Australia crush India
Australia crushed India by 122 runs in the opening Test on Thursday,
destroying their vaunted batting lineup with aggressive pace to claim a
decisive victory inside four days in Melbourne.
India, chasing a historically challenging 292 runs for victory, were
never in the hunt after they crashed to 81 for six with the loss of
Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket late in the middle session.
The tourists, who have yet to win a series in Australia in 64 years,
were routed for 169 off 47.5 overs after Australia squeezed another 61
runs from their remaining two wickets earlier in the day.
Man-of-the-match James Pattinson led the way with four for 53 while
Peter Siddle claimed the prized scalp of Tendulkar for 32 to again keep
the Indian star’s 100th international century on hold.
India were always up against it as they faced up to the highest
fourth-innings run chase in almost 60 years at the Melbourne Cricket
Ground.
South Africa were the last team to achieve a higher fourth-innings
target of 297 for four in beating Australia at the MCG in 1953.
It was a bowlers’ Test match with no batsman scoring a century.
Australian Mike Hussey came the closest with 89 in the second innings.
Australia’s pace trio Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Siddle maintained
a full line and length and never let up on the Indian batsmen. India, 24
for one at lunch after losing Virender Sehwag for seven, unravelled in
the middle session with five wickets tumbling for 93 runs. AFP
Australia first innings 333
India first innings 282
AUSTRALIA
Second innings
D Warner b Yadav 5
E Cowan lbw Yadav 8
S Marsh b Yadav 3
R Ponting c Sehwag b Zaheer 60
M Clarke b Sharma 1
M Hussey c Dhoni b Zaheer 89
B Haddin c Laxman b Zaheer 6
P Siddle c Dhoni b Yadav 4
N Lyon lbw Ashwin 0
J Pattinson not out 37
B Hilfenhaus c Laxman b Sharma 14
EXTRAS (b-5, lb-2, w-1, nb-5) 13
TOTAL (all out) 240
Fall of wickets: 1-13 2-16 3-24 4-27 5-142 6-148 7-163 8-166
9-197
Bowling: Z. Khan 20-4-53-3 (nb-3, w-1), U. Yadav 20-4-70-4,
I. Sharma 12.3-0-43-2 (nb-2), R. Ashwin 22-4-60-1, V. Sehwag
2-0-7-0
INDIA
Second innings
G Gambhir c Ponting b Siddle 13
V Sehwag c Hussey b Hilfenhaus 7
R Dravid b Pattinson 10
S Tendulkar c Hussey b Siddle 32
V Laxman c Cowan b Pattinson 1
V Kohli lbw Hilfenhaus 0
M Dhoni b Pattinson 23
R Ashwin c Cowan b Siddle 30
Z Khan c Cowan b Pattinson 13
I Sharma not out 6
U Yadav c Warner b Lyon 21
EXTRAS 13
TOTAL (all out) 169
Fall of wickets: 1-17 2-39 3-58 4-68 5-69 6-81 7-117 8-141
9-142
Bowling: J. Pattinson 15-2-53-4 (w-1, nb-1), B Hilfenhaus
18-4-39-2, P. Siddle 9-1-42-3, N. Lyon 5.5-0-25-1 |
