14 Thursday 29th December, 2011

India’s Umesh Yadav celebrates after cap- turing the of ’s on the third day of their first Test match at the Melbourne Ground in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

Australian players celebrate after team-mate captured the wicket of MS Dhoni on the third day of their first Test match at the in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

BY NEIL FRANKLAND Clarke (1) went, playing forward to defend an Ishant Sharma , only MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — to nick it through to his stumps. Bowlers dictated the fortunes of the The home side had made a dramatic first Test between Australia and start on day three when Hilfenhaus on Wednesday as 19 fell for 274 an lbw appeal and, then was dropped by removed ’s off-stump with runs on the third day, leaving the match Rahul Dravid in the slips while on 69. SCOREBOARD a fullish delivery off just the second ball evenly poised. Former Ponting, who scored of the day. and Mike Hussey 62 in the first innings in a 113-run part- Australia 1st Innings: 333 Australia 2nd Innings: V.V.S. Laxman, traditionally a prolif- defied age and their critics to score half nership with debutant opener Ed India 1st Innings D. Warner b Yadav 5 ic scorer on Australian wickets, made centuries in a 115-run partnership after Cowan, made a classy 60 before sending (Overnight: 214-3) Ed Cowan lbw b Yadav 8 just 2 before nicking a Siddle (3-63) a top-order collapse as Australia strug- a thick edge to Virender Sehwag in the V. Sehwag b Pattinson 67 S. Marsh b Yadav 3 delivery to wicketkeeper Haddin, who gled to 179-8 at stumps with a 230-run gully attempting to drive a Zaheer Khan G. Gambhir c Haddin b Hilfenhaus 3 R. Ponting c Sehwag b Khan 60 took four catches in the morning ses- lead. (2-32) ball. R. Dravid b Hilfenhaus 68 M. Clarke b Sharma 1 sion. India paceman Umesh Yadav (4-49) was out next over with S. Tendulkar b Siddle 73 M. Hussey 79 Hilfenhaus had had taken three quick wickets in the a rash shot to Khan snapped up by V.V.S. I. Sharma c Haddin b Hilfenhaus 11 B. Haddin c Laxman b Khan 6 behind for 11 before taking the new ball afternoon session to leave Australia Laxman and Peter Siddle made 4 before V.V.S. Laxman c Haddin b Siddle 2 P. Siddle c Dhoni b Yadav 4 and tempting Mahendra Singh Dhoni (6) reeling at 27-4 before the experienced becoming Yadav’s fourth wicket, caught V. Kohli c Haddin b Hilfenhaus 11 N. Lyon lbw Ashwin 0 into an easy catch for Hussey in the pair came together to halt the slide. behind. M. S. Dhoni c Hussey b Hilfenhaus 6 J. Pattinson not out 3 gully to leave India struggling at 245-7. Night watchman Sharma became Australia’s struggle mirrored Lyon was out lbw to fellow-spin R. Ashwin c Haddin b Siddle 31 Extras: (4b, 2lb, 1w, 3nb) 10 Hilfenhaus’ fifth wicket of the innings that of India in the morning session as bowler Ashwin (1-44), leaving the Z. Khan b Pattinson 4 TOTAL: (for eight wickets) 179 when he was caught behind for 11 after recalled Australia paceman Ben prospect of Hussey running out of part- U. Yadav not out 2 Overs: 60 surviving 69 balls. Hilfenhaus (5-75) completed his first ners. Extras: (1w 3nb) 4 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-16, 3-24, 4-27, 5- Zaheer Khan made just 4 before Test five-wicket to help dismiss the Ponting brought up his second half TOTAL: 282 142, 6-148, 7-163, 8-166. century of the match when he guided being bowled by (2-55). tourists for 282. India lost their last Overs: 94.1 Still to bat: Ben Hilfenhaus. an Ishant Sharma ball through point Ravichandran Ashwin (31) and eight wickets for 68 runs. Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-97, 3-214, 4-214, : Zaheer 13-1-32-2 (1nb,1w), and to the boundary, prompting a stand- Yadav (2) shared a 23-run 10th-wicket Hussey will resume the fourth day 5-221, 6-238, 7-245, 8-254, 9-259, 10- Yadav 15-5-49-4, Sharma 11-0-41-1 ing ovation from the MCG crowd. They partnership until Siddle bowled Ashwin on 79 with James Pattinson on 3. 282. (1nb), Ashwin 19-4-44-1, Sehwag 2-0-7-0. The 36-year-old Hussey smashed rose again in the next over after Hussey to end the innings. Bowling: Pattinson 23-6-55-2 (1w), Toss: Won by Australia seven boundaries in a defiant, career- drove Ashwin to the leg side for three India’s collapse from a powerful Hilfenhaus 26-5-75-5 (1nb), Siddle 21.1- Umpires: Marias Erasmus, , saving knock. He and 37-year-old runs for his 50. position had begun in the final over of 2-63-3 (2nb), Lyon 17-2-66-0, Hussey 5- and Ian Gould, . Ponting have been the subject of intense Earlier, opener , after Tuesday’s play when Tendulkar was 0-15-0, Warner 2-0-8-0. TV : , Australia. scrutiny in recent weeks with calls for making a circumspect start, tried a bowled for 73 by Siddle. their retirement. more familiar aggressive stroke to a Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle, . That prevented him notching his Hussey, out for a duck in the first Yadav ball but only succeeded in edging 100th international century, but the innings after a dubious umpiring deci- it on to his stumps. when he padded up to an inswinger Yadav’s third victim, playing a fuller master batsman will get another chance sion, saw his luck change Wednesday Yadav then claimed Australia’s first headed for off stump. ball on to the wicket. in the second innings to make the mile- when given the benefit of the doubt in innings top-scorer Cowan lbw for 8 scored just 3 — after a Australia was four wickets down stone ton he had been chasing since first-innings duck — before becoming after just 12 overs when captain Michael March.

