Aussies draw first blood; author 217-run win

Thatscricket.com October 10

By SUHRID BARUA

Bangalore: In their quest to conquer the final frontier, Australia made a flying start to its four Test series campaign scripting a comprehensive 217-run victory over India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here.The Aussies performed the last rites but not before a show of defiance by the Indian lower-order.

The Indian tail wagged and thwarted the visitor's hopes of an early finish to the match.Scorecard of Test 1 : India Vs AustraliaThe highlight of the final day was an enterprising 89-run partnership for the eight-wicket between Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh and the duo in the process bettered the previous best eight- wicket for India against Australia, eclipsing the record of 81 set by Sachin Tendulkar and Kiran More at Perth in 1991-92.

Pathan was the cynosure of all attention on the final day. The Baroda lad was a picture of concentration as he applied himself remarkably under challenging conditions.

He looked circumspect initially in the company of Dravid, who played the senior partner's role admirably as he shielded the latter from Warne and faced most of the bowling from the leggie, at times refusing to take a single even as he worked it away to the sweeper cover or to deep square-leg.Dravid looked rock-solid and brought up his half century with a fine boundary of Warne.

Just when it seemed that Dravid and Pathan were beginning to frustrate the Australians, Kaprowicz struck a telling blow when he trapped Dravid in front for a hard-fought 60.Once Dravid perished, Pathan opened out and played some fine shots on either side of the wicket.

The southpaw was severe on leg-spinner Warne and picked him with precision. He danced down the wicket repeatedly to Warne and took to him in a big way.The left-hander, who taught a lesson or two to the top-order, smacked two towering sixes besides seven fours en route to his maiden half-century, suggesting enough indications that he is all-rounder in the making.

Even as Pathan was growing in confidence and getting on top of the Aussie bowling, India lost its eight wicket in the form of Kumble. He went back to play a Kaprowicz delivery only to see his sticks rattled for two.

Harbhajan joined forces with Pathan and they soon got into the run-making mode. Harbhajan fresh from his 11-wicket haul, was making merry at the expense of the Australians.

He clobbered Warne for one big six and seemed to derive great from that shot as he did a bit of self-applauding much to the chagrin of the Australians.The duo ensured there were no further alarms for the hosts as they took lunch at 197/8.

The visitors took the second new ball straightway in the post-lunch session and it paid dividends as Gillespie induced a well-set Pathan to edge one to be gobbled up by Gilchrist to trigger celebrations in the Aussie camp.

Zaheer Khan delayed the inevitable as he belted four boundaries in his cameo of 22 even as Harbhajan was taking on McGrath and Gillespie with fair amount of confidence.Gillespie hammered the final nail in the Indian coffin when Harbhajan holed out to McGrath at deep long leg for 42 as India were dismissed for 239.

Michael Clarke was named the Man of the Match for his sterling knock of 151 in the Australian first innings. The two teams would now move to Chennai for the second Test beginning October 14.