.P. Singh 20, A. Symonds c sub (Karthik) b Kumble 35, A. Gilchrist c Tendulkar b Kumble 23, B. Hogg c Dravid b Zaheer 17, B. Lee lbw b Kumble 0, M Johnson (batting) 10, S. Clark (batting) 21; Extras (lb-5, nb-9, w-1) 15; Total (for nine wkts. in 90 overs) 337.

Fall of wickets: 1-135 (Jaques), 2-162 (Ponting), 3-165 (Hussey), 4-225 (Clarke), 5-241 (Hayden), 6-281 (Symonds), 7-288 (Gilchrist), 8-294 (Lee), 9-312 (Hogg).

India bowling: Zaheer 22-1-93-3, R.P. Singh 19-3-77-1, Harbhajan 20-3-61-0, Ganguly 3-1-15-0, Kumble 25-4-84-5, Tendulkar 1-0-2-0.

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