Series interestingly poised as Harbhajan works his magic again
Anand Vasu - 21 March 2001
The next time the Australians come to India, they might well ask for a
change in playing conditions. Instead of the standard three sessions
of play, the Aussies could ask for just two sessions a day. After tea,
the Australians seem to freeze up, lose their footing and with it
their wickets. On three occasions in the series so far, the
Australians have lost seven wickets in the last session of play. In
turn Harbhajan Singh operating after tea is like the mythical werewolf
looking up at the full moon. First there's a loud howl asking the
question, then there's the kill. With 5/82, Harbhajan Singh pegged the
Aussies back to 241/7, leaving them leading by 131 runs with one day
to play in the third and final Test against India at the MA
Chidambaram stadium on Wednesday.
Beginning the day on 480/9, there was not much the pair of Sairaj
Bahutule and Nilesh Kulkarni could look forward to. Unlike some of the
batsmen who followed him out to the middle, the Mumbai legspinner did
not attempt any ambitious strokes. For company Bahutule had Mumbai
team mate Kulkarni. As it happened, the pair belied expectations and
played out more than 45 minutes, frustrating the visitors. When the
last wicket fell, India had managed to extend their score to 501 and
lead to 110 thanks to an unbeaten 21 from Bahutule.
The Aussies in turn began very well, going in to lunch without losing
a wicket. In this Australian team you cannot find two cricketers who
have had more contrasting tours of India than the opening pair.
Matthew Hayden came to India as an effective batsman but a bit
vulnerable against spin bowling. Almost never failing, Hayden has
batted with panache taking on anything the spinners dished out.
Michael Slater came to India with a reputation of being a flashy
strokemaker, someone who would blaze a trail and give Australia the
initiative early on. Failing with the bat, Slater has also compounded
his woes by getting into an unnecessary fracas over an umpiring
decision. In their own disparate yet equally effective ways, Slater
and Hayden were unbeaten on 34 apiece when lunch was called.
After the break however, everything changed. Perhaps it's the heat
that's getting to the Aussies, perhaps the pressure. On a wicket that
is not yet doing anything that a fourth day wicket should not do, the
visitors lost wickets at regular intervals. Matthew Hayden was the
first to go, playing a shot he has employed with great success.
Heaving Kulkarni towards midwicket, Hayden departed as Zaheer Khan
running in from the fence completed a good catch. Hayden had made 35,
and was Kulkarni's second wicket in Test cricket, coming 589 balls
after the Mumbai left arm spinner picked his maiden wicket, way back
in August 1997 at Colombo.
Adam Gilchrist was promoted to number three, a move that was a big
gamble in the best of circumstances. Having scored just one run in his
previous three Test innings, Gilchrist could not have been in a
positive frame of mind. Padding up to a ball from Harbhajan Singh that
did not turn as he expected, the Australian stumper was trapped plumb
in front for one.
Slater looked like he might be coming out of a lean patch. After
stroking the ball confidently early on, Slater failed to come good.
Edging Harbhajan Singh to VVS Laxman at slip, Slater departed just
when a big innings was needed of him.
Justin Langer, coming in at number four began by playing well within
himself. When the ball was there to be hit, Langer lofted well, his
six over midwicket off Kulkarni a case in point. However Langer too
could not go on, falling to the Harbhajan-Laxman combination. Langer's
21 propped up the Australian total but clearly did not do enough.
Mark Waugh got into a very good rhythm against Sachin Tendulkar,
bowling his leg breaks from the V Pattabhiraman Gate End. Although
Tendulkar managed to get a fair bit of turn from the rough, Mark Waugh
steadily grew comfortable. Despite getting well set, he fell to a
spinner. The manner of his dismissal was not new in any respect.
Harbhajan Singh tossed up an off break on middle and off that gripped
the wicket and spun into the right hander. Going back and across Waugh
turned the ball round the corner. Rahul Dravid at backward short leg,
showed superb reflexes, plucked the ball out of the air. Waugh had
made 57 (142 mins, 139 balls, 7 fours), the highest by an Australian
at that point.
Ricky Ponting, under pressure the moment he came on fell to the guile
of Harbhajan Singh. Prodding at a ball that bounced a bit more than he
expected, Ponting gloved the ball to Dravid at forward short leg. The
11 that Ponting managed was by far his best score in Test innings this
series.
Steve Waugh though continued to prove that he is the man for crisis
situations. Unbeaten on a doughty 43, the Australian skipper was
however without a partner after the last ball of the day. Padding up
to Harbhajan Singh, Warne was rapped on the back leg right in front of
the wickets. The finger went up and Australia had lost their seventh
wicket on 241.
© CricInfo
Teams
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India.
|
Players/Umpires
|
Harbhajan Singh,
Sairaj Bahutule,
Nilesh Kulkarni,
Matthew Hayden,
Michael Slater,
Adam Gilchrist,
V.V.S.Laxman,
Mark Waugh,
Sachin Tendulkar,
Rahul Dravid,
Ricky Ponting,
Steve Waugh,
Shane Warne.
|
Tours
|
Australia in India
|
Scorecard
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3rd Test: India v Australia, 18-22 Mar 2001 |
Grounds
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MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
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