Sydney, Jan 3 (IANS) Triple strikes by Zaheer Khan raised a glimmer of hope for India only to be dashed by an unfinished fourth-wicket 79-run stand between Australian skipper Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting on the first day of the second cricket Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Tuesday.
Australia ended the day at 116 for three after dismissing India for 191 in the first innings of the 100th Test at the SCG. Clarke was batting on 47 and Ponting on 44 after Zaheer got rid of openers David Warner (8), Ed Cowan (16) and Shaun Marsh cheaply to reduce the hosts to 37 for three. Australia trail by 75 runs but have seven wickets in hand.
Zaheer (26) struck in the first over removing Warner, caught by Sachin Tendulkar – from V.V.S. Laxman’s assist. In his second over, Zaheer claimed the wicket of Marsh for a duck, this time Laxman not fumbling. Clarke denied Zaheer a hat-trick but the left-arm pacer soon proved why he was dangerous against left-handed batsmen by trapping Cowan lbw.
Earlier, the Indian batting collapsed yet again after a sterling display by the Australian pace battery. Fast bowling sensation James Pattinson (4/43) picked up the valuable wickets of opener Gautam Gambhir – off the third ball of the morning – and Virender Sehwag (30), V.V.S Laxman (2) and Tendulkar (41), who was again denied his much awaited 100th international century.
Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus picked up three wickets each. Siddle also claimed his 100th Test wicket.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who remained unbeaten on valuable 57, won the toss and elected to bat but the team suffered a massive blow when Pattinson dismissed opener Gambhir without a run being posted. Gambhir was caught at first slip by Clarke.
India were on the backfoot early at 2-30 after Dravid was caught at short leg by Cowan off Siddle.
Tendulkar received a huge cheer as he walked to the wicket. The cricketing world was eagerly waiting for the batting maestro to score his 100th international century on the historic occasion of the 100th Test match at the SCG. Tendulkar raised hopes with a flurry of boundaries off Siddle but soon started losing partners at the other end.
Sehwag, who was dropped by Ricky Ponting off Hilfenhaus (3/51) in the first over after drinks on 23, was dismissed for 30 while poking at an away delivery from Pattinson to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. Laxman followed four runs later caught by Marsh.
India had lost four wickets in the first session, while Virat Kohli (23), after adding 37 runs with Tendulkar, was dismissed about half an hour after lunch, caught behind off Siddle (3/55).
Tendulkar and Dhoni’s repair act yielded just 28 runs and Pattinson removed the batting great, who drove loosely at a wide ball only to catch an inside edge and lost his bails. Dhoni then added crucial 54 runs for the sixth wicket with Ashwin that gave the innings some respectability.
Ben Hilfenhaus removed Ravichandran Ashwin (20) and Zaheer Khan in consecutive deliveries to leave India at 178 for eight and gave himself a chance of claiming his maiden Test hat-trick after the resumption of play. Ishant Sharma denied Hilfenfaus the hat-trick and Dhoni, sensing that he would soon run out of partner went all out slamming Siddle for three fours, the second a lovely punch off the back-foot brought up his fifty.
