| Font Size |
India lost the first Test at the MCG by 122 runs and now for the second successive time they have lost with more than a day to spare. They have now suffered the ignominy of losing as many as six consecutive Test matches on foreign soil.
Resuming at 114 for 2, India were all out for 400 with 25-odd overs of the fourth day's play still remaining.
There were as many as four half centuries in the Indian innings – Gautam Gambhir (83), Sachin Tendulkar (80), VVS Laxman (66) and Ravichandran Ashwin ( 62) – yet none produced a gritty effort which could take the match into the fifth day.
Tendulkar again came close to the historic milestone of 100 international centuries but was dismissed by part-timer Michael Clarke to break a few million Indian hearts.
Even though the visitors chalk up 400 runs in their second innings, 114 runs came for the last three wickets by when the match was as good as over.
Ben Hilfenhaus ripped the heart out of India's batting, claiming Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his victims for figures of 5 for 106.
Peter Siddle took 2 for 88 while James Pattinson, Michael Clarke and Nathan Lyon shared the other three wickets.
The two teams will now travel to Perth for the third Test beginning January 13.
The morning session had promised some rearguard action by the Indians as 129 runs accrued for the loss of a solitary wicket of Gautam Gambhir.
Gambhir, overnight 68, was out on 83 when his attempted push towards mid-on only resulted in a slice to point where David Warner accepted the simple chance with glee. The southpaw batted for 217 minutes and faced 142 balls slamming 11 fours.
The opener from Delhi once glided James Pattinson through slips and then hammered a four off the backfoot against him before ending his innings in a disappointing manner.
Tendulkar, batting on overnight score of 8, had once spent 51 balls without scoring last evening but was in an aggressive mood to start with.
He reeled off a series of fours off Ben HIlfenhaus, five in all and all in the point region, as he quickly moved towards his half century.
VVS Laxman, who came to the crease with scores of 2,1,2 from three innings, was dropped on nought by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin down the legside off a Siddle delivery.
The right-hander then got into his stride and what helped him was the introduction of off-spinner Nathan Lyon into the attack.
Laxman began with a flicked four off Lyon and then cover drove Siddle through the covers from the other end. He then cover drove the off-spinner to get his innings underway.
Due to the enterprise of the batsmen this morning,
Indians added 79 runs from 13 overs in the first hour's play.
Tendulkar, from the other end, reached his half century with flick for two to fine leg. In took the master batsman 89 balls and 138 minutes to reach his half century with seven fours.
Tendulkar took only 48 balls to add 42 runs to his overnight score this morning.
Laxman and Tendulkar looked in good touch, the former cutting Hilfenhaus smartly and Tendulkar repeating the dose against Pattinson. The senior-most player also played his trademark uppercut off Pattinson.
It was a satisfactory pre-lunch session for the visitors who put on 129 runs off 27 overs. Tendulkar, unbeaten on 70, was looking good for his hundred.
But the floodgates were opened once Tendulkar nicked a delivery from part-time left-arm spin of Michael Clarke to Michael Hussey at first slip via the gloves of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Tendulkar had added 10 more runs to his lunch time score through ones and twos when he came forward almost in a pre-meditated manner to Clarke and could do no better than edge a chance.
Australians had resorted to bowling Clarke and Michael Hussey from the two ends in a bid to claim the second new ball as quickly as possible. Tendulkar's scalp, just an over before the second new ball was claimed, was an unexpected gift to the hosts.
Tendulkar made his 80 runs from 140 balls in 215 minutes hitting nine boundaries.
The second new ball was now claimed and three wickets were now to fall off 22 deliveries. Hilfenhaus, that tormentor of the Indian batting in the series, made one leave Laxman's defensive blade and just brushed his off-stump to take out the bails.
Laxman (66) batted for 132 minutes and 119 balls and struck seven fours. Skipper Dhoni (2) offered a return catch to Hilfenhaus which needed television replays to affirm that the catch wasn't a bumped offer.
Virat Kohli (9), continuing his miserable form in Test cricket, tried to flick a delivery from Pattinson but it kept low and found him plumb in-front of the stumps.
Ashwin and Zaheer Khan then hit out lustily, more so the left-arm paceman who once clobbered a six and four off successive deliveries from Pattinson.