Sachin still evolving as a batsman - Melbourne (Dec. 28): Former “He’s looked amazing, hasn’t he? position to go one-nil up in the four- Australia captain Mark Taylor I heard he’s been playing the upper Test series. “Definitely, India seem revealed the ecstasy that he and his cut a lot of late, and he surely to have the upper hand at the colleagues felt in the commentary showed that today. He didn’t put a moment. It’s probably theirs to lose box when played foot wrong, it has been an absolute from here on, unless something his signature on-drive off Ben treat for us. When he played that on- drastic goes down tomorrow. But, Hilfenhaus en route his imperious drive off Hilfy (Ben Hilfenhaus), we cricket’s a funny game,” he said. 73-run knock here at the Melbourne all stood up and couldn’t stop When asked if Peter Siddle bowled Cricket Ground (MCG) on Tuesday. applauding the little genius. What a too short for most of the day, indicat- Tendulkar’s hundredth internation- treat for cricket lovers, it doesn’t ed by his pitch map, Taylor said: al ton was imminent, a historic matter which team you’re support- “Yeah, perhaps, he did. But, he’s a Wednesday in the offing. ing,” Taylor told MiD DAY. much improved bowler this year. I Soon, the master, caught on the Taylor felt that Tendulkar’s still think he can do something good front foot, was dismissed by a greatest ability is to evolve as a bats- for Australia this summer. pearler from Peter Siddle that man. “Some of those shots he’s play- “I’d still play him. Even reversed a bit before clipping off ing here, like the upper cut, he did- Hilfenhaus has come back strongly and middle. Tendulkar played down n’t play during the 1991 tour. He just after last year’s Ashes series. The the wrong line — the only error in seems to keep evolving as a bats- comebacks of Ryan Harris and an otherwise flawless innings. But, man, changing with times. That’s an should help Australia it was a ball that would have got amazing quality to have,” he said. in the latter part of the series.” most. ‘Tubby’ felt that India were in a (NDTV) Sachin Mark Taylor