31-Oct-2008 99
Beleaguered Australia fought itself halfway up today in pursuit of India`s colossal first innings total of 7-613 in the third Test at New Delhi. But the most difficult part of the ascent was predicted as yet to come, when the tourists pushed the hosts hard to retrieve a draw which would keep alive the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in which they trail 0-1.
The Aussie batsmen were able to bat with some security on the third day and were placed 4-338 at the close - largely due to Matthew Hayden (83) and Simon Katich (64). The middle order batsmen were provided a solid podium by the noteworthy opening stand. Captain Ricky Ponting (87) Mike Hussey (53) and Michael Clarke (21no) ensured at the very least that Australia`s resistance of their tiara will makes it to the fifth day at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground.
Hussey`s dismissal by Virender Sehwag (3-62) that broke past his tentative blade to thwack off stump demonstrated the sheer size of the struggle ahead. Although only four wickets fell on the day, there was a chronic sense of danger, as the home attack once again bettered their visiting counterparts in terms of swing, spin, accuracy and inventiveness on a pitch.
India had to manage most of part without captain Anil Kumble, who was taken to hospital for stitches to a deep cut on his left hand. Sehwag and Amit Mishra (1-95) rolled on deceitfully for the hosts, while Ishant Sharma (0-46) and Zaheer Khan (0-57) curled the old ball usefully in the afternoon. However, there were bounty of runs, still a decent pitch and fast outfield, and both batsmen eventually cleared their way raising a century stand in 125 minutes and 175 balls.
Katich was more eloquent for the most part, but Hayden struck the ball cleanly in his first score of any note on this tour. Though Lunch was within the view, Katich failed to reach it, beaten in flight by Mishra and bowled by a leg break that snapped back sharply out of the rough. Hayden battled on in the afternoon, maintaining the run flow with his usual mishmash of muscle and grit.
Sehwag was eventually rewarded for his doggedness by taking the prized wicket of Hayden. Like Hayden, Ponting wasn`t entirely comfortable against such meticulous attack. His frequent boundaries came mostly from nicks rather than full blooded strokes, and Sharma again gave him several frights. After seeming to have weathered the storm, he was soon bowled out by Sehwag while trying to contemptuously hit the ball.
Clarke found batting a struggle for much of his stay, pushing uncertainly at Mishra`s plummeting legspin when he wasn`t being struck on the gloves by a prancing Sehwag off break.
Yet, contrasting Hussey, he survived.
