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Ponting lets India off the hook

S. Ram Mahesh

Sehwag sizzles; crucial stand by Dhoni and Harbhajan

— Photo: S. Subramanium

FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS: Virender Sehwag was in his element on the fourth day of the final Test against Australia at Nagpur on Sunday.

Nagpur: Cirque du Soleil — that avant-garde troupe of circus artists and street-theatre impresarios — may well have choreographed the fourth day here at the VCA Stadium, so arresting, spectacular, and offbeat was its drama.

India, 1-0 ahead and looking to shut Australia out of the fourth Test, began Sunday exactly as it might have hoped, suffered a darkening of mood between lunch and tea, and bullied the contest back its way during a bizarre third session. By stumps, Australia, set 382 for victory, knocked off 13 in nine balls, and accepted the umpires’ offer of light under leaden skies.

Daunting task

Bradman’s Invincibles brought down a target of 404 at Leeds in 1948 with ridiculous ease, but no other Australian side has mounted a triumphant pursuit of a total in excess of 380. Indeed not once has a touring side chased over 300 in India.

Moreover if Australia is to succeed — and never say never, as M.S. Dhoni said — its batsmen will have to score at four an over. Consider India’s bowling on the third day, when it retarded the world champion to under two per over, and the difficulties a worn fifth-day strip will enforce, and the enormity of Australia’s quest to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is apparent.

Solid start

India very nearly fluffed its shot at what has become the most prestigious bilateral trophy in world cricket. Virender Sehwag, who’s a great man to have in fraught situations, and M. Vijay, who despite not enlarging starts of 33 and 41 has shown he belongs, equalled their first-innings stand of 98 by lunch, giving India a lead of 184.

Sehwag began with a stirring cover-drive, typically adjusting the alignment of his body for the stroke with no exaggeration of footwork, before cutting Mitchell Johnson. Although the breeze from his infrequent swishes might have powered a yacht across the Atlantic, Sehwag’s defence was classically tight, bat and pad sealed together — another instance of the dichotomy of his exceptional batsmanship.

Sehwag again attacked Jason Krejza’s off-spin, launching him over long-off and swiping him to square-leg, but Krejza did his man in flight at least thrice, without any luck.

Vijay repeatedly back-cut big-turning off-breaks during an intriguing game of cat and mouse — Ricky Ponting’s field encouraging the cut, and the debutant opener responding with skill.

Skilful spell

Shane Watson found reverse swing after lunch, and in a long, controlled, skilful spell dismissed Vijay and Rahul Dravid. Watson forced Vijay to play around an arcing in-ducker before getting a marvellous delivery to leave Dravid with the shine.

Brett Lee, who was on drips on Saturday, cramped Sehwag into tickling one down the leg-side for 92, and in the space of seven overs, India had fallen from 116 for no loss to 142 for three.

Sehwag’s exit in particular hurt India. The scoring rate dropped from four to under two, and Krejza exploited the pressure created. An off-break, crackling with spin, drifted away from Laxman, separating bat from pad, dipped and landed a parish outside off-stump and ripped through the batsman’s prod.

Sourav Ganguly, in his final Test innings, fell next ball, Krejza diving forward to complete the return catch bred from the angle into the left-hander and the break away.

With Sachin Tendulkar calling fatally for a non-existent single to cover (Dhoni responding before saying no), India at tea led by 252 but with only four wickets in reserve.

The game could have been swung by Australia, had the side wanted it desperately. Dhoni (55) and Harbhajan Singh (52) batted magnificently in the third session.

But they were helped immeasurably by Ponting, who under pressure to remedy his over-rate lest he be banned, brought on his non-regulars to complement Krejza.

Baffling decision

There were two points of criticism. Surely, a suspension (thoroughly deserved for outrageous over-rates) wasn’t too high a price for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy — and Ponting, forced into a similar situation at Perth, must have been aware of the consequences of bowling non-specialists with the game up for grabs.

Moreover, having made the decision, why Hussey’s modest offerings with the run-up of a medium-pacer and not Simon Katich’s more potent, less time-consuming left-arm wrist spin? Nothing must be taken away from Dhoni and Harbhajan. After picking Cameron White (in his first over) for 12 immediately after tea, they batted with maturity, their partnership of 108 for the seventh wicket enabling India to set a target it fancied in the morning, but looked certain to fall short of.

SCOREBOARD

India —1st innings: 441.

Australia — 1st innings: 355.

India — 2nd innings: V. Sehwag c Haddin b Lee 92, M. Vijay lbw b Watson 41, R. Dravid c Haddin b Watson 3, S. Tendulkar (run out) 12, V.V.S. Laxman b Krejza 4, S. Ganguly c & b Krejza 0, M.S. Dhoni c Hussey b Krejza 55, Harbhajan b Watson 52, Zaheer c Haddin b Krejza 6, A. Mishra b Watson 7, Ishant (not out) 1; Extras (b-6, lb-3, nb-2, w-6, Pen 5) 22. Total (in 82.4 overs): 295.

Fall of wickets: 1-116 (Vijay), 2-132 (Dravid), 3-142 (Sehwag), 4-163 (Laxman), 5-163 (Ganguly), 6-166 (Tendulkar), 7-274 (Dhoni), 8-286 (Zaheer), 9-288 (Harbhajan).

Australia bowling: Johnson 14-4-22-0, Lee 10-3-27-1, Krejza 31-3-143-4, Watson 15.4-2-42-4, White 2-0-15-0, Hussey 4-2-3-0, Clarke 6-1-29-0.

Australia — 2nd innings: M. Hayden (batting) 5, S. Katich (batting) 8; Total (for no loss in 1.3 overs) 13.

India bowling: Zaheer 1-0-13-0, Ishant 0.3-0-0-0.

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