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Hayden, Hussey hand Aussies the initiative

S. Ram Mahesh

Final day bristles with possibilities; elements expected to play a big part

Sydney: Perhaps the anticipation was strung too high, for, what was supposed to be the dramatic, defining day of the second Test appeared decidedly underwhelming. Then, as if uncomfortable in this less-than-entertaining skin — in the context of the three glorious days that had gone before it — the fourth day belatedly burst to life.

Anil Kumble, having an indifferent Saturday with the ball, got one to bounce on Matthew Hayden, undermining the centurion’s reverse-sweep and having him caught at backward point. Kumble produced a googly next ball, which Michael Clarke cut to slip. The delivery aspiring for the hat-trick was another wrong ’un — judged correctly by Steve Bucknor to have bounced too high to threaten Andrew Symonds’s stumps.

Kumble’s double strike, which left him on 598 Test wickets, pegged Australia back, but by the time falling light forced the players off, the home side had increased its score to 282 for four — a lead of 213. With Hayden insisting 260 is enough of a target, the final day here at the Sydney Cricket Ground is rich in possibility: it is hoped Saturday was merely one of inevitable conflict before a grand resolution.

Record-equalling chance

The backstory is in place. Australia is pursuing its 16th consecutive win to tie the record set by Steve Waugh’s side. India will want to register only its fifth win in Australia and even the series before the third Test at Perth. Breaking a second Australian streak will confer bragging rights as well, not that anyone is keeping score. The elements will play a big part. So far they have helped the strip wear well — there was, on Saturday, evidence of variable bounce and a slowing of pace, but nothing untoward.

For the record, the highest successful chase here at the SCG is 288, achieved by Australia (for the loss of just two wickets) against South Africa in 2005-06. Ricky Ponting, who made a hundred in each innings of that Test, has 97 overs to work with on Sunday. He will have to factor for the possibility of showers. A thin mist of rain hung over the SCG like a muslin curtain on Saturday. Only 78 overs were bowled. Sunday’s forecast is for more of the same.

Choice of ends

The Indians started the fourth day expertly. Perhaps the only error Kumble made — and this is entirely subjective — was his choice of ends for the seamers. R.P. Singh and Ishant Sharma were at a disadvantage with the direction of the breeze, R.P. Singh in particular, for he was deprived of swing, but both made up with discipline. Kumble’s fields were excellent: five men between first slip and square gully for Ishant’s natural angle across the left-hander, and a short extra cover and an unconventionally-straight short mid-off for R.P. Singh.

The Australian openers, resuming on 13 without loss, managed just 17 runs in 10 overs before the day’s first drizzle stopped play. In this period, both Phil Jaques and Hayden had begun to move to off-stump to counter the off-side-weighted field. There was a risk of being caught on the crease, even bowled behind the legs, but, they survived. The dynamics changed on resumption. Ishant strayed in line. Hayden made capital, pulling and glancing for four. The full, wide ball followed, and Hayden, with his militant forward press, drove it down the ground.

Jaques had reached 42, a wristed on-drive off R.P. Singh drawing attention, when he made an error in judgement. Not as proficient with the sweep shot as his opening partner, he nonetheless attempted one off Kumble. Yuvraj did well in the deep to hold the top edge, which had been caught and buffeted by the breeze.

First-rate captaincy

Then came a moment of first-rate captaincy. Kumble, with a subtle adjustment in field, allowed Hayden the single against Harbhajan. Ponting has complained at being named the off-spinner’s bunny, but he played as if the thought preyed on his mind. He lunged at a delivery of blameless length that dropped on him, thrusting hard, anxious hands. V.V.S. Laxman, at silly point (more silly mid-off actually) reacted smartly to the leading edge, and Harbhajan set off towards the Members Pavilion, determined apparently to scale its green clock tower. He stopped, however, and performed two forward rolls.

It was the fifth time Harbhajan had dismissed Ponting with his first ball to him, and the eighth overall. Hayden and Michael Hussey, who began after lunch with Australia just 21 ahead, played with great care. Several times Harbhajan spun the ball across bat face; both left-handers, however, accumulated runs in their distinctive styles.

Good fortune

Hussey picked the length well: as a result, he could use the depth of the crease to work off his pads. He also drove out of the bowlers’ footmarks with considerable skill. He illustrated the benefits of a soft bottom hand, denying many edges the pace to travel to slip. But, the innings lacked coherence. What it didn’t lack was good fortune. On 22, he was nailed in front of the stumps by Kumble; on 42, he was dropped by a leaping Yuvraj off Kumble; and on 45, he was caught down the leg-side off R.P. Singh and again not given.

Hussey made the most of his luck, adding 160 in 44 overs with Hayden, preventing Australia’s middle order from starting against spin on a track that might have triggered a collapse.

Hayden took a runner on 71 (his captain Ponting who thus had the opportunity to scrutinise conditions first-hand) and moved inexorably to his 29th Test hundred, drawing level with Sir Donald Bradman and Jacques Kallis.

SCOREBOARD

Australia — 1st innings: 463.

India — 1st innings: 532.

Australia — 2nd innings: P. Jaques c Yuvraj b Kumble 42, M. Hayden c Jaffer b Kumble 123, R. Ponting c Laxman b Harbhajan 1, M. Hussey (not out) 87, M. Clarke c Dravid b Kumble 0, A. Symonds (not out) 14; Extras (b-3, lb-3, nb-7, w-2): 15; Total (for four wkts. in 83 overs) 282.

Fall of wickets: 1-85 (Jaques), 2-90 (Ponting), 3-250 (Hayden), 4- 250 (Clarke).

India bowling: R.P. Singh 14-2-47-0, Ishant 8-1-37-0, Harbhajan 28-5-65-1, Kumble 29-3-110-3, Tendulkar 2-0-6-0, Yuvraj 2-0-11-0.

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