Openers finally get their act together

Gandhi was out with eight overs remaining for the day, bowled off pads by Brett Lee for 28 (143m, 95b, 4×4) after putting on 89 runs for the first wicket. Lee claimed the second wicket in the same over when he had VVS Laxman shouldering arms to an incoming delivery and getting bowled for zero.

Earlier, leg-spinner Anil Kumble returned to his wicket-taking form as the Indians restricted NSW to 231 and a lead of just 46 runs after finishing with 185 in their first essay on Thursday.

Ramesh was unbeaten on 70 at the draw of stumpsand Hrishikesh Kanitkar, another southpaw, was giving him company on nine. The Indians are now 61 runs in front.

There was a marked difference in the positive movements of the openers, playing either forward or back and all came easy to them, including dangerous Brett Lee and big-spinning Stuart MacGill.

Ramesh was the more enterprising of the two, twice pulling Shane Lee for fours on the onside and executing some exquisite drives on the front foot off MacGill.

Brett Lee bowled far quicker this afternoon than he had on the first day but he could not catch the Indian openers on the wrong foot. Only towards the close did his luck change and he brought the match on an even keel for his team.

Ramesh took the wind out of Brett Lee before stumps, first steering and then firmly on-driving him for fours which also raised the hundred of the innings, made off 38.1 overs and in 161 minutes of batting.

The Tamil Nadu left-hander reached his half century with a finely executed pull off Greg Mail. He had battedfor 135 minutes during which he faced 107 balls and hit nine fours on the way to his half century.

Earlier, Kumble discovered some form in time for the first Test by claiming four for 50 runs in NSW’s first innings. One of his victims was the top scorer Brad Haddin, the No 7 wicketkeeper batsman of the side, who smashed 60 off just 62 balls with 10 fours and one six.

He did spoil Kumble’s figures, but the leg-spinner had his man in the end. Coming round the wicket, Kumble pitched a full length delivery and Haddin’s attempt to hoick it on the onside only resulted in disarraying of the stumps.

Though Kumble’s wickets conveyed a return to form, his four wickets came off the lower half of the order. At one stage he really had Haddin and company going after him, the period of first hour after lunch in which the Indians conceeded as many as 74 runs.

Kumble’s first 10 overs had yielded him no returns and cost 32 runs but his productive second spell towards the end read 6.4-3-18-4.

Earlier, New South Wales,resuming from their overnight score of 35 for one, lost four wickets in the two hours before lunch adding 100 more runs from 28 overs. One of these was of captain Michael Bevan, who was smartly held at forward short leg by Vijay Bharadwaj off Javagal Srinath for 2.

The only batsman to shine in the morning was Corey Richards who hit a breezy 51 off 93 balls with eight fours before edging Venkatesh Prasad low to Saurav Ganguly at second slip.

Richards was bruised on his hip by a rising Srinath delivery and was forced to call for a runner but departed shortly thereafter.

After lunch, the Indians continued their demolition of the home innings. Ganguly bowled an inspired spell of six overs in which he claimed two wickets for 26 runs. He could have had a third wicket of Stuart MacGill had he not overstepped for a no ball. Kumble then returned and cleaned up the tail (PTI)

SCOREBOARD

India (1st innings) 185

New South Wales (1st innings): Greg Mail c Ramesh b Ganguly 31, GregHayne c Kumble b Agarkar 0, Corey Richards c Ganguly b Venkatesh Prasad 51, Michael Bevan c Bharadwaj b Srinath 2, Shane Lee c Srinath b Venkatesh Prasad 39, Michael Clarke b Kumble 18, Brad Haddin b Kumble 60, Gavin Robertson c Laxman b Kumble 0, Brett Lee c Laxman b Ganguly 0, Stuart MacGill not out 6, Don Nash lbw Kumble 0. Extras (b 9, lb10, nb5): 24.

Total (all out in 61.4 overs): 231

Fall of wickets:1-0, 2-72, 3-75, 4-134, 5-135, 6-182, 7-182, 8-195, 9-231

Bowling: Srinath 16-5-62-1, Agarkar 11-2-30-1, Kumble 16.4-3-50-4, Venkatesh Prasad 12-2-44-2, Ganguly 6-0-26-2

India (2nd innings): Devang Gandhi b Lee 28, Sadagoppan Ramesh batting 70, VVS Laxman b Lee 0, Hrishikesh Kanitkar batting 9,

Extras (lb2, nb1): 3.

Total (for 2 wickets in 42 overs): 110

Fall of wickets:1-89, 2-89

Bowling: Brett Lee 11-2-22-2, Nash 6-2-16-0, Shane Lee 9-3-27-0, Robertson 5-3-5-0, MacGill 9-1-28-0, Mail 2-0-10-0