Re-live all the action from day two of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval.
6.00pm: Michael "Midas touch" Clarke is on to bowl the final over. Bowling to Tendulkar, who he has already dismissed once this series.
5.48pm: Ryan Harris is back for a second spell. Tendulkar and Gambhir have steadied the ship a tad and look intent on surviving the next four overs until stumps. Geoff Lawson observed earlier that January 26 is not only Australia Day but India's Republic Day. Perhaps a special occasion for Sachin, too.
5.30pm: Nathan Lyon has been given a chance after the drinks break. Tendulkar has started his innings promisingly again, but we all know he's been fine with that part.
WICKET - R Dravid b. Hilfenhaus 1 (India 2-31, Gambhir 12*) - Listen to the dimissal.
Unbelievable. Rahul Dravid is out bowled. Again. That's the ninth time in his last 11 innings the Indian veteran has had his castle knocked over. Hilfenhaus pitches on a good length and appears to get some bounce out of the pitch. The ball goes through the gate and hits Dravid on the gloves before rebounding onto his stumps. Groundhog Day for Dravid and the Indians.
WICKET - V Sehwag c&b P Siddle 18 (India 1-26, G Gambhir 8*) - Listen to the dismissal.
OK, Sehwag won't make the most of it. That man again Peter Siddle, waltzes into the attack and takes yet another wicket. A first ball full toss hits the toe of the bat and the Victorian firebrand takes a peach of a one-hander. The Indian skipper entertains us only fleetingly. Virender has 136 runs at an average of 19 this series.
4.49pm - Sehwag has been given a life and he is making the most of it. History would suggest India has a big score in them this innings.
The last three Tests played between these two sides in Adelaide has produced big totals in the first innings:
2003: Australia 556, India 523 - India won
2008: India 526, Australia 563 - Draw
2012: Australia 604, Ind ?
4.46pm - DROPPED CATCH
Ed Cowan puts Sehwag (5) down at mid wicket. He should have held on to that one. Hilfenhaus struggling with his line early but Sehwag flicks one off his pads straight to Cowan but the Aussie opener can't wrap his hands around it.
4.40pm - The Indian openers are out there. Gautam Gambhir experiencing his first bit of Australian hospitality all summer in the form of a rank full toss first ball from Ryan Harris.
4.25pm: AUSTRALIA DECLARES AT 7-604 (R Ponting 221, M Clarke 210, R Ashwin 3-194, Z Khan 2-96)
Ryan Harris hooks Yadav for six over square to tick Australia over 600 and that is more than enough for captain Michael Clarke to wave them into the sheds. The last partnership was worth 71 - the second best of the innings. The Aussies post a mammoth first innings total (the fifth highest at the Adelaide Oval) that has secured the hosts will not lose a Test match in this series. Now the challenge is once again served up to the Indian top order. They have failed to deliver this summer, but there remains one last opportunity to go out on a high on this flat wicket. They will have to face out 21 overs until stumps.
4.05pm: The players are back after tea. Australia will try to occupy the crease for a bit here before seeking quick runs and having a crack at the Indian top order for an hour or so before stumps.
3.24pm: Haddin is trying to go on the attack but isn't having a whole lot of success finding the middle of the bat. New batsman Ryan Harris is primed to overtake him soon.
WICKET - P Siddle c. Saha b. Ashwin 2 (Australia 7-533, B Haddin 7*) - Listen to the dismissal.
This is a good little period for the tourists. Refreshing to see some fight. Siddle has averaged better than many of the Indian batsmen this series so his scalp is nothing to be scoffed at. A massive Australian total and declaration is on hold for the minute. Ashwin now has three wickets. That's also wicketkeeper Saha's first Test dismissal. The same number of goals his namesake scored on loan to Newcastle United in 1999.
WICKET - R Ponting c. Tendulkar b. Zaheer 221 (Australia 6-530, B Haddin 6*) - Listen to the dismissal.
Ponting departs caught from the pull shot that has delivered him countless runs in this innings and over his illustrious career. His 221 from 404 balls which included 21 boundaries was his third highest Test score and the fourth highest at the Adelaide Oval by an Australian. Just like Clarke, he leaves the field to a rapturous, standing ovation. Well deserved. India has taken wickets with the score at 470, 520 and 530 after the lunch break.
2.40pm: Zaheer to Haddin. Finally an interesting contest out in the middle. The Indian spearhead had his number last time they met in Perth. Can the Aussie keeper rack up some much-needed runs. Round Two. Ding Ding.
WICKET - M Hussey run out Gambhir 25 (Australia 5-520, R Ponting 220*) - Listen to the dismissal.
Some very sharp work by Gautam Gambhir at silly mid off. Hussey offers the full face of the bat to Ashwin and then starts for a single, but is caught short of his ground by a direct hit. That would have to be the first time the Indians have hit the stumps in the field all series, and it comes from a few yards out. It was effective though. Hussey was jumpy all innings for some reason. In comes the under-pressure Brad Haddin.
2.22pm - DROPPED CATCH
Ponting gets a life on 215. He could go on with it from here... Ashwin draws him down the pitch and VVS Laxman, usually so sure with his hands, puts down an easy catch at short mid wicket. Australia brings up the 500 from 132 overs.
2.18pm: Zak is back into the attack. The ball looks to be doing a little bit now and if anyone is going to move it in the air it'll be Zaheer.
