Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Matthew Hayden continued to be a thorn in India’s flesh as the towering opener’s 29th century laid the platform for Australia to push for a record-equalling 16th Test win in the second cricket match on Saturday.
Hayden (123) once again feasted on the visitors’ attack as he stitched a 160-run stand with Mike Hussey (87 not out) after the hosts looked wobbly losing two quick wickets just before lunch on the penultimate day which was extended because of rain interruptions.
Hussey and Andrew Symonds (14) were at the crease when play was called off due to bad light with Australia on 282 for four in their second innings, having taken a lead of 213 runs to more or less ensure that they did not lose the match.
Australia would now be keen to set India a competitive target for the visitors on a deteriorating fifth day SGC track, hoping to carve out their 16th Test win on the trot that would put them in the same bracket with the side that Steve Waugh led.
With the hosts batting themselves to a comfortable position, an Indian defeat or a draw are the two likely results possible in what promises to be an engrossing fifth day’s play.
A win in the second of the four-match Test series would also allow the hosts to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Hussey, however, has reasons to feel grateful to umpire Mark Benson, who ruled him not out even after he had edged RP Singh to the wicketkeeper, still five runs away from his fifty.
Anil Kumble injected some life into the match by removing Hayden and Michael Clarke (0) with successive balls and rapping Andrew Symonds on his pads with the hat-trick delivery.
Symonds, however, had put a long stride forward and umpire Steve Bucknor turned down the vociferous appeal.
Earlier after Australia got off to a decent start, Kumble had taken up the cudgel on himself to earn the first breakthrough, when Phil Jaques (42) swept into the hands of Yuvraj Singh at deep square leg.
Five runs later, Harbhajan Singh proved Ricky Ponting was indeed his bunny when he had the rival skipper caught at silly point by VVS Laxman, which triggered a wild celebration by the spinner.
Harbhajan, in the eye of a storm for allegedly abusing Symonds on Friday, could not conceal his joy and ran towards the pavilion with his right hand raised in triumph.
And the ebullient offie was not through yet. As he neared the stands, Harbhajan went on a flip, then the second flip, with all his team mates in hot pursuit.
The second session, however, did not provide any such moment for the visitors, who toiled for a breakthrough but both Hayden and Hussey looked rock-solid as they negotiated the spin and pace with consummate ease.
Hayden reverse swept Harbhajan on more than one occasion to upset his rhythm, while Hussey shunned extravaganza and kept the scoreboard ticking.
Kumble and Harbhajan operated in tandem and though the offie did trouble both the batsmen on quite a few occasions, he simply did not have the luck.
Meanwhile, neither the guiles of the spin twin, nor the two rain-interruptions – first one forced an early tea – could snap their concentration as Hayden and Hussey went about their job without any fuss.
Hussey pulled Kumble for a four to complete his fifty and in the leggie’s next over, Hayden pushed one to notch up his 29th Test ton — his fourth at the venue and fifth against India.
Kumble had come close to removing Hussey just before tea, when the batsman pulled him and Yuvraj Singh, at midwicket, made a spectacular effort but could not latch on to it.
The leggie eventually tasted success when the same reverse sweep that fetched Hayden quite a few runs did the batsman in.
Hayden this time played it in the air and Wasim Jaffer took an easy catch at point.
The next delivery from Kumble was a googly and Michael Clarke’s fluffed cut resulted in a thick edge that found Rahul Dravid in the slip.
Clarke, for reasons best known to him, lingered on the pitch, which clearly did not amuse the Indians.
Kumble, however, missed out on a hat-trick as Bucknor did not respond to the leg before appeal in the next delivery.
Hussey and Symonds saw the day through as Australia ended the day consolidating their position in the match.
