1st Test: India 55/4 at stumps chasing 216

PTI

Mohali, 05 October 2010: Poor shot selection and an umpiring error on Monday put India in dire straits as they were left tottering at 55 for four chasing a victory target of 216 against Australia on the penultimate day of the first cricket Test here. Indian top order batsmen squandered the advantage their bowlers gave them on Monday by bundling out Australia to 192 in just 60.5 overs at the PCA stadium here.

 

But an intriguing last day is on cards as Sachin Tendulkar stands between an Australian victory and India retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India still need 161 runs for a win with six second innings wickets intact. Sachin, who missed a century by just two runs in the first innings, looked composed during his 25-ball unbeaten 10 and will be the man who has to score the bulk of the remaining 161 runs if India to win the Test.

 

Gautam Gambhir (0), who was given leg before to Ben Hilfenhaus, should consider himself distinctly unlucky. He was done in by a Billy Bowden howler as television replays showed that the ball got a thick inside edge before hitting the pads. Virender Sehwag (17) and Suresh Raina (0) were out to short-pitched stuff. Rahul Dravid (13) got a good away-going delivery from Doug Bollinger which kissed the edge of his bat to Tim Paine’s gloves.

 

 

Sehwag just poked at a rising delivery from Hilfenhaus which was gleefully accepted by Mike Hussey at gully. Raina, known for his susceptibility against deliveries rising from back of the length, took his eyes off and the leading edge flew to Marcus North standing at wide third slip. Inexplicably, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose to send Zaheer Khan as nightwatchman when Australian pacers were spitting fire instead of coming in himself.

 

It was, however, a clinical performance by the bowling quartet of Ishant Sharma (3/34), Zaheer Khan (3/43), Harbhajan Singh (2/40) and Pragyan Ojha (2/59) that seemingly put India in the drivers’ seat before the Australian bowlers pegged back the Indians in the final hour of the day. If the Australian bowlers brought them back into the match, their batsmen earlier could not capitalise from a position of a strength.

 

Openers Shane Watson (56 from 59 balls) and Simon Katich (37 from 118 balls) put on 87 runs in 18 overs as Australia threatened to set a formidable target. But suddenly, from 87 for no loss, Australia crumbled to 192 all out in 60.5 overs. Ishant Sharma rocked the Australian top-order in a two over spell, removing dangerous Watson, skipper Ricky Ponting (4) and his deputy Michael Clarke (4). After that the hosts controlled the proceedings.

 

Among Ishant’s three victims, Watson would curse himself for doing a hara-kiri. Ishant bowled one wide outside the off-stump and the opener went for a wild slog over deep mid-wicket but only managed to drag it back onto his stumps. Ponting started with a boundary but Ishant got his man when Australian skipper pulled a short one straight into the hands of backward square leg which was specifically stationed for that particular shot. Suresh Raina took a well-judged catch.

 

The lanky speedster from Delhi was over the moon when he got Michael Clarke to flick one to short mid-wicket where Virender Sehwag was standing. However, as Clarke was about to walk back, umpire Billy Bowden, who had apprehensions that Ishant may just have overstepped, referred to third umpire Sanjay Hazare. The television replays showed that Ishant had overstepped and Bowden’s decision was vindicated.

 

However, Clarke’s joy was shortlived as the pacer got a nasty snorter right into the Aussie vice-captain’s rib cage and the ball ballooned to captain Dhoni. After Ishant caused the damage in the morning session, spin twins Harbhajan and Pragyan Ojha did the damage on the Australians in the post-lunch session while Zaheer cleaned up the tail in the final session. Incidentally, Zaheer completed his 250 wickets in Test cricket after he cleaned up Ben Hilfenhaus.

 

He is the fifth Indian bowler to take 250 wickets in Test cricket after Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan. Australia resumed the post-lunch session at 100 for three and Ojha, who got a bit of stick in the first session, drew Katich forward as the ball spun away from the left hander. The edge was taken by Dhoni behind stumps. Katich scored 37 with the help of two fours.

 

Michael Hussey (28) got a bad decision when he was adjudged leg before trying to sweep a Harbhajan delivery that pitched well outside leg stump. He ended the Test on a disappointing note. Marcus North (10) and Tim Paine (9) were smartly snapped up by substitute Cheteshwar Pujara at silly point off Harbhajan and Ojha respectively. Zaheer, who got the last three wickets by extracting reverse swing from the old ball, took his match figures to eight for 107 -- a praiseworthy show considering the hard work it has been for the fast bowlers.