Aussies launch Delhi fightback
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting weighed in with important knocks as Australia reached 338-4 on day three of the third Test against India in Delhi, reports BBC.
Resuming on 50-0 in reply to India's 613-7, Hayden (83) and Simon Katich (64) showed fine concentration in putting on 123 for the first-wicket.
Ponting (87) and Mike Hussey (53) then frustrated the hosts before both fell to Virender Sehwag (3-66).
Michael Clarke and Shane Watson reduced the tourists' deficit to 275 at stumps.
They still require another 75 runs to avoid the follow-on but will be delighted to have come through a testing day for the loss of only four wickets.
Especially so after umpire Aleem Dar chose not to raise his finger despite Amit Mishra trapping Watson in front of his stumps three overs before the close.
India would have hoped for a more profitable day with the ball but early strikes on day four will maintain their hopes of claiming victory and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead into the final Test.
While Australia's openers batted superbly to reach stumps unscathed on day two, the real test of their durability was always likely to come in the opening hour Friday.
In hazy conditions and with the pitch showing early hints of deterioration, India threw both seam and spin at the tourists in the form of Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble.
Zaheer looked in particularly menacing form and rattled Matthew Hayden's helmet with a venomous first-ball bouncer before his third ball cannoned off the Queenslander's shoulder.
But the Australian's soon weathered the storm and settled into a fine rhythm, Katich happily dominating the strike and being rewarded with a flurry of beautifully-timed boundaries.
Katich was good value for his 10th Test half-century, which he brought up by flicking Kumble off his legs for a scrambled single.
India captain Kumble then turned to the seam of Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra but neither could knock Hayden or Katich out of their strides.
Hayden clubbed Mishra's sixth ball over midwicket for six to bring up Australia's ton and, with the opening hour safely navigated, lofted the leg spinner over mid-on to the boundary.
With the pair looking increasingly comfortable the dismissal of Katich, befuddled by a ball that spun sharply between bat and pad before splitting his stumps, came as a timely fillip for India.
Ponting eased any nerves with a couple of sweetly-struck boundaries and Hayden, averaging just 10 before this Test, brought up his half-century with a fine cover drive off Sharma.
Resuming on 50-0 in reply to India's 613-7, Hayden (83) and Simon Katich (64) showed fine concentration in putting on 123 for the first-wicket.
Ponting (87) and Mike Hussey (53) then frustrated the hosts before both fell to Virender Sehwag (3-66).
Michael Clarke and Shane Watson reduced the tourists' deficit to 275 at stumps.
They still require another 75 runs to avoid the follow-on but will be delighted to have come through a testing day for the loss of only four wickets.
Especially so after umpire Aleem Dar chose not to raise his finger despite Amit Mishra trapping Watson in front of his stumps three overs before the close.
India would have hoped for a more profitable day with the ball but early strikes on day four will maintain their hopes of claiming victory and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead into the final Test.
While Australia's openers batted superbly to reach stumps unscathed on day two, the real test of their durability was always likely to come in the opening hour Friday.
In hazy conditions and with the pitch showing early hints of deterioration, India threw both seam and spin at the tourists in the form of Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble.
Zaheer looked in particularly menacing form and rattled Matthew Hayden's helmet with a venomous first-ball bouncer before his third ball cannoned off the Queenslander's shoulder.
But the Australian's soon weathered the storm and settled into a fine rhythm, Katich happily dominating the strike and being rewarded with a flurry of beautifully-timed boundaries.
Katich was good value for his 10th Test half-century, which he brought up by flicking Kumble off his legs for a scrambled single.
India captain Kumble then turned to the seam of Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra but neither could knock Hayden or Katich out of their strides.
Hayden clubbed Mishra's sixth ball over midwicket for six to bring up Australia's ton and, with the opening hour safely navigated, lofted the leg spinner over mid-on to the boundary.
With the pair looking increasingly comfortable the dismissal of Katich, befuddled by a ball that spun sharply between bat and pad before splitting his stumps, came as a timely fillip for India.
Ponting eased any nerves with a couple of sweetly-struck boundaries and Hayden, averaging just 10 before this Test, brought up his half-century with a fine cover drive off Sharma.