Yuvraj and Jaffer flay Aussies in drawn India tour match

Indian Test rejects Yuvraj Singh and Wasim Jaffer enhanced their claims for a comeback by pounding Australia’s bowlers in a practice match on Sunday.

Left-handed Yuvraj struck a belligerent 113 with seven sixes and as many boundaries while Jaffer hit 93 for the Indian Board President’s XI on the final day of the four-day match here.

The hosts piled up 292-4 in their second innings before skipper Yuvraj declared 50 minutes after lunch to set the tourists an improbable victory target of 434 in a minimum of 53 overs.

Australia used the time for valuable batting practice ahead of the first Test in Bangalore on Thursday, making 127-2 before the match was called off as a draw after 38 overs.

Skipper Ricky Ponting, looking to make amends for a disappointing average of 12 in eight Tests on Indian soil, followed his 41 in the first innings with an unbeaten 58.

Vice-captain Michael Clarke made 36 not not, sharing a third wicket stand of 75 with Ponting after openers Simon Katich and Matthew Hayden had fallen cheaply.

The tourists were embarrassed by India’s second string over the four days, first allowing the hosts to pile up 455 in the first innings before being bowled out for 314 in reply. The reliable Mike Hussey’s gritty 126 on Saturday was the lone bright spot for the world’s number one side, who struggled to cope with a slow, barren pitch.

Yuvraj and Jaffer, excluded by the selectors for the first two Tests of the four-match series, vented their frustration on the hapless bowlers.

The pair put on 200 for the third wicket as the home team, resuming at 110-2 with an overall lead of 251 runs, hammered 130 runs in the two-hour morning session.

“Australia will definitely miss a quality spinner in the series,” said Yuvraj.

HYDERABAD, Sunday AFP

SCORECARD

BOARD PRESIDENT’S XI 1ST INNINGS

455 (R. Sharma 105, V. Kohli 105, P. Patel 62, Irfan Pathan 56, M. Johnson 4-75, S. Clark 3-67)

AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS

314 (M. Hussey 126, P. Chawla 5-89, P. Ojha 3-72)

BOARD PRESIDENT’S XI 2ND INNINGS (overnight 110-2):
A. Chopra – lbw b Clark 6
Wasim Jaffer – lbw b Clark 93
S. Badrinath c Haddin b Lee 14
Y. Singh c Haddin b Clark 113
R. Sharma not out 29
V. Kohli not out 16
Extras: (b14, lb4, nb3) 21
Total (for four wickets declared) 292
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Chopra), 2-35 (Badrinath), 3-235 (Yuvraj), 4-240 (Jaffer).
Bowling: Lee 18-2-60-1 (2nb), Clark 13-5-33-3 (1nb), Siddle 11-0-41-0, Johnson
11-3-25-0, Krejza 11-1-76-0, Clarke 6-1-39-0
Overs: 70
AUSTRALIA  2ND INNINGS
S. Katich c Kohli b Gony 5
M. Hayden lbw b Chawla 14
R. Ponting not out 58
M. Clarke not out 36
Extras: (b4, lb5, penalty5) 14
Total (for two wickets) 127
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Katich), 2-52 (Hayden).
Bowling: Pathan 7-4-11-0, Gony 4-1-20-1, Chawla 14-1-44-1, Ojha 6-1-27-0,
Yuvraj 6-2-10-0, Sharma 1-0-1-0.
Overs: 38