Hilfenhaus claims two wickets in two balls
Australian quick Ben Hilfenhaus helped clean up the Indian tail, removing Ashwin and Khan with consecutive balls to leave the tourists reeling at 8/178.
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IF THE opening day of the 100th SCG Test was all about Sachin Tendulkar, the central character leading into today is unquestionably Ricky Ponting. Whether the former captain can reach his own milestone hundred is yet to be seen but if he can register a drought-breaking ton it may serve another purpose – writing off emphatically India’s hopes of a first ever series win in Australia.
He begins this morning unbeaten on 44, having averted disaster with Michael Clarke (47 not out) late on the first day of the second Test in steering the hosts’ innings from dodgy beginnings to 3-116.
Dandenong, population 16,729, had earlier made light of India’s batting maestros before an attendance of 35,510. The rapid emergence of James Pattinson reached new heights and Peter Siddle, his brother from another mother who would probably fall in front of traffic for him, played wingman.
Hitting out: Ricky Ponting helps steady the ship for Australia. Photo: Steve Christo
Already a revelation with 20 wickets in the first three Tests of his career, Pattinson, 21, took a bag more – and they were not exactly insignificant victims.
The Victorian transfixed Gautam Gambhir (0), Virender Sehwag (30) and V.V.S. Laxman (2) with an assault of outswing and, just in case that was not sufficient, he left the great Tendulkar (41) in his wake as well. Siddle claimed three himself and a third seamer, Ben Hilfenhaus, was on a hat-trick after two successes in succession.
The Indians, all out for 191, were in serious strife and without captain M.S. Dhoni’s undefeated 57 they were staring at a catastrophe. They hold the Border-Gavaskar trophy and even at 1-0 down and on the back foot in Sydney, they could well retain it over four Tests this summer. It will be a hollow retention, though, without the series win in Australia they crave.
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Second Test – Australia vs India, Day 1
Crowds entering the SCG for the 100th test match between Australia and India. Photo: James Brickwood
”To bowl them out for 190 is a great effort by the whole bowling team,” Pattinson said. ”Every time we bowl we try to get them out for as low a target as possible … 190 shows how well we did bowl.
”Hopefully tomorrow our batsmen can dig in and get a bit of a lead on them.”
That goal was in serious jeopardy in the afternoon as, for the second time in a week, Ponting found himself marching with intent into the middle much earlier than he or Australia would have preferred. On the most splendid of January days in Sydney a couple of hours with his feet up to see out play would have done just fine.
Yet, just as in Melbourne seven days ago, the former captain was left to pick up the pieces. Top-order collapses don’t allow a Test No.4 too much rest.
Fortunately, he had some able support from his leadership replacement, Clarke, and there was a pleasant synergy about the way the captains past and present worked in tandem to restore Australia’s authority.
Clarke was aggressive – he played and missed with a couple of early heaves and later hit three boundaries in a row off the bowling of Umesh Yadav – and raced towards a half-century in style and at nearly a run-a-ball rate. All eyes were and will be on Ponting, though. According to some, the 37-year-old should not be here at all but far from being a weak link, he is again being relied upon as the foundation stone. He is on the cusp of a fifth Test 50 in seven innings and the prevailing narrative this morning will no doubt be about his drive for a first hundred in nearly two years.
Such an achievement would paper over the cracks of a top-three that folded yesterday, leaving Australia 2-8 and then 3-37 as India’s veteran pace leader Zaheer Khan turned destroyer with 3-26. In an eventful first over, David Warner struck a four then nicked Khan to the slips, where a sitter propelled out of Laxman’s hands only for Tendulkar to pick up the crumbs.
Shaun Marsh then fell first ball in similar fashion – Laxman held the catch this time – before Ed Cowan was judged leg-before for 16.
Australia still holds the ascendancy, however, thanks in large part to Pattinson. ”For both teams we’ve had a couple of loose shots,” he said.
”It seems like it’s a trend in the batting: they want to attack the bowling as much as they can, get on top of it.
”That’s a plan for them, us being an inexperienced young bowling attack … maybe they think if they can get on top of us we’ll fold. But, to our credit, we haven’t had that frame of mind.”
India (1st Innings)
G GAMBHIR c Clarke b Pattinson 0
V SEHWAG c Haddin b Pattinson 30
R DRAVID c Cowan b Siddle 5
S TENDULKAR b Pattinson 41
V.V.S. LAXMAN c Marsh b Pattinson 2
V KOHLI c Haddin b Siddle 23
M DHONI not out 57
R ASHWIN c Clarke b Hilfenhaus 20
Z KHAN c Cowan b Hilfenhaus 0
I SHARMA c Cowan b Hilfenhaus 0
U YADAV c Haddin b Siddle 0
Sundries (3b, 6lb, 2w, 2nb) 13
Total 191
Fall of wickets: 0 (Gambhir), 30 (Dravid), 55 (Sehwag), 59 (Laxman), 96 (Kohli), 124 (Tendulkar), 178 (Ashwin), 178 (Khan), 186 (I Sharma), 191 (Yadav).
Bowling: J Pattinson 14-3-43-4 (2w 1nb), B Hilfenhaus 22-9-51-3, P Siddle 13.3-3-55-3 (1nb), M Hussey 2-0-8-0, N Lyon 8-0-25-0.
Australia (1st Innings)
D WARNER c Tendulkar b Khan 8
E COWAN lbw Khan 16
S MARSH c Laxman b Khan 0
R PONTING not out 44
M CLARKE not out 47
Sundries (1lb) 1
Total (3 wkts – close) 116
Fall of wickets: 8 (Warner), 8 (Marsh), 37 (Cowan).
Bowling: Z Khan 9-2-26-3, U Yadav 8-1-42-0, I Sharma 6-0-30-0, R Ashwin 2-0-11-0, V Sehwag 1-0-6-0.
Poll: Who will score more runs in the current Border/Gavaskar Test series – India’s Sachin Tendulkar, or Australia’s Ricky Ponting?
- Sachin Tendulkar
-
46%
- Ricky Ponting
-
54%
Total votes: 232.
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Poll closes in 27 days.
Disclaimer:
These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
Source: www.theage.com.au/sport
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