Another Test of Indian batsmen’s guts, gumption

In their favour is a wicket which has slowed down considerably, though Lee bowled a fearsome spell of five overs in the evening. But at this level, if a team can’t last a day that too in favourable conditions, then it means India have, instead of improving, gone so far backin times that even a major surgery to better the cricketing system at home may not produce the desired results.

On yet another day of clouds and showers play was interrupted for a brief while once. India conceded a lead of 167 runs and for the best part of the day, the main interest centered on when will Steve Waugh declare. That he chose to wait till only 21 overs were left to bowl for the day and his team had taken a 375-run lead, either speaks of the regard the Australian captain has for the Indian batting or contempt for its lack of guts. The Indians would like to believe that the former is true.

In the Australian batting, Adam Gilchrist once again showed that he has the batting prowess to make him the team’s premier batsman. His strikes and Mark Waugh’s wristy flourishes which hauled Australia from a very uneasy situation.

Even after taking a huge lead, the Australian top order found it hard to not only get runs but even survive. It was Ajit Agarkar again who produced an incisive spell to force thebatsmen to go on the defensive. Agarkar, with his easy, flowing action, gets the ball to hit the deck hard and his ability to move the ball late keeps the batsmen guessing. He rattled most of the Australians and if they declared late, Agarkar had a big hand in it.

India’s real test began in the evening. VVS Laxman flopped miserably, hooking a long hop into long leg’s hands. Rahul Dravid, they call him The Wall, hasn’t inspired much confidence so far on the tour, but today, in his 73-minute stay at the wicket, he showed all the skills of a batsman who knows how to play quick bowling. More than his skills, he showed the rare courage of trying his best to shield Sadagopan Ramesh from the fury of Lee.

Poor Ramesh. He had walked into bat with wrong gloves in his hands. Then he made a great effort to fall prey to Lee’s express deliveries. One short ball hit his gloves and then his helmet. His thumb in pain, Ramesh still battled on. He would have still been back but for Gilchrirst dropping a simple chance ofShane Warne. Dravid was the man who tried his best to instil confidence in his partner. He talked to him and in the last over of the day, even refused a single so that Ramesh does not have to face Lee. On his part Ramesh, perhaps not liking this show of protection, did take a single and survived the rest of the over. It was a display of tremendous commitment to the team from Dravid and if India have to survive this Test Dravid will need to repeat his act tomorrow as well.

If an Aussie, abuse and be merry
There was one more show of anger and petulance from an Australin today, this time from Ricky Ponting. After being hit on the helmet from a Srinath bouncer, the batsman retaliated by abusing the bowler. For all those watching the TV it was obvious what choicest words Ponting had used. But there was no news of whether the umpire had reported the batsman for `bringing the game to disrepute’ as Venkatesh Prasad had done yesterday.

There was also no news whether the match referee, Ranjan Madugalle,had taken any serious view of it. If Ponting has gone scot free, then the television has obviously lied or may be it was a friendly banter which the umpires and the match referee must have enjoyed the most!

SCOREBOARD

Australia (1st innings): 405

India (1st innings; overnight 235-9):
VVS Laxman c M. Waugh b McGrath (18b, 30m) 5
(driving at a away going ball, caught in slip)
S Ramesh b Lee (21b, 24m) 4
(beaten by an incoming ball, playing on)
R Dravid c Gilchrist b Lee (36b, 55m, 1×4) 9
(attempting to cut a short widish ball)
S Tendulkar c Langer b Fleming (191b, 283m, 9×4, 1×6) 116
(hook to long leg)
S Ganguly c M Waugh b McGrath (83b, 112m, 1×4) 31
(pushing out side the off stump, edges to slip)
H Kanitkar lbw Warne (21b, 31m) 11
(Pads up full stretched outside the off stump, ball turning in)
MSK Prasd b Lee (16b, 32m, 1×4) 6
(Plays across a swinging fulltoss)
A Agarkar lbw B. Lee (1b, 1m)0
(hit on the toe by a yorker)
J Srinath c M. Waugh b Lee (4b, 2m) 1
(gloves a short ball)
A Kumble not out (64b, 80m, 1×4) 28
V Prasad c M Waugh b McGrath (15b, 31m) 10
(Edged to slips)
Extras: (lb-8, nb-9) 17
Total: (all out in 76.1 overs) 238
Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Ramesh), 2-11 (Laxman), 3-31 (Dravid), 4-108 (Ganguly), 5-138 (Kanitkar), 6-167 (MSK Prasad), 7-167 (Agarkar), 8-167 (Srinath), 9-212 (Tendulkar), 10-238 (V Prasad)
Bowling: McGrath 18.1-3-39-3, Fleming 15-0-62-1, Lee 18-2-47-5, Warne 24-5-77-1, M Waugh 1-0-5-0

Australia(2nd innings)
G Blewett c Ganguly b Kumble (97b, 150m, 2×4) 31
(Edged to slips)
M Slater lbw Agarkar (7b, 5m) 3
(Shouldered arms to an incutter)
J Langer c MSK Prasad b Agarkar (26b, 49m) 9
(Attempted to hook)
A Gilchrist c Srinath b Kumble (73b, 103m, 4×4) 55
(Tried to clear long on fence)
M Waugh not out (81b, 112m, 2×4) 51
S Waughlbw Agarkar (41b, 50m, 1×4) 32
(Beaten by a ball which straightened ater pitching)
R Ponting not out (32b, 42m, 1×4) 21
Extras: (lb2, w1, nb3) 6
Total: (for 5 wkts decl in 59 overs, 263m) 208
Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Slater), 2-32 (Langer), 3-91 (Blewett), 4-109 (Gilchrist), 5-167 (S. Waugh)
Bowling: Srinath 14-0-45-0, Agarkar 17-3-51-3, Prasad 10-0-38-0, Kumble 8-3-72-2

India (2nd innings)
VVS Laxman c McGrath b Fleming (16b, 15m) 1
(Hooked to long leg) S Ramesh batting (63b, 89m) 26
R Dravid batting (49b, 73m) 10
Extras: (lb1, nb2) 3
Total: (for 1 wkt off 21 overs) 40
Fall of wicket: 1-5 (Laxman)
Bowling: McGrath 6-2-6-0, Fleming 5-1-9-1, Warne 5-1-12-0, Lee 5-0-12-0