Aussies pile on the Indian misery

Thatscricket.com October 8, 2007

By SUHRID BARUA

Bangalore: Australia maintained a vice-like grip over hosts India at stumps on the third day of the first Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here today.

Having secured a huge first innings lead of 228 after bowling out India for 246, the visitors piled up 127 in their second essay losing four wickets to amass an overall lead of 355 runs and looked well on course to take a 1-0 lead in the four match series.Damien Martyn (29) and first innings centurion Michael Clarke( 11) were the two not out batsman.

With the visitors deciding against enforcing the follow on after India fell 28 runs short of the follow-on mark, probably taking a hard lesson from the 2001 Kolkata nightmare when the duo of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted out of their skins after Steve Waugh then had enforced the follow on.

With two full days play left and the wicket showing signs of taking appreciable turn and also keeping low; provided the rains stay away, the hosts have their backs to the wall and from the looks of it, a Kolkata miracle looks a remote possibility, at least at this point of time.

Earlier, the two overnight pair of Parthiv Patel and Irfan Pathan applied themselves beautifully and batted with such confidence and assurance that would have put many of their frontline batsmen to shame.

The southpaw duo waged an engrossing battle against the visting attack. They took blows on the body even as the Australian bowlers indulged in the short-pitch stuff.Both were prepared to put a price tag on their wicket and not throw it away, which saw frustration permeating in the Aussies ranks.

They nearly saw off the pre-lunch session and had strung together a partnership of 60 runs for the seventh wicket before Pathan was ruled out caught behind off leg-spinner Shane Warne under controversial circumstances.

The Baroda left-hander never looked like getting a nick to that delivery even as the Aussies vociferously appealed for it. Umpire Billy Bowden upheld the umpire although television replays showed that there was lot of daylight between the bat and the pad.

Pathan's 31 came off 95 deliveries and contained three fours.Anil Kumble walked in and he along with Patel were unseparated when India took lunch at 199/7.Patel and Kumble started the second session cautiously as they stoutly defended the Australian bowlers.

The pair grew in confidence and got into their groove as they put on 31 for the eight wicket, forcing Australian captain Adam Gilchrist to take the second new ball.

The 19-year-old wicketkeeper, who has under pressure following talk doing the rounds that he has given far too many opportunities to prove his mettle at the highest level, silenced at least some of his detractors.

He showed lot of maturity and application as he meandered his way to 46 under challenging conditions during his more than three hour vigil at the crease.

Patel's 46 came off 125 balls and contained four boundaries.The move to take the second new ball paid rich dividends as Patel, who until then had looked set for a long haul, played on to a Jason Gillespie incoming delivery to see his stumps rearranged.Glenn McGrath deceived Harbhajan Singh with a slower one, who spooned a catch to Lehmann. Gillespie polished off the Indian innings castling Kumble for a dogged 26.

McGrath was the most successful Australian bowler finishing with figures of four for 55, while Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne claimed two scalps apiece.Australia started their second innings on a disastrous note when Justin Langer fell in the very first over to Pathan trapped in front.

Undeterred by the loss of Langer, Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich weathered the early storm and took the score to 65 before a well set Hayden perished for 30. The Queensalnder was brilliantly run out by Harbhajan Singh, whose direct shy at the stumps found the strapping opener few inches short of his crease.

Simon Katich, who launched the rearguard action in the first innings alongside debutant Michael Clarke, was snapped up by Dravid in the slips off Kumble for 39.Vice Captain Darren Lehmann under pressure to hold his place after Clarke's exploits once again fell cheaply.

The stocky southpaw was caught by Chopra off Harbhajan for 14.Martyn handled the Indian spinners with aplomb as he and Clarke set about to post a huge target for the Indians.

For Indian, Pathan was the pick of the Indian bowlers. He once again bowled a probing line and length and maintained the pressure on the Australian batsman.Kumble and Zaheer Khan failed to complement him as both were unable to sustain the pressure and gave far too many loose balls.

Zaheer, bowled well in his second spell after an indifferent first spell. The left-armer kept straying down the leg side much to the comfort of the visitors, who picked him up for easy runs in that area.