2.05pm: What's that? You want some more stats? No probs. Ponting and Clarke:
First two Australians to score a double hundred in the same innings since Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson against the West Indies in Bridgetown, 1965.
Join Bradman and Ponsford as the only pairs to make two 300-plus partnerships for their country.
Highest Australian partnership against India
Highest partnership at the Adelaide Oval
Second highest Australian fourth-wicket partnership and fifth highest in Test historyDOUBLE CENTURY - RICKY PONTING - Listen here.
Trademark Ponting. Pull shot to midwicket for four. Ponting puts the disappointment of losing his partner in crime behind him and passes 200 for the sixth time in his career and the third against India. Shades of 2003 when he smashed the Indians around this ground (242) and then the MCG on Boxing Day (257). The veteran started the day on 137 and now has 21 boundaries on his way to a double century from 357 balls. No other batsman in Test history has as many runs against India than the former Aussie captain.
WICKET - M Clarke b. Yadav 210 (Australia 4-470, R Ponting 199*) - Listen to the dismissal.
Wow, where did that come from? A rare loss of concentration by Clarke after his salad sandwich. He misses a ball sliding to the leg side, it hits his pad and back on to his off stump. Another tremendous knock by the Aussie skipper nonetheless that has set his side up for a series clean sweep. Clarke's Test average is now 49.76. The stand with Ponting ends at 386, the fourth highest in Australian Test history.
1.42pm: A single for Ponting takes him to 199 and the partnership to 386 - the highest by any Australian pair not featuring the great Sir Donald Bradman and fourth on the Australian list.
1.40pm: We are back after lunch and Ponting is chasing 200. Shouldn't be long. There is also a heap of other records these two have in their sights. We'll try and keep up.
DOUBLE CENTURY - MICHAEL CLARKE - Listen here.
What is there left to say? The Aussie skipper started the day on 140 and races to his double century before lunch with some effortless strokeplay. India's disappointing attack has been well documented but Clarke's focus out in the middle in Sydney and now Adelaide is something to be marvelled. The 30-year-old's 200 comes off just 255 balls with 25 fours and one six.
12.37pm: DROPPED CATCH
Ishant Sharma grasses a return catch. Actually, he hardly got a hand on it. Ponting played an uppish straight drive on a delivery that seemed to hold up on the pitch a tad. That sums up Sharma's summer.
12.28pm: The records are coming in a thick and fast. Clarke and Ponting now have the highest Aussie partnership against India and highest at the Adelaide Oval, passing South Africans Barlow and Pollock in the 60s.
12.18pm: Much more disciplined from the Indians after drinks. Ashwin induces a thick edge from Clarke, playing with some uncharacteristically hard hands, and it flies just wide of Rahul Dravid at slip.
12.08pm: Kerry and Jim praising Ashwin's sodukku ( which means "snapping of the fingers" in Tamil) ball which has Clarke a bit puzzled in the last over. Kerry says spin will play a big part on this pitch. Probably more so for Nathan Lyon if the Aussie attack has some trouble dismissing the Indian top order on this deck. But, that has been rare this series.
DRINKS - AUSTRALIA 3-400 (M Clarke 175*, R Ponting 164*)
Some refreshments for the pillaging Aussie batsmen who have added 65 runs in the first hour of day two and extended their partnership to 316 after both passing 150. Looks like the toiling Indians get a drink, too.
11.58am: Harsha Bhogle and Geoff Lawson discussing the two runs Michael Clarke took after a throw ricocheted off his bat yesterday. Apparently the Aussie skipper sought out the Indian team afterwards and apologised, which was very well received by the tourists. Gotta love the spirit of the cricket, don't you?
11.55am: Ashwin into the attack. The Indians struggling to maintain any pressure on the batsmen and maybe the spinner can help out like he did at the start of day one. Sehwag is throwing in Virat Kohli (who has padded up like he is next in) at forward short leg to mix it up.
11.43am: 300 PARTNERSHIP (Clarke 167, Ponting 122)
What a stand this has been. It doesn't matter how flat the track is and how dispirited the Indians are in the field, this is elite batting by both men. Bad balls have gone to the boundary and the rare good ones have been treated with respect. The 300 runs came at a run-a-minute and from 442 balls.
11.35am: Ponting and Clarke have now passed their 288-run stand in Sydney and hold the two highest fourth-wicket partnerships for Australia against India. Seven off Yadav's first over.
11.30am: Yadav is into the attack. He returned terrible figures yesterday (0-87) as Clarke and Ponting flogged him to all parts. It'll be an uphill battle for the youngster to try and stop this morning's runs procession.
11:26am: And now Punter has his 150, also with a four. 274 balls and 16 boundaries for the Tasmanian legend.
11:21am: Another cracking straight drive down the ground from Clarke and Australia has already added 21 runs in five overs this morning.
11:11am: The skipper has just brought up his 150 with a boundary. 193 balls, so that's a fair clip. 21 fours and a six and he's scored almost 500 runs in two knocks now.
11:00am: It's Zaheer Khan sending down the first over of the day with Ricky Ponting facing. He resumes on 137 with his captain Michael Clarke on 140. Australia is in the commanding position of 3 for 335.
Grandstand's Peter Walsh caught up with Michael Clarke ahead of day two at the Adelaide Oval, with the Aussie skipper eyeing off more runs against the Indians:
To see how we covered yesterday, check it out below:
Tags: sport, cricket First posted January 25, 2012 11:03:41
No comments:
Post a Comment