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Melbourne test evenly poised
Source: Agencies |
December 29, 2011, Thursday
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INDIA struck back with four late wickets while Australia's Mike Hussey posted a defiant half-century to leave the first test delicately poised at the close of the third day yesterday.
In a pulsating day of high drama at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, paceman Zaheer Khan dismissed Ricky Ponting for 60 to end a 115-run stand with middle order batsman Hussey and spark another batting collapse for the hosts. Hussey, under pressure to retain his place in the re-building team after a pair of golden ducks in his last two innings, hung on doggedly for 79 as his partners wilted, pushing Australia to 179-8 at stumps and an overall lead of 230.
The grizzled 36-year-old will resume with James Pattinson on three not out in his third test, as they negotiate a wicket that showed enough on day three to encourage the seamers and keep a crowd of 40,000 at the MCG enthralled.
Despite Ponting and Hussey's defiant partnership, the day belonged to the bowlers with 15 wickets falling.
Australia paceman Ben Hilfenhaus, back in the test side after a year in the freezer, played a key part early by taking five wickets to help skittle India for 282 after the tourists resumed on 214-3. The 28-year-old bowled Rahul Dravid for 68 with the second ball of the day and blitzed India's middle order to finish with a career-best innings haul of 5-75.
That gave Australia a lead of 51 after lunch, but any hopes of grinding India into the dust were dashed when the hosts' top order collapsed spectacularly in the face of a pace onslaught from Umesh Yadav.
The rangy 24-year-old had opener David Warner (5) and Shaun Marsh (3) both play onto their stumps and trapped Ed Cowan lbw for eight after he failed to offer a shot.
Paceman Ishant Sharma bowled skipped Michael Clarke through the gate for one to leave the hosts reeling at 27-4. Hussey and Ponting doggedly dug in for their half-centuries to swing the momentum to the hosts, but Zaheer stole it back when he struck with a devastating spell after tea. Zaheer coaxed Ponting into a miscued drive with his second ball that went straight to Virender Sehwag in the gully.
He then had Brad Haddin caught behind by VVS Laxman for six, and with Australia's underbelly exposed, Yadav twisted the knife further by dismissing paceman Peter Siddle for four, caught sharply by lunging India captain MS Dhoni.
Nathan Lyon was trapped in front by spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for a duck before Hussey and Pattinson saw out the remaining overs under withering pressure to the end.
In a pulsating day of high drama at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, paceman Zaheer Khan dismissed Ricky Ponting for 60 to end a 115-run stand with middle order batsman Hussey and spark another batting collapse for the hosts. Hussey, under pressure to retain his place in the re-building team after a pair of golden ducks in his last two innings, hung on doggedly for 79 as his partners wilted, pushing Australia to 179-8 at stumps and an overall lead of 230.
The grizzled 36-year-old will resume with James Pattinson on three not out in his third test, as they negotiate a wicket that showed enough on day three to encourage the seamers and keep a crowd of 40,000 at the MCG enthralled.
Despite Ponting and Hussey's defiant partnership, the day belonged to the bowlers with 15 wickets falling.
Australia paceman Ben Hilfenhaus, back in the test side after a year in the freezer, played a key part early by taking five wickets to help skittle India for 282 after the tourists resumed on 214-3. The 28-year-old bowled Rahul Dravid for 68 with the second ball of the day and blitzed India's middle order to finish with a career-best innings haul of 5-75.
That gave Australia a lead of 51 after lunch, but any hopes of grinding India into the dust were dashed when the hosts' top order collapsed spectacularly in the face of a pace onslaught from Umesh Yadav.
The rangy 24-year-old had opener David Warner (5) and Shaun Marsh (3) both play onto their stumps and trapped Ed Cowan lbw for eight after he failed to offer a shot.
Paceman Ishant Sharma bowled skipped Michael Clarke through the gate for one to leave the hosts reeling at 27-4. Hussey and Ponting doggedly dug in for their half-centuries to swing the momentum to the hosts, but Zaheer stole it back when he struck with a devastating spell after tea. Zaheer coaxed Ponting into a miscued drive with his second ball that went straight to Virender Sehwag in the gully.
He then had Brad Haddin caught behind by VVS Laxman for six, and with Australia's underbelly exposed, Yadav twisted the knife further by dismissing paceman Peter Siddle for four, caught sharply by lunging India captain MS Dhoni.
Nathan Lyon was trapped in front by spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for a duck before Hussey and Pattinson saw out the remaining overs under withering pressure to the end.
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