Khurasia indulges in Aussie bashing after Waugh finds form

Giving Khurasia company in the unbeaten third-wicket partnership of 153 runs in 27 overs was an inspired Jacob Martin (52 not out), who held the other end up.

As the other centurion of the day Steve Waugh (107) admitted later, Khurasia’s assault made the Aussies regret allowing the hosts a chance to bat again. But then, they never expected an vastly improved effort from the other achiever of the day, Kerala leg-spinner KN Ananthapadmanabhan, whopicked up the wickets of Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann. All three wickets (the uppish cover drives of Ponting, Waugh and miscued on drive of left-hander Lehmann) came with the extra turn and controlled flight.

Of the other India A bowlers, Venkatesh Prasad, given a extended run on the selectors’ orders, bowled as well as he did yesterday. But, he admits that a couple of big hauls is the only way to a quick comeback. And, despite all those compliments from Steve Waugh in the end, the 28-year-old was left looking forward to another chance to prove a point.

Moreover, Khurasia’s effort only pushed the rest into the shade. The Aamir Sohail fan’s 128-minute knock was probably defined best in that one over from Paul Wilson late in the evening. Batting on 99 then, Khurasia glanced the pacer to the fence for his 97-ball century and then cut loose with an audacious slash high over slips and two cover driven fours. Four fours then, 16 in all, and Wilson ended up with a stern warning from umpire JasbirSingh for verbal abuse.

The Aussies, meanwhile, did try to cut some shine off India A’s robust comeback by giving Greg Blewett’s off-spin an extended run at one end. But, by then, Khurasia had already done the damage.

SCOREBOARD

India A (1st innings, for nine wickets decl) 216.

Australia (1st innings, overnight 238 for three): M Taylor c Rathore b Prasad 57, M Slater c Dahiya b Prasad 26, G Blewett c Gandhi b Chopra 57, S Waugh c Rathore b Ananthapadmanabhan 107, D Lehmann c Gandhi b Ananthapadmanabhan 76, R Ponting c Rathore b Ananthapadmanabhan 14, I Healy c Prasad b Chopra 2, S MacGill (run out) 6, P Wilson (not out) 0, A Dale (retd) 0;

Extras: (b1, w1, nb11) 13.

Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-92, 3-204, 4-311, 5-339, 6-353, 7-358, 8-391, 9-391.

Bowling: Prasad 21.2-5-89-3, Hussain 10-0-63-0, Sanghvi 19-2-63-0, Chopra 28-2-97-0, Ananthapadmanabhan 17-4-71-3, Gandhi 1-0-7-0.

India A (second innings): Daniel Manohar c (sub) Kasprowicz b MacGill 29,Vikram Rathore c Healy b MacGill 29, Amay Khurasia not out 117, Jacob Martin not out 52;

Extras (b3, lb5, nb5, w1) 14.

Total: (for two wickets in 43.5 overs) 241.

Fall of wickets: 1-55, 2-88.

Bowling: Reiffel 7-1-24-0, Wilson 8-2-47-0, MacGill 16-1-77-2, Lehmann 6-1-36-0, Blewett 6-0-41-0, Taylor 0.5-0-8-0.

Shane Warne believes that most of his wickets come from balls that don’t turn much. “If you turn the ball too much, you beat the batsman and his bat too,” was the Aussie leg-spinner’s advice to his fan and India A counterpart, KN Ananthapadmanabhan, during a brief advice session yesterday night.

After startling the former Kerala Ranji captain with that opening line, Warne added it was that disguised leg break that didn’t turn as much as his normal ripper which got him so quickly past the 300 mark in Tests.

Padmanabhan, who had walked up to Warne on an impulse after dinner time at the Tata Guest House, then received a technical briefing on that particulardelivery. “He bowls it by widening the gap between the index and forefingers on the seam. His usual leg breaks are bowled with a thinner gap between those two fingers on the seam,” said Padmanabhan.

One of the country’s few frontline leg-spinners, Padmanabhan himself has got around 235 wickets in first class cricket. But the 28-year-old would give anything for a few more nuggets from Warne.