Fourth Test

A blistering half-century from Virender Sehwag got India off to a flying start but Australia turned the tables by claiming three quick wickets on the first day of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar series in Nagpur.

Sehwag (66) and debutant Murali Vijay (33) put on 98 runs for the opening wicket in quick time

after Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss, but Shane Watson severed the burgeoning partnership by disposing of Vijay for 33 just after the first drinks break.

Off-spinner Jason Krejza, playing his first match, then sent back Rahul Dravid for a two-ball duck and later had his second victim in Sehwag as India crashed to 122 for three at lunch.

Sachin Tendulkar was batting on 16 and with him was VVS Laxman, playing his 100th Test match, on four.

Murali plunged into his first Test match with gusto, providing able support for Sehwag as they pushed the visitors, still recovering from the loss of yet another toss, further on the back foot.

The first hour was marked by a flurry of boundaries, an astonishing 70 runs coming in that period.

Australia’s new ball bowlers Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson had struggled with line and length, although they did have their chances.

Sehwag had an inside edge off Johnson miss off stump by a whisker, while another top-edge flew over the slip cordon.

Those chances, however, came when Sehwag had not yet aligned his sights quite perfectly.

The right-hand batsman hit Krejza for a four and a six off consecutive deliveries in his first over and then took nine runs from three deliveries in his third.

Sehwag brought up his half-century – off just 45 deliveries – by turning the off-spinner through square leg for a single and looked set to take heavy toll.

Ricky Ponting had persisted with Krejza although he had leaked 34 runs in his first four overs and was rewarded when Sehwag dragged one back on to his stumps from the off-spinner.

Sehwag’s 66 came off 69 deliveries and contained nine boundaries and a six.

Vijay was first to go, Shane Watson generating steepling bounce and catching the edge which Brad Haddin grasped easily.

Rahul Dravid had lunged forward to defend a delivery, but only managed to jab straight to Simon Katich at short leg.

 

First Test Draw

With the shame performance by Top level batsman India draw first test match against Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar’s dogged innings of 49 out helped India inch closer to a draw against Australia on day five of the first Test at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Monday.

Chasing a challenging target of 299 in a minimum of 83 overs, India reached 130 for three in 48 overs to put themselves in a good position to escape with a draw.

VVS Laxman was unbeaten on 28 from 75 deliveries as the two senior batsmen were involved in a cautious 53-run partnership for the fourth wicket that ate up more than 21 overs.

India were in trouble early when they lost the wickets of Virender Sehwag (6) and Rahul Dravid (5) in the first session.

But Tendulkar brought all his experience into play to rescue India as he stitched a 53-run partnership for the third wicket with Gautam Gambhir, who made 29.

Earlier, Australia batted for 32 minutes on the fifth and final day, adding 35 runs in five overs, before declaring their second innings on 228 for six in 73 overs.

Morning session: (76 runs, 3 wickets, 22 overs)

Anil Kumble started proceedings for India and could have taken a wicket immediately, but he dropped a return off the first ball. Haddin mistimed a drive which went straight back to Kumble, who floored and also injured his finger in the process.

Shane Watson then showed his intent with a couple of boundaries and Kumble and Ishant Sharma, before he was dismissed by the latter. The Aussie all-rounder, who made 41 from 72 deliveries, tried to hit Ishant across the line but got an inside edge, which crashed into his stumps.

Cameron White also looked to attack the moment he came in. He drove Ishant for a boundary through the off-side he faced as Australia looked for some quick runs in the morning as India spread the field.

The visitors batted for 32 minutes on the fifth and final day, adding 35 runs in five overs, before declaring their second innings on 228 for six in 73 overs.

Brad Haddin was unbeaten on 35 from 61 deliveries, with three boundaries, while Cameron White was not out on 18 from 14 deliveries, including two boundaries.

Harbhajan Singh took two for 76 in 27 overs, while Zaheer Khan claimed one for 46 in 17 overs.

Anil Kumble disappointed in his last Test match at his home ground as he finished wicketless in both the innings for a match tally of 160 runs in 51 overs.

(India innings)

This was a real chance for India to score an unlikely victory after Australia opted for a sporting declaration.

All depended on the start they got because once the ball gets old, it is very difficult to get the scoreboard moving on this slow pitches.

India openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir look to get on with things early on as both started with boundaries.

Sehwag (5) got a lifeline early when wicketkeeper Hadding dropped him while diving to the right after the batsman got a regulation edge off Brett Lee.

However, Sehwag could not make the most of it as he fell in the very next over for 6. He tried to play Stuart Clark on the leg side but the ball swung enough to beat the shot and take the back of the bat, which went to first slip in the sixth over of the innings.

Rahul Dravid got off the mark with a classical straight drive off Lee in the seventh over of the innings.

But he did not stay on for long, falling to Lee after scoring just five.

The right-hander tried to flick Lee on the leg side, but was caught brilliantly by Ponting diving to his right at short midwicket to leave India in trouble at 24 for two in the ninth over.

Gambhir survived a close stumping chance off Clark, but the third umpire ruled in favour of the batsman in a very close decision.

Sachin Tendulkar made a cautious start but then looked to raise the tempo with a couple of boundaries in Mitchell Johnson’s first over.

India’s hopes would now depend on veteran Tendulkar, who also has the chance to break Brian Lara’s world record for most Test runs.

Tendulkar is currently 48 runs short of Brian Lara’s aggregate of 11953 runs.

At this venue, only two teams out of nine have successfully chased down a target in the fourth innings, the highest being 195 for 2 by Australia in 1998.

Post lunch session: (89 runs, 1 wicket, 31 overs)

India played out a few quite overs after the break till Gambhir broke the shackles with boundaries in consecutive overs off Mitchell Johnson and Michael Clarke.

Johnson had his revenge soon after when he shattered Gambhir’s stumps with a fast yorker.

The left-hander’s long vigil at the crease ended for 29 that included four boundaries in 81 deliveries.

Debutant leg spinner Cameron White came on to bowl in the 36th over to replace part-timer Clarke was not making much of an impact.

He immediately forced Tendulkar to drive at a wide one, which he edged, but fortunately it went over the slip region.

Tendulkar seemed to have learnt from that mistake and after that just concentrated on playing it safe.

VVS Laxman also weathered the initial storm from the pacers before looking at ease against the spinners.

Laxman loosened up before the tea break as he creamed a few boundaries of the two spinners. He hit White for two boundaries in the final over before to bring up the 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Tendulkar.

Tendulkar showed great maturity to keep the bowlers at bay as he reached 47 not out with four boundaries in 111 deliveries. Laxman also looked quite comfortable having reached 28 from 75 deliveries, having hit four boundaries.

The hosts need 169 runs in a minimum of 35 overs with seven wickets in hand, but it seems unlikely they would go for the target. Australia still have time in their hand and a few quick wickets after tea could work in their favour.