The Hindu : Sport : Australia’s late surge earns it ascendancy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

Australia’s late surge earns it ascendancy

S. Ram Mahesh

India loses four wickets in the third session to end the opening day on 297 for six

— PHOTOS AFP & AP

IMPERIOUS AND INVENTIVE: Rahul Dravid had such moments of glorious release in his battling innings while Sachin Tendulkar always seemed at ease, on occasion even employing the upper-cut.

Perth: Australia won several late battles to take the first day of the third Test here at the WACA. The Indian batting unit, having rendered sterling service for much of two sessions, lost four wickets in the third to end Wednesday on 297 for six in 84 overs.

Rahul Dravid (slog-sweep) and V.V.S. Laxman (pull) fell to errors in judgement in the final half-hour — the former as the new ball was imminent, the latter after it was taken — leaving M.S. Dhoni and Irfan Pathan a determining task, come Thursday.

Dravid, restored to one-drop, constructed a battling 93 (183 balls, 15 fours) that had moments of glorious release. He added 139 with Sachin Tendulkar (71), denying Australia a wicket in the middle session. After Tendulkar left to a marginal leg-before decision — the ball appearing to have hit the batsman too high to imperil the stumps — and Sourav Ganguly cut a ball to gully, Dravid raised 64 with Laxman for the fifth wicket.

The pair seemed to have seen out an important phase, justifying Anil Kumble’s decision to bat on a strip that contained pace and bounce (nothing outlandish, though), when Andrew Symonds got an off-break to drop on Dravid. Brett Lee then returned to claim Laxman before finishing with three for 64.

Best start this series

On Wednesday morning, Virender Sehwag showed almost immediately why he is so precious; and so frustrating. Bringing his bat down in great, curving lashes, the opener teased the Australian bowlers in the first hour, missing a dozen deliveries, punishing others. As is Sehwag’s wont, the footwork was minimal. But, so keen is his eye and so swift his blade that the high pace of Lee and Mitchell Johnson was played with time to spare.

Indeed, Sehwag hit the Australians like a gale does a hen-house, scattering feathers, tearing bird-wire and causing alarm. None of the bowlers settled. The short, cramping delivery directed at the arm-pit was tried and dispensed with, the short-leg was removed, the mid-on straightened — there was, in short, far too much fiddling. With Wasim Jaffer knocking the ball around in his easy, upright manner, India had its best start of the series.

But, Stuart Clark and Johnson tightened the screws after the first break for drinks. India, having motored to 56 without loss in 12 overs, stalled. Sehwag went nine balls without a run — almost remarkable, considering how readily and effectively he had carved behind point and punched through cover. Jaffer got stuck for 24 balls. It was inevitable something would shift, and it did. Both openers broke.

Johnson, from left-arm over, produced a constraining delivery that climbed on Sehwag. The cut stroke was compromised. Less than three overs later, Adam Gilchrist had his second catch of the afternoon.

Lee, encouraged by a brisk easterly breeze, shaped one away from Jaffer. The tall opener prodded outside his body.

Tendulkar and Dravid set about fortifying the innings. The former, having scripted a brilliant century here as a teenager, appeared at ease straightaway. Tendulkar’s footwork was indicative of his inherent adaptability: early in his innings, he stepped back and across, unlike the forward press he adopted at Melbourne and Sydney. Thus he harnessed the pace and bounce, upper- and back-cutting.

Once, Tendulkar arched away from a rapid Lee bouncer and lent his bat to it at the last instant, helping it over slip. On another occasion, he was in position for the hook, but aborted when the ball grew nasty on him. Both were testament to the fact that at 34, his reflexes and his instincts, while not as sharp as they once were, are still first-rate.

Ponting puzzlingly delayed Shaun Tait’s introduction. The speedster struggled into the wind, grunting through his explosive delivery. It was off Tait that Dravid first played the stretch-forward cover-drive.

Always an index of his batting health, the stroke stood apart, for it came off a ball that was very nearly 150 kmph.

Dropped on 11 by Clarke at first slip, Dravid pressed on.

A precisely placed cover-drive brought him his half-century in 95 balls, just four more than Tendulkar’s had taken.

Crucially, Dravid found his touch through the leg-side. During his torment in Melbourne and for a large part in Sydney, the 35-year-old couldn’t work profitably off his legs. His bat was descending noticeably late. Some pointed to the loopy back-lift as the culprit, conveniently oblivious to the fact that he has always played this way.

On Wednesday, he re-calibrated the stroke, taking on all comers before an uncharacteristic lapse cost him a 25th Test century.

scoreboard

India - 1st innings: W. Jaffer c Gilchrist b Lee 16, V. Sehwag c Gilchrist b Johnson 29, R. Dravid c Ponting b Symonds 93, S. Tendulkar lbw b Lee 71, S. Ganguly c Hussey b Johnson 9, V.V.S. Laxman c Tait b Lee 27, M.S. Dhoni (batting) 8, I. Pathan (batting) 8, Extras (lb-19, nb-9, w-8) 36

Total (for six wickets in 84 overs) 297.

Fall of wickets: 1-57 (Sehwag), 2-59 (Jaffer), 3-198 (Tendulkar), 4-214 (Ganguly), 5-278 (Dravid), 6-284 (Laxman).

Australia bowling: Lee 19-3-64-3, Johnson 21-5-61-2, Clark 15-3-44-0, Tait 13-1-59-0, Symonds 10-1-36-1, Clarke 6-1-14-0.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport