Cricket: Sliding towards another humiliation

India reeling after Warner’s 180; Australia close in on a win in 3rd Test.


Reuters January 14, 2012

PERTH:


Australia, fired by David Warner’s 180 and another fine display from their pace attack, were closing on victory after reducing India to 88 for four in their second-innings after two days of the third Test.   


India, who trail 2-0 in the four-match series and are heading for a seventh consecutive overseas Test defeat, were still 120 runs shy of forcing the hosts to bat again at stumps. Their bowlers, spearheaded by Umesh Yadav’s five for 93, had dragged the tourists back into the match after the day one demolition by taking the last six Australian wickets for 79 runs and dismissing the hosts for 369 with a first-inning’s lead of 208.

The bounce of the Waca pitch once again proved too much for their batsmen, however, and Australia’s pace quartet removed Gautam Gambhir (14), Virender Sehwag (10), Sachin Tendulkar (eight) and VVS Laxman (zero) in the final session. Rahul Dravid, who was 32 not out, and Virat Kohli, unbeaten on 21, will resume the Indian innings with three days of the contest stretching out ahead of them.

Mitchell Starc, playing just his third Test, fired down a bouncer to snare Gambhir and break India’s opening partnership before returning to end Tendulkar’s 23rd attempt to secure a century of international centuries.

Maestro unimpressed with decision

Tendulkar was not impressed with a tight lbw call but, with India refusing to allow the use of the decision review system for the series, was forced to accept the umpire’s ruling.

“I appealed for it so I thought it was out,” said paceman Starc. “The umpire gave it so he’s not coming back. It was a great feeling to get the Little Master out but more importantly, they are four wickets down.”

Yadav gives some respite

Australia would have been hoping for a bigger lead after bowling India out for 161 and resuming on 149 without loss on another hot day.  However, Yadav struck with three wickets in the hour before lunch, Ishant Sharma accounted for Warner, Zaheer Khan pitched in with two wickets and debutant Vinay Kumar got his maiden Test victim. It could have been even better for the tourists had Kohli not dropped Warner on 126, who hit the quickest ever century by an opener in 69 balls on Friday. Paceman Yadav had already separated the two openers when he bowled Ed Cowan for 74.

“If I take five wickets and the team is on the verge of losing, it doesn’t make me happy,” said Yadav, who claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in a Test innings.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15th, 2012.

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