MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2014 SPORTS MELBOURNE: India’s MS Dhoni stretches out to play a sweep against Australia on the third day of their cricket Test match. — AP Rahane, Kohli slam tons, India close on Australia MELBOURNE: India counter-punched their way and hopefully have a bit of lead and bat and see Substitute fielder Peter Siddle made it three back into the third Test on the back of centuries where we go from there,” he said. with a dropped two-handed chance off Lokesh SCOREBOARD from Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane in a record The last time India put on a 250-plus stand in Rahul. But the debutant was out off Lyon’s next stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yester- an overseas Test was the 353 by Sachin ball, caught by Josh Hazlewood for three. day. Kohli savaged the Australian bowlers, par- Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman for the fourth wick- “I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen MELBOURNE: Scoreboard at the close on the third day of the third Test between Australia ticularly Mitchell Johnson, for his third ton of the et in Sydney in 2004. Rahane was finally out leg them be inconsistent in the field. They have very and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday: series, while Rahane hit his highest Test score of before wicket to Nathan Lyon for 147 in the high standards with slip catching and ground Australia 1st innings 530 (S. Smith 192, R. Harris 74; M. Shami 4-138) 147. The pair piled on 262 runs for the fourth 108th over. He batted for four hours and faced fielding,” Kohli said. “It might just be one of those India 1st innings (overnight 108 for 1) Extras (lb1, w1) 2 wicket, a record for the fourth wicket by any pair 171 balls with 21 fours. The pair were particular- off days.” The ragged Australian fielding was in M. Vijay c Marsh b Watson 68 Total (8 wickets; 126.2 overs) 462 at the MCG. It eclipsed Michael Clarke and ly severe on Johnson, with Kohli crunching three contrast to the morning session when Brad S. Dhawan c Smith b Harris 28 Shane Watson’s 194 against Sri Lanka two years fours off one over and Rahane repeating the Haddin took a stunning catch to dismiss C. Pujara c Haddin b Harris 25 Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Dhawan), 2-108 ago. dose in Johnson’s subsequent over. The last time Cheteshwar Pujara off the second ball of the day. V. Kohli c Haddin b Johnson 169 (Pujara), 3-147 (Vijay), 4-409 (Rahane), 5-415 Kohli was out in the last over of the day, bril- Johnson (1-133) had been punished as severely The veteran wicketkeeper, who missed a far A. Rahane lbw b Lyon 147 (Rahul), 6-430 (Dhoni), 7-434 (Ashwin), 8- liantly snapped up by Brad Haddin off Johnson was 0-104 against England at the Gabba in 2010. easier chance off Pujara late on Saturday, pulled L. Rahul c Hazlewood b Lyon 3 462 (Kohli) for 169 in 380 minutes off 272 balls with 18 Rahane raised his highest Test score with a off one of the catches of the series, flinging him- M. Dhoni c Haddin b Harris 11 Bowling: Johnson 29.2-5-133-1, Harris 25-7- fours. cross-bat four off Johnson, bettering his 118 self to his right to take a spectacular acrobatic R. Ashwin c and b Harris 0 69-4 (1w), Hazlewood 25-6-75-0, Watson 16- At the close India were 462 for eight, trailing against New Zealand in Wellington in February. catch as the batsman failed to add to his M. Shami not out 9 3-65-1, Lyon 29-3-108-2, Smith 2-0-11-0. by 68 runs with two days remaining. Their running between the wickets was overnight 25. Skipper M.S. Dhoni was out late in Mohammed Shami was nine not out. impressive as was their array and placement of the day, caught behind off Harris for 11, and the “I’m very proud of the way we played. We shots to neuter the Australian attack. India’s lion-hearted Harris took a tumbling caught and Hughes took when he was fatally struck by a sim- the ground. Johnson quickly apologised but the backed ourselves throughout. I’m not disap- cause was aided by a poor day in the field for bowled to dismiss Ravi Ashwin for a duck. ilar delivery in a domestic game last month. Vijay mood soured, with the umpires intervening to pointed at all (at getting out in the last over),” Australia, with three dropped catches. Lyon bun- There was a chilling moment as Murali Vijay batted on but was out five runs later when he ease tensions between the two. India, trailing 2- Kohli said. Australia paceman Ryan Harris said gled a regulation two-handed head-high chance on 63 turned his head to avoid a searing