THE HIMALAYAN MAIL JAMMU Q TUESDAY Q JANUARY 19, 2021 11 Emotional Siraj illustrates Patience the key for Australia India's resilience on Day 5, says Smith NEW DELHI, JAN 18: ing; we are certainly, not NEW DELHI, JAN 18: Australia batsman Steve weatherman, and don't An injury-ravaged India Smith reckons that with the know that it is coming, so have shown tremendous re- Gabba track starting to play you have to play the game as silience to stay afloat in the a few tricks, staying patient you sort of see it as well. So I four-Test series against will be imperative for his don't know," he said. Australia and Mohammed team's bowlers when they Left-arm pacer Mitchell Siraj best illustrated their set out to defend an impos- Strac looked uncomfortable never-say-die attitude with ing 328 against a deter- with his hamstring, but his maiden five-wicket haul mined India on the last day Smith expressed optimism in the Brisbane decider on of the fourth and final Test that the 30-year-old would Monday. of the series, at the Gabba, be good to go on Tuesday. It has been an emotion- in Brisbane, Tuesday. "I am not sure (about it), ally Testing tour for the 26- India were four without to be honest with you. Like, I year-old who lost his father loss before the final session saw the same thing, walking in November but stayed on of Day 4 was suspended back, (Mitchell) grabbing at to make his Test debut in early due to rain on Mon- his right hamstring. Melbourne. day. "I'm sure he'll get as- His mental strength was "I think the game is in a tough question." and letting the natural vari- sessed by the medical staff further Tested in Sydney, nice place for us. I think the He said Australia’s ation of the wicket take its and one thing I know about where a section of the crowd wicket has started to play a bowlers should remain pa- course," he reiterated. Mitchell is he's tough and targeted him, prompting an few tricks today, couple of tient and not go searching India, after conceding a he's played through some only one Test, plus debutant wish my father was around family and gained strength for too much. 33-run first innings lead, investigation into India's al- T Natarajan. to see it. This is because of after talking to my mother. balls shot up," Smith said, at injuries before and got the legation of racial abuse of the virtual post-day press "The Indian players have bundled out Australia for job done, so he will be hope- The left-arm quick re- his blessings that I have got a My focus was to fulfil my fa- obviously batted well. Obvi- 294, with pacers Mo- some of their players. sponded by claiming 5-73 to five-wicket haul in Tests. I ther's dream of me playing conference, facilitated by of- fully good to go tomorrow." Heading into Brisbane, ficial broadcasters Sony ously, in Sydney, it was 130 hammed Siraj (5-73) and Smith also said that the help to dismiss Australia for am speechless and can't ex- a Test match for India." (overs) or something; obvi- Shardul Thakur (4-61) do- Siraj found himself leading a 294 in their second innings press my feelings in words," Siraj has done a lot more Networks. role of experienced off-spin- depleted Indian pace attack "So, tomorrow it is just ously, it is a different wicket ing the bulk of the damage. ner Nathan Lyon, will be at the Gabba. an emotional Siraj told a than that and will finish the to that. But for us it is just "...it is going to be an in- that included Shardul "I'm grateful I got this op- video conference. series as India's most suc- going to be about bowling crucial. Thakur and Navdeep Saini, (in) good areas and letting being patient, not searching teresting final day and boys "...there is nice little crack portunity to play for India "It was tough after he cessful bowler with 13 wick- too much, bowling good ar- are excited about tomor- both of whom had played and managed a five-for. I passed away. I spoke to my ets from three Tests. the natural variation of the I think, forming outside the Day 5 wicket sort of do its eas and just letting it hap- row," Australia’s mainstay right-hander's off-stump, work and hopefully we can pen," the prolific batsman said. he (Lyon) will probably be hold on to all the chances," stressed. Smith, who top-scored looking to sort of aim at...so he added. "I think the more you sort with a vital 55 in the second I think if he hits good areas England beat Sri Lanka by of go searching for on these essay, evaded a question on The rain factor is also go- consistently tomorrow, ing to be crucial on the final kind of tracks, then you whether Australia could there is certainly no reason day, but Smith would rather probably don't get the re- have declared early. why he can't create some 7 wkts; lead series 1-0 focus on controlables. ward. So, it is just about hit- "...it is hard to know, ob- chances on day five," the 31- "Who knows? That is a ting good areas consistently viously with the rain com- year-old said. NEW DELHI, JAN 18: Sri Lanka in the second Test, England won the first Test which is also being played at against Sri Lanka by seven Galle and starts on Friday. wickets, at Galle Interna- England had set them- 4 more Aus Open participants tional Stadium, on Monday selves up for the win on the as Jonny Bairstow and opening day when Sri Lanka debutant Dan Lawrence turned in a woeful batting knocked off the 36 runs re- performance and were infected with COVID-19 quired on the last day. bowled out for 135. Bairstow was 35 not out England captain Joe Root NEW DELHI, JAN 18: A Spanish tennis website and Lawrence unbeaten on then hit 228 runs as Eng- Four more Australian Open reported that world number 21 in a 62-run partnership as land scored 421 for a signifi- participants, including one one Novak Djokovic had England reached 76 for cant first innings lead. player, have been recorded written to Tiley requesting with COVID-19 infections that quarantine restrictions three in their second innings said Bairstow, after England boys.” Sri Lanka’s batsmen ap- and more cases may come could be eased for players, to take a 1-0 lead in the two- had been subjected to a tor- Sri Lanka could have plied themselves much bet- to light as testing continues, including reducing the Test series. rent of sharp spin from claimed the wicket of ter in their second innings officials said on Monday. mandatory 14 days of isola- They had been set a target Laisth Embuldeniya, Dil- Lawrence in the third over of and overhauled the deficit Health authorities in Vic- tion and having players of 74 after bowling Sri Lanka ruwan Perera and Wanindu the morning but failed to re- but five wickets for Jack toria state have now re- moved to "private houses out for 359 but lost three Hasaranga. view after Perera rapped Leach meant they were un- ported nine infections with tennis courts" so they wickets and were reeling at “It’s absolutely fabulous; him on the pads. Hawk-eye able to set a more competi- among passengers that ar- could train. 14-3 before Bairstow and winning Tests is always replays showed it would tive target for England. rived in Melbourne on char- The report drew a back- Lawrence took them to 38- what you want to do it. It’s have hit the wicket. "We were outplayed in the ter flights for the February lash from Australians on so- 3 when bad light stopped difficult playing in the sub- It took 9.2 overs for Eng- first innings by both bat and 8-21 Australian Open. cial media, with Djokovic play on Sunday. continent, you know the land to complete the victory bowl and that is what cost us "All four are associated and players told to check "It was a tricky wicket to challenges but to get win on and will now be looking for the game," said Sri Lanka with the tennis, and they're tion transmitted to them on ments to help players un- their "privilege". bat on and you had to play as board is pleasing for all the a sixth successive Test win in skipper Dinesh Chandimal. much off your back foot," all tucked away safely in ho- a flight."That's why the able to train due to quaran- Andrews said the biose- tel quarantine," Victoria rules are extremely strict for tine. curity protocols would not state premier Daniel An- these tennis players and Andrews said the govern- be changed. drews told reporters of the their entourage, as much as ment still supported hold- "It doesn't mean that Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Haryana new cases. for any other international ing the Grand Slam and everyone likes them, but Passengers on three Aus- arrival."The growing infec- backed health officials to that's not the world we're tralian Open charter flights tion count has sparked calls deliver it safely. in," he said. beat Delhi to top Group E have now been sent into from pundits to cancel the "We think we've struck "This is a wildly infectious hard quarantine, including Grand Slam.