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Test #1531 India vs Australia at Chennai. Report by Mike Dunn.

Australia name three pacemen for Mumbai Test

MUMBAI- The squads for the first Test between India and Australia at Mumbai were announced today. Australian captain Steve Waugh believes that this pitch is not a typically Indian wicket and has decided on three paceman and Warne instead of the versatile Colin Miller. India are going in to this match without leg-spinner Anil Kumble, due to a shoulder injury, and therefore Sanghvi gets his chance alongside Harbhajan Singh.

Australia: S.R. Waugh (Captain), D.W. Fleming, A.C. Gilchrist, J.N. Gillespie, M.L. Hayden, J.L. Langer, G.D. McGrath, R.T. Ponting, M.J. Slater, S.K. Warne, M.E. Waugh

India: S.C. Ganguly (Captain), A.B. Agarkar, S.S. Das, R. Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, N.R. Mongia, S. Ramesh, R.L. Sangvhi, Harbhajan Singh, J. Srinath, S.R. Tendulkar

Fleming, Gillespie destroyers on Day One

MUMBAI- Australia have taken the upper hand in the First Test after bowling India out for 253 on Day One in Mumbai. Australia finished the day 1/39 after rain washed out 16 minutes of play.

Steve Waugh won the toss and sent the Indians in, believing the pitch looked like assisting the pacemen. Ramesh fell in Fleming’s first over after a 42 run opening stand with Das. The game was even at 2/100 at the luncheon break.

Das and Tendulkar batted for an hour after lunch before Das was dismissed after making 52 runs before fending a short Gillespie ball to Ponting at point. Ganguly was dismissed next ball, edging to Gilchrist. The Indian captain signalled that the ball in fact hit his thigh-pad. Gillespie’s hat-trick ball sailed wide of Laxman’s off stump. Tendulkar bought up his fifty in the next over but didn’t last too much longer before being bowled by a Damien Fleming off-cutter. Laxman was dismissed cutting at a wide one, edged to Gilchrist and it should have been seven wickets two overs later but for a dropped short-leg chance by Justin Langer off Ajit Agarkar’s bat. Agarkar was bowled by McGrath going for a lofty swing over mid-wicket and India were 7/188 at Tea.

Moniga and Srinath edgily survived 8 overs after tea before McGrath got Srinath to nick one to Gilchrist for the young West Australian’s third catch of the innings. Harbhajan hit four boundaries in his short innings of 24, but he went for one too many as Gillespie had him playing on going for a cross bat slog. Mongia top-edge hooked at a Fleming bouncer to give square-leg Langer a simple catch. India all out 253 with Fleming and Gillespie taking 4 wickets a piece.

Before the unseasoned rain came, Srinath got the wicket of Slater for zero caught at gully by Harbhajan Singh. Australia ended the day in a comfortable 1/39 with Hayden and Langer at the crease.

Bat dominates over ball on Day Two

MUMBAI- Matthew Hayden has scored a brilliant hundred and Adam Gilchrist finished the day on 99* as Australia have taken a first innings lead in the first Test at Mumbai.

Australia started the day 1/39 after losing Slater for a duck late on day one.

Langer and Hayden scored 97 runs before Langer was caught by Sangvhi, who had earlier dropped the Australian number three on the boundary at mid-wicket. Hayden and Mark Waugh guided the tourists to lunch at 2/139, trailing by 114 runs.

After lunch the pair batted for an hour before Mark Waugh was given out leg before to an in-swinging Srinath delivery. Hayden scored his half-century a few overs before Waugh’s dismissal. Steve Waugh played a brief knock before he was bowled by Ajit Agarkar, playing back to a ball that stayed low. Ponting came and went quickly, never looking comfortable against the spin of Harbhajan and Sanghvi. Gilchrist came to the crease and straight away made his intentions clear by pulling Sanghvi to the mid wicket boundary. Hayden knocked up his century and was not out 113 at the tea interval with Gilchrist already 25 off 22 balls.

Gilchrist continued his slaughtered when play resumed, at one stage hitting Agarkar for three consecutive boundaries. He bought up a terrific fifty in 40 balls. His 41st ball bought about a chance but Agarkar grassed it fielding at Third Man. Three balls later India had Hayden’s wicket, after a fine knock in hot conditions, for 118. The innings included 11 fours. 73 minutes were lost to rain just after five o’clock when Gilchrist was on 63. When play got back underway, India took the new ball. But no wicket was taken, and India only had more despair when Agarkar yet again dropped Gilchrist, this time at mid-on, when Gilchrist was on 73. Warne and Gilchrist played out the end of the day, Gilchrist stranded on 99. Australia finished at 6/334 with a lead of 71. 

Gilchrist hits ton, Australia close in on victory

MUMBAI- Australia have India on the ropes after a tremendous Adam Gilchrist ton in the First Test at Mumbai.

Gilchrist bought up his century in 105 balls on the first ball of the morning, but was dismissed just 11 runs later when he edged a ball to second slip slashing outside off stump. Gilchrist belted 14 boundaries over the lightning fast outfield. Gillespie was dismissed in the same over, getting an inside edge to a Srinath off-cutter for the quick man’s fifth wicket. Warne was given a chance when Ganguly let go of a straightforward chance at Gully. An early lunch was taken when rain washed out 56 minutes of play.

Warne was dismissed off an outswinging delivery after lunch, edging to Mongia for a very patient 17 off 126 balls. Srinath dismissed McGrath to give him a 6-wicket haul. Australia had hit a lead of 126 and were all out for 379.

Ramesh was dropped at Third Man by McGrath in the fourth over of the innings, and not long after the rains came again, this time 48 minutes of play was lost. India went to tea with a score of 0/28.

After tea the Indian wickets fell like the early morning rain in Mumbai. Das was trapped in front of a McGrath low full toss, Dravid inside edged to Gilchrist, and the "Little Master" Tendulkar was bowled by another Fleming off-cutter. Ganguly and Ramesh steadied the ship with a small partnership but the captain was trapped by a top-spinner from Warne. India’s shining light of the innings, Ramesh, was out for 36 when he played a ball from McGrath back onto his stumps. Mongia got a ball from McGrath which stayed low and caught him back in his crease to have him leg before for 1. Laxman was caught at third slip by Michael Slater and Agarkar was given out leg before to a ball that seemed to hit bat first. Srinath and Harbhajan survived the remainder of the day and India will attempt to rectify the situation as play gets underway today.

Australia wins First Test at Mumbai

MUMBAI- Australia took a 1-0 series lead after beating India by 7 wickets at Mumbai yesterday. Harbhajan put up a little resistance on the forth morning, but it was to no avail as Gillespie and Fleming shared the remaining wickets and the Australian top order scored the winning 57 runs, albeit losing 3 wickets along the way.

Harbhajan hit a ball into Langer at short leg which went from Langer’s hands but came straight back out again. Srinath was out caught at Third Man going for the hit off the bowling of Gillespie and Sanghvi was dismissed at Cover after Harbhajan had a swing of the bat to score 33 not out

Australia set about the target quickly with 15 runs taken off the first over with Slater hitting the first ball for 4. Hayden was dismissed in the second over after he top-edged a hook shot and Mongia safely took a skied catch. Langer was also dismissed in the chase for quick runs when he top-edged a sweep off his forearm to Mongia off left-armer Sanghvi. Slater hit 4 boundaries in 17 deliveries before he was caught at long on for 27. Lunch was taken with Australia 3/39, needing 13 runs for victory.

Revised: Saturday, 16 March 2013.
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