Ind-Aus: Johnson takes five, India 405 all out

Agencies

Mohali, 03 October 2010: Mitchell Johnson grabbed five wickets as India were dismissed for 405 in reply to Australia’s first innings total of 428 on day three of the first Test between India and Australia at Mohali on Sunday. The visitors have a slender lead of 23 runs. Earlier, part time spinner Marcus North got the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, trapping the batting maestro leg before wicket for 98.

 

Tendulkar along with Raina put on 124 runs for the fifth wicket as the hosts inch closer to the Australian first innings total of 428. Rahul Dravid wasted a golden opportunity of surpassing Sir Don Bradman’s tally of 29 Test hundreds as India reached 280 for four at tea. At tea, Sachin Tendulkar, who looked in sublime touch was batting on 64 while Suresh Raina was on 26.

 

The duo put on exactly 50 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket partnership as 89 runs were scored in the session between lunch and tea. Dravid scored 77 and looked barely troubled by the Aussie bowlers before he edged a Doug Bollinger delivery to wicketkeeper Tim Paine. The ball pitched on the middle stump and moved a shade as it kissed the edge of Dravid’s bat. He batted for 205 minutes and faced 134 deliveries, hitting 12 fours in the process.

 

 

Tendulkar and Dravid put on 79 runs for the fourth wicket where the former was the dominant partner. Unlike Sehwag, who bludgeoned the opposition bowlers on Saturday, Tendulkar seemed to caress the ball to the boundary. Out of his nine boundaries, the first five were pierced through the region between point and extra cover. The first time Tendulkar played on the on-side was a slog sweep off Hauritz that went through the mid-wicket boundary.

 

The next was a drive that went through the vacant mid-on region. Not only did he hit boundaries but he also ran the quick singles and twos well. Raina also looked confident as he hit some lovely cover drives. Earlier, the only batsman to be dismissed in the pre-lunch session was night-watchman Ishant Sharma, who scored 18 before shouldering arms to a Bollinger delivery that held its line before hitting the stumps.

 

A total of 81 runs were scored in the opening session as the Indian batsmen played cautiously after starting on their overnight score of 110 for two. Dravid, who was unbeaten on 21 overnight, started cautiously with Ishant, who did a commendable job and played out the first session to help the top-order batsmen to follow.

 

Growing in confidence watching Dravid comfortably negotiate the pace spin duo of Mitchell Johnson and offie Nathan Hauriz, the lanky pacer played a few plucky shots, including a cover drive of Hauritz. He added 45 runs with Dravid, who was a picture of concentration as he mostly left the deliveries on the off-stump channel. The only risky shot he played was off Hilfenhaus as the ball flew past the vacant third slip region.

 

Dravid and Ishant took India’s score to 150 in the 37th over. But it was after the first drinks’ break that Australia managed a breakthrough when Bollinger disturbed Ishant’s timber. He reached his half century when he deliberately opened the face of the bat to guide a Johnson delivery past gully. Having reached his 50, Dravid square cut Hauritz for a boundary.

 

Tendulkar too looked in superb form after arriving at the crease and started middling the ball right from the onset. The Australian bowlers strangely did not attack much. Also the slowness in the strip is causing a problem for the pacers as they love to hit the deck. Johnson, who has figures of two for 45, has bowled well in patches, while Bollinger was impressive in the morning as he scalped the only wicket of the session.

 

However, both Hilfenhaus and Hauritz were on the expensive side. While Hilfenhaus gave away 64 runs in 16 overs, Hauritz had an unimpressive none for 48 to show for his efforts. The off-spinner often bowled short and gave a lot of width to the batsman to go for their cut shots.