The Hindu : Sport : Clark and Lee combine to put Australia in control

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Clark and Lee combine to put Australia in control

S. Ram Mahesh

Fine knock by Sachin Tendulkar; India has a formidable task ahead of it

— PHOTOS: AFP, AP

TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE: It was a day on which the famed Indian batting failed to live up to its potential. Sourav Ganguly comes second best to Brad Hogg and Sachin Tendulkar, who looked set for a big score, plays on to his stumps.

Melbourne: Smarting at having to cede the first day to India, the Australians struck back on the second. And they did it not with sticks of dynamite — best left, they reasoned, to Wile E. Coyote, that dastardly half-wit — but through a former real-estate agent, who studies between matches for a degree in commerce.

Stuart Clark, the thinking man’s fast-medium bowler, prised out four of India’s top seven, including, crucially, Sachin Tendulkar for a fine 62. Clark’s four for 28 handed Australia control of the first Test.

Lee joins 250-club

Brett Lee mopped up the lower-order, passing 250 Test wickets in the process. The 31-year-old fast bowler had Anil Kumble (a refractory 27 to his credit) and Zaheer Khan caught behind, as India was bowled out for 196. By close on Thursday, Australia extended its lead to 179. The openers put on 32 in eight overs, each of Matthew Hayden’s three fours ringing ominously around the Melbourne Cricket Ground. India has a formidable task ahead of it — every remaining session must be won.

The day had begun well for India. Hardly had the patrons unwrapped their vegemite sandwiches when the Australian first innings ended at 343, the side’s lowest completed innings this year. Zaheer let Clark have a couple of bouncers past his nose to provoke a flawed pull-stroke. The top-edge was held well by Harbhajan Singh at fine-leg.

Harbhajan’s cross-over steps, sideways and backwards, as he positioned himself under the ball was a rare instance of sterling Indian out-cricket. If there was a criticism of India on Wednesday, it pertained to the anaemic ground fielding.

Embarrassing display

Over Thursday, the difference in athleticism between the sides grew embarrassing. The Australians added to Wednesday’s gains: having stretched ones into twos and twos into threes while batting, they forbade their opponents to do the same. India’s running between the wickets was exposed like cheap make-up under arc lights.

The Australians, as ever, hunted in a pack, the bowlers working in patient partnerships. The MCG strip remained slow — not hardening as expected under the sun. There was just enough nibble off the seam, a touch of inconsistent bounce, and, as the day wore on, encouraging reverse swing.

India’s openers found the combination of the conditions and the bowlers’ discipline stifling. Wasim Jaffer’s bat was drawn to Lee’s cunning conception — filtered through the fingers and bled of pace (129 kmph), the delivery cut away from just short of a length, taking the edge and earning the McGrath Foundation $18000 for coming to rest in Adam Gilchrist’s pink gloves.

Forgettable day

Rahul Dravid was finding Mitchell Johnson’s lefty angle and length impossible to lay a bat on. His bottom hand thrust eagerly at the only two full balls Johnson served up. The first was dropped at gully by Phil Jaques, the second caught at first slip by Matthew Hayden off a no-ball. He hadn’t yet opened his account, and indeed managed the task off the 41st ball he faced.

Dravid fell on the stroke of lunch. The delivery wasn’t dissimilar to the one that got M.S. Dhoni second ball after tea. The batsmen found their front pads in the way of deliveries that cut back and were forced to play around it. Clark sired both.

Nicknamed Sarfraz after the Pakistan bowler, for he rocks back similarly in delivery, Clark has a simple, repeatable action. Surgery (for hernia) has limited his run-up to a measured approach. At delivery, his front arm traces an arc directed at the batsman and his right follows as if linked by a pulley.

Crucial strike

For cut, Clark drags his fingers down the side of the ball. Often he pushes the batsman back with bullying short-of-a-length deliveries from his 6ft 6in frame — Tendulkar, a case in point. Till the Indian master batsman chopped Clark on to his stumps, foiled no doubt by the ball coming off the track slower than expected, he had looked in good touch.

After Laxman’s coherent 26 was ended unceremoniously by Lee (the short ball didn’t rise, catching the batsman swaying away), Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly added 65 in 91 balls. It was a partnership that promised much. Ganguly got in soundly behind the line. Tendulkar was decisive, even if given to the occasional act of indiscretion. Tendulkar is at his best when the front foot triggers his range of motions — so gloriously evident on Thursday. He raced from 36 to 50 in four balls from Brad Hogg, an audacious slog-sweep for six taking many by surprise.

For India, Hogg’s presence was a thing to be thankful for — the left-arm wrist spinner went at nearly four an over in his 21, and, barring the scooting flipper that bowled Ganguly, caused little discomfort.

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 (not out) 15, S. Clark c Harbhajan b Zaheer 21; Extras (lb-5, nb-9, w-2) 16; Total (in 92.4 overs) 343.

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 23.4-1-94-4, R.P. Singh 20-3-82-1, Harbhajan 20-3-61-0, Ganguly 3-1-15-0, Kumble 25-4-84-5, Tendulkar 1-0-2-0.

India — 1st innings: W. Jaffer c Gilchrist b Lee 4, R. Dravid lbw b Clark 5, V.V.S. Laxman c Ponting b Lee 26, S. Tendulkar b Clark 62, S. Ganguly b Hogg 43, Yuvraj c Gilchrist b Clark 0, M.S. Dhoni lbw b Clark 0, A. Kumble c Gilchrist b Lee 27, Harbhajan c Clarke b Hogg 2, Zaheer c Gilchrist b Lee 11, R.P. Singh (not out) 2; Extras (b-4, lb-3, nb-7) 14; Total (in 71.5 overs) 196.

Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Jaffer), 2-31 (Dravid), 3-55 (Laxman), 4-120 (Tendulkar), 5-122 (Yuvraj), 6-122 (Dhoni), 7-166 (Ganguly), 8-173 (Harbhajan), 9-193 (Kumble).

Australia bowling: Lee 19.5-6-46-4, Johnson 13-5-25-0, Symonds 3-1-8-0, Clark 15-4-28-4, Hogg 21-3-82-2.

Australia — 2nd innings: P. Jaques (batting) 10, M. Hayden (batting) 22; Total (for no loss in eight overs) 32.

India bowling: Zaheer 4-1-17-0, R.P. Singh 3-1-15-0, Kumble 1-1-0-0.

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