2nd Test: India v England at Ahmedabad, 11-15 Dec 2001 Stephen Lamb |
India 2nd innings:
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Dawson's return to the attack raised the tempo a fraction, with a Dasgupta boundary through extra cover, a close shout for lbw, and Dasgupta's 50, reached off 150 balls with five boundaries.
It took a run-out to break the deadlock, as Das called for a a risky second after glancing Dawson towards fine leg. An excellent throw from Giles was gathered safely by James Foster, who broke the wicket with Das marginally short of his ground.
The crowd's view of India's approach was illustrated by the cheering which greeted Das's dismissal for 58. They wanted Sachin Tendulkar but had to wait, as Rahul Dravid appeared in his customary position at number three.
A fine, sprawling stop from Hussain at extra cover denied Dravid as England's all-spin attack continued to keep India in check, and Dawson secured a second breakthrough when Dasgupta, on 60, pushed forward and was caught after a brief juggle by Mark Butcher at silly point off pad and bat.
India were 124 for two and Tendulkar's entrance brought the crowd's customary roar of excitement. The pace remained slack however, and Hussain recalled White in his constant quest for variety. Tendulkar unravelled a crunching square cut as Dawson dropped short, and Dravid clipped White through midwicket, but as tea approached there was little else to excite the crowd.
Craig White was brought into the England attack for the first time straight after lunch, to bowl in harness with Giles. Dasgupta was deceived in the flight in Giles' first over after the break as the ball went between bat and pad for four byes.
The hundred came up in the 42nd over as Das nudged Giles around the corner behind square. The placid nature of the pitch was apparent when an attempted bouncer from White sailed harmlessly past Dasgupta's off stump at medium height.
Despite signs of frustration in the crowd, Das and Dasgupta refused to raise the tempo as England's frustration continued.
India eventually reached the 50 mark in the 25th over as Dasgupta took a single into the covers off Dawson, and Hussain continued to ring the changes in search of a breakthrough. Hoggard returned as Dawson switched ends, and the pace bowler again held a consistent off-stump line, beginning his spell with another maiden.
A perfectly-timed cover drive brought Dasgupta a boundary in Hoggard's next over, and Das reached his 1,000th run in Test cricket with four square cut off Dawson. The stroke was repeated with the same result in Dawson's next over. There was a strangled lbw appeal from Hoggard as Dasgupta edged into his pad, and there was scant justice for the Yorkshireman as Dasgupta squeezed the last ball of the over to the third man boundary. A rare legside delivery in Hoggard's next next over brought four more to fine leg.
With the Ahmedabad crowd in a ferment, Das gave India's supporters what they wanted from the last ball before lunch, pushing Giles for a single to reach an excellent half century.
England opened with pace in the form of Matthew Hoggard, who began with two consecutive maidens, and Andrew Flintoff. The latter was dispatched for the first boundary of the morning as Dasgupta stroked a well pitched up delivery past mid-off.
Hoggard made way Ashley Giles in the seventh over of the morning and the response was aggressive, Das driving him for two and four (cover) and another four (long on) when he overpitched. Giles switched to over the wicket in his second over, a maiden resulting.
The spinners were soon operating in tandem when Richard Dawson replaced Flintoff, conceding just a single in his first over of the morning. Four fielders surrounded the bat for the off spinner, who immediately dropped in to a good off-stump line. But Dasgupta extracted full value from a rare short delivery, hammering it to the cover boundary.
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Date-stamped : 15 Dec2001 - 18:32