Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke further enhanced their reputations as part of Australia's rich cricketing history, each striking double hundreds as they helped maintain dominance over India after two days at the Adelaide Oval.
Australia declared its first innings closed at 7 for 604, after Ponting (221) and Clarke (210) combined for a record 386-run partnership, and then reduced India to 2 for 61 by stumps.
Sachin Tendulkar, accompanied by opener Gautam Gambhir, successfully negotiated a tricky final half-hour to make sure he was at the crease on day three when he will yet again target an elusive 100th international hundred.
While The Little Master has his own designs on the remainder of the fourth Test, day two yet again belonged to the impenetrable combination of Clarke and Ponting.
The pair left a string of records in their wake following their tireless knocks, not least of which was accumulating the fourth-highest Australian Test partnership and the best not featuring the great Sir Donald Bradman.
They were also the first two Australian batsmen to score a double century in the same innings since Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson achieved the feat in the West Indies in 1965.
Ponting passed 200 for the sixth time in his career while Clarke became just the third Test captain, behind The Don and England legend Sir Walter Hammond, to score triple and double hundreds in the same series.
"The most important thing for me is the team is in a really good position," Clarke told Grandstand.
"Those two wickets late were crucial in winning this Test match. There is still a long way to go and the wicket is very good to bat on so we are going to have to execute our plans well over the next couple of days."
Since assuming the mantle of Australian skipper from Ponting, Clarke has plundered 1,130 runs at an average of 66.47.
But the 30-year-old said the added responsibility was not on his mind out in the middle, just the determination to set an example.
"When you are batting, it's all you're thinking about - watching the ball and trying to score runs," Clarke added.
"Whether you are captain or just a player, you have to perform individually.
"And I've said for a long time, as the captain of this team, I just want to make sure I am leading from the front."
As on the opening day, India was powerless to stop the procession of runs but found some solace in the middle session when they removed both Clarke and Ponting to trigger a mini collapse of 4 for 63.
Clarke was bowled by Umesh Yadav on the first ball he faced after lunch and Ponting was eventually caught by Tendulkar on the square-leg boundary from Zaheer Khan's bowling to finish on his third-highest Test score.
Brad Haddin enjoyed having a massive total to lean on, adding 42 in an unbeaten 71-run partnership with Ryan Harris (35 not out) before Clarke sent the Indians in to face the music.
Unlike Clarke's spectacular transformation with the bat since becoming leader, stand-in Indian captain Virender Sehwag's horror summer (136 runs at 19) continued when he was caught and bowled from Peter Siddle's first ball for 18.
Amazingly, since his debut in 2001, the aggressive Indian opener has cracked three figures just four times on foreign soil, a sad representation of his side's weakness away from home.
Rahul Dravid (1) also found it difficult to buck the trend thanks to Ben Hilfenhaus, bowled for the ninth time in 11 innings to leave the visitors struggling at 2 for 31 before the arrival of Tendulkar.
Tags: cricket, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, australia, india First posted January 25, 2012 19:35:03
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