Tag 1st-test-MCG

15 wickets for 274 runs in 89.1 overs ~ it's easy to interpret it was a bowling day but don't you criticise the pitch. Praise the bowlers instead and send batsmen for extra hour in nets as they, these days with evolution of Twenty20, have lost their apetite to eat up balls and surrender easily. We've had 7 fifties in this test match so far but not a single century, proving concentration is a problem in those with woods. Couple of tailenders, Peter Siddle and Ishant Sharma, blocked out 99 and 69 balls respectively, showing how to buy time at the crease..

Anyway, test matches where wickets are falling are always interesting and this one at "G" is no different. Both teams aren't giving an inch away and we're set for a thrilling finish as Aussies, at the end of play on day 3, lead by 230 runs with 2 wickets in hand. here's how the story unfolded today :-

The scores

Australia 333 & 179 for 8.
India 282 allout in 94.1 ovs.
Full scorecard : 1st test, 2011.

Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal three balls before stumps on day 2 had brought the balance back into the match as Indians stood at 214/3 starting day 3, hoping for a significant lead over Australia's 333 in first innings but Ben Hilfenhaus castled Rahul Dravid second balls of the day and then Peter Siddle found outside edge of a tentative looking VVS Laxman's bat. Young Virat Kohli collected easy runs while Nathan Lyon bowled as skipper awaited second new ball but couldn't last the distance, edging one to gully in typical manner as would any batsman from sub-continent in OZ. MS Dhoni flashed half-heartedly outside offstump to reduce visitors to 7 for 245 and Ishant Sharma followed soon.

R Ashwin guts it out for a 24 run last wicket stand with Umesh Yadav, handing over a 51 run deficit when a lead of over a hundred looked almost a certainty.

Umesh Yadav, who had taken first three wickets to fall in first innings, repeated the rare feat by removing David Warner and Ed Cowan in same over and then Shaun Marsh 11 balls later. Ishant Sharma knocked Michael Clarke off with an incutter, leaving home team tottering at 4 for 27 runs and a mountain to climb. Old pros Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey got together and counter attacked to a 115 run stand to redirect the innings. Zaheer Khan finally made the break-through, cutting Ponting to his second half century of the match and then foxed Brad Haddin soon after.

Michael Hussey continued his fighting innings at the other end, adding 15 runs with Peter Siddle and another 13 with James Pattinson when stumps were drawn for the day.

Anyone's match this, from here on.

Ben Hilfenhaus

Got his best bowling figures in the first innings = 5/75 in 26 overs. His previous best performance in a test match innings was 4 wkts which he had taken 4 times, thrice against England and once against Indians.

Tendulkar & Dravid

Yesterday, raised their 20th century stand, the most by any other pair in test cricket. Gorden Greenidge and Desmond Haynes of Windies as well as Mathew Hayden and Ricky Ponting of Australia had 16 century partnerships together.

Virender Sehwag

Also yesterday, completed 8000 runs in test career, becoming 23rd overall and 5th Indian to do so. Sachin Tendulkar with 12526+ runs, Rahul Dravid with 13162+ runs, Sunil Gavaskar with 10122 runs and VVS Laxman with 8628+ runs are ahead of him.