was caught by Shaun Marsh at first slip off 0, are striving to win the Melbourne Test to stay early wickets today’s fourth day would be cru- off his own bowling when Rahane was on 70 Johnson bouncer and took a blow on the side of Watson. Johnson was also involved in a flash alive in the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy cial. “Now that we’ve got eight wickets down the and Watson put down Kohli (88) at first slip off his helmet early in the day. It was eerily reminis- point when he hurled the ball back at Kohli, strik- series. But they have not won at the MCG for 33 quicker we get them in the morning the better, Johnson. cent of the blow Australian batsman Phillip ing the batsman on his back. Kohli collapsed to years. — AFP Brathwaite, Samuels defy South Africa PORT ELIZABETH: Kraigg Brathwaite and cessful South African bowler, taking two wickets Marlon Samuels hit half-centuries as the West in two balls. He ended a 55-run opening part- Indies fought back on the third day of the sec- nership between Brathwaite and Devon Smith ond Test against South Africa at St George’s Park by having Smith caught at first slip, with Leon yesterday. Johnson edging the next delivery to third slip. Brathwaite made 65 not out and Samuels Bad light ended play with 16 overs remaining was unbeaten on 60 as the West Indies reached after rain delayed the start of play by an hour. 144 for two in reply to South Africa’s 417 for With most of the second day lost to rain, eight declared. Morne Morkel was the only suc- South Africa were hoping to score quick runs on Sunday morning before making inroads into a potentially fragile West Indian batting line-up. But they were frustrated on both counts. The West Indies took four wickets before lunch, including the prize scalps of Amla and AB de Villiers, who were dismissed in successive overs. Only 80 runs were scored during the morning but Dale Steyn went on the rampage after the interval, thrashing 58 off 28 balls with six fours and five sixes. Amla declared when Steyn was caught attempting another big hit off left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn. Amla hit two fours in the first over of the day, bowled by Jerome Taylor, but only added ten to his overnight score of 23 before he was trapped leg before wicket by a ball from Jason Holder which nipped back off the pitch. New cap Temba Bavuma scored a boundary off his first ball, when a defensive shot flew to NEW ZEALAND: SriLanka’s Angelo Mathews (right) plays a shot as New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling reacts during day three of the first third man off a thick edge from Holder but De Villiers was out in the next over, bowled by International Test cricket match. — AFP Taylor. De Villiers survived a failed review after a leg before appeal was turned down by umpire Boult gives New Zealand crucial break Paul Reiffel but was bowled next ball when he tried to work a full-length delivery to leg. CHRISTCHURCH: Two late wickets by Trent Boult put then a 97-run stand with Angelo Mathews. The left- his marathon knock which included 17 fours. The scoring rate slowed as Bavuma and the New Zealand back in control of the first Test against hander had been under enormous pressure after mak- Karunaratne started the day on 49 with Sri Lanka 84-0 similarly inexperienced Stiaan van Zyl, playing in Sri Lanka yesterday after a maiden Test century by ing a four-ball duck in Sri Lanka’s first innings paltry and reached his fifth half century with a single off the his second Test, could only add 21 in 10.2 overs Dimuth Karunaratne had briefly given the tourists a 138 in reply to New Zealand’s 441 and were forced to second ball. Kaushal Silva was caught behind four PORT ELIZABETH: West Indies Devon Smith before Bavuma (10) gloved a bouncer from glimmer of hope. follow on. But he easily surpassed his previous Test balls later without adding to his overnight 33 and at the wicket during the third day of the sec- Shannon Gabriel to wicketkeeper Denesh Sri Lanka were closing in on wiping out their 303- best of 85. Sri Lanka were in trouble when they lost Sangakkara followed soon after. It was a disappoint- ond cricket Test against South Africa. —AP Ramdin. —AFP run first innings deficit with seven wickets in hand two quick wickets at the start of the third day, includ- ing outcome for Sangakkara, the most prolific bats- when Boult brought their cautious progress at ing another failure by the world’s top-ranked batsman man in the world this year with 1,493 runs from 22 Christchurch’s Hagley Oval to a halt.