The 50-run stand for the eighth wicket duly arrived when Zaheer Khan stroked tweaker Nathan Lyon through the covers for three. It took them 44 balls and a mere 32 minutes for the landmark. Zaheer's pyrotechnics finally ended when he lobbed a catch to Shaun Marsh at point, having made his 35 runs from 26 balls and hit five fours and a six.
At the tea break, Indians were 351 for 8, still 117 runs adrift. India's tail wagged a little in the final session, Ashwin doing his batting average no harm with a well-compiled half century.
After 42 runs were put for the ninth wicket, Ishant Sharma was ruled leg before out to off-spinner Lyon. Ashwin was the last man out for 62 made off 76 balls with nine fours and a six.
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
I watched both tests. My assesment is that Indian Bowlers do not have any venom in their sting while their top batsmen are aging. The new lot of Indian batsmen are not test standard because theur technique is compromisedby 20/20 IPL. I think in future India will find it difficult to produce Tandulkars because of excessive IPL. Keep in mind that Bowlers win tests while batsmen will 1days and 20/20. The solution is to prepare green top bouncy wickets in sub continent if both India/Pak wants to win overseas.
There is no point in Blaming Sachin or IPL etc. Indian team clearly showed the same problems 10 years ago. Lack of preparation including bad fielding, lack of strategy and underestimating the opposition due to hype and silly thinking. People like Dravid and Sewag dont seem to have the hunger anymore infact they should learn from sachin. Aussies have hunger and determination to win and they applied it by not underestimating the Indian team. Indians have a weakness of always getting carried away by the media hype and not focusing. This problem has been eternal team after team.
Some uncertainty is admissible even for the best, but India always is done in by the pace with line and length and swing. Indians deserve this,for the BCCI doesn't seem to insist on training their team with lively wickets in India to enable the players to be competitive on foreign soils. Pakistan proves that quality players sprout in every alley & back-street, while the 1.2 billion Indians are not able to dominate this game in spite of its "craziness" about it. The "humble" Indians may never match the beef-eating westerners (& most non-Indians) with competitiveness built into their psyche unless there are many gifted players as Tendulkar born among them. Westerners take their professions seriously, while family and friends are quite important for Indians. That is why scientific research & technolgy are found so much more in the west & even in China these days.
If you play for your country and do not chase money 24/7 the results are there for all to see. Hang your heads in shame and learn from the Aussie captain.
The worlds "best batsman" not scoring for 51 balls - is it team or he first? i think we get hyper more than we play! NOw that 100th 100 has eluded, few more promosing youngsters need to warm the bench.
Lets face it, these guys including Sachin should retire and allow youngsters in - who cares about records. The majority of the team is there for a holiday not to play cricket
Very Said for suchin ... we knows that this macth we can not archive but we will be happy if sachin could make his 100th century but it's ok Best off Luck for next time .
Watching the Indian players up close in Australia, I can say its not the players fault. To them its about job security just as in every other profession. Despite mediocre performance and lack of aptitude no one is willing to face up to reality because playing is all they know. Its also an extremely difficult transition from an India cap to a 'has been' as the players thrive on adulation. For example, in Australia the players always have minders but ex players visiting aren't even recognised. The sponsors and player management surely also influence selection decisions to ensure the lucrative sponsorship contracts get a return on investment. Lastly, bar a few most Indian players look timid and ordinary in physical prowess compared to the Westerners. Little wonder then they dont have the height and strength to hook the rising ball on Western pitches. I think its time to review the BBCI and the overall management of cricket in India. And to stop idolising the cricketers.
It is very tough for an ardent Indian Cricket supporter, to see this current team crumble under pressure. Here we are talking again for Sachin's missed 100, but why can't we appreciate the triple hundred scored by Michael Clarke. While Aussies scrored one triple hundred, one 150, one 130; our famed batting line up failed to score a single century. This is really tough and heart breaking for Indian cricket fans. I think India should start preparing bouncy pitches which assist both bowlers and batsmen instead of preparing flat tracks at home. Our batting flaws become exposed once we bat on juicier, greener tracks. This seems to be a solution right now. Good batsmen should be able to handle any type of track.
Congratulations Clarke for the great declaration and tripple century.The efforts of depleted Indian team should be apprecited for scoring 400