Aussies sniff victory; hosts reeling at 105/6

Thatscricket.com October 9 2007
By Suhrid Barua

Bangalore: Barring a miracle from Dravid, Pathan and Co, hosts India are smarting at a crushing defeat at stumps on day four of the opening TVS Test match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here.

With only Rahul Dravid the lone recognised batsman remaining in the Indian ranks, the writing is clearly on the wall as the Indians closed out the fourth day's play at 105/6, still needing 352 runs for an improbable victory.

Dravid defied the Australian attack as he showed great resolve and temperament to battle it out against a disciplined Australian attack. The right-handed Bangalorean was a bundle of patience and concentration as he grafted his way to an unbeaten 47, with Irfan Pathan giving him company on seven.

Young Pathan, who is already being bandied about as an all-rounder in the making, showed a lot of maturity and keenness to hung in there and provided able support to the more experienced Dravid.

Provided the heavens don't open and come to the Indian rescue and with the wicket showing signs of breaking up and affording uneven bounce, the Indians have their task cut out when they take the field tomorrow.

Chasing a mammoth target of 457 India got off to a worse possible start with Virender Sehwag adjudged leg-before to McGrath for a blob by Kiwi umpire Billy Bowden even as television replays clearly showed that the opener got an inside edge.

Bowden has been under the umpiring scanner of late for awarding far too many erroneous decisions in this Test match, with the hosts bearing the brunt of it, which only compounded hosts' cup of woes.He had earlier controversially ruled a well set Irfan Pathan out caught off the wicket off Warne in the Indian first innings.

If that was not enough, there was more shock in store. Akaash Chopra, who survived a nick to the slip off Gillespie, was ruled lbw to Gillespie by umpire Steve Bucknor when it seemed the ball was straying down the legside.At 7/2 India was fishing in the troubled waters.

In walked skipper Sourav Ganguly and he was straightway peppered with a barrage of short-pitch deliveries by Gillespie.The Indians soon slumped to 12/3 when skipper Ganguly was run out largely of his own making.

He scampered off for a quick single after clipping one from Gillespie to mid-off and ended up being on the same end with Dravid as the latter stared at him in disbelief.It was a comedy of errors and probably summed up the day for India.

VVS Laxman did not last long either. He fell to Warne for the second time in the match as he was trapped in front for three with India in dire straits at 19/4.

Local bloke Rahul Dravid, who hasn't crossed 30 at the Chinnaswamy before, sought to make amends for his poor runs here as he buckled down to the job at hand. He in association with Yuvraj Singh stitched a partnership of 62 runs for the fifth wicket as both mixed caution with aggression.

Yuvraj showed a lot of aggressive intent as he handled Warne with aplomb and took him away for a few boundaries.The southpaw from Punjab, however, looked iffy outside the off stump against the seamers. In such one over McGrath kept probing on the channel and after beating him on a few occasions, finally induced Yuvraj to edge one to Gilchrist for an innings of 27 that promised so much but only flattered to deceive.

Parthiv Patel failed to produce a first innings encore when he was caught in front of the wicket by Warne for four, which left the leg-spinner with just one wicket shy of equalling Muthiah Muralitharan's world record of 532 Test sticks.

Earlier, off-spinnner Harbhajan Singh bowled his heart out as he mopped up the Aussie lower-order to dismiss the visitors for 228. By then, the Aussies had built up a huge lead of 456 runs.

The two overnight night batsman Damien Martyn and debutant Michael Clarke had little clue to Harbhajan's variations. The ball that dismissed Clarke was a beauty. The ball turned and bounced and kissed Clarke's glove to be snapped up by Akaash Chopra at shortleg for 17.Martyn worked his way to 45 before he spooned a catch to substitute Mohammed Kaif off the Sardar, who by then was riding a crest.

Skipper Gilchrist and Warne put on 37 runs for the seventh wicket before Kumble got rid of Gilchrist caught off the wicket for a quick-fire 26. Warne chipped in with a handy 31, which contained five hits to the fence.Gillespie and Kaprowicz fell cheaply off Harbhajan as the visitors were all out for 228 setting the Indians a target of 457 for victory.

Harbhajan finished with superb figures of 6-78 to claim 11 wickets for the match (he took five scalps in the first innings). Anil Kumble was slightly on the shorter side and taken for a few when the need of the hour was to draw the batsman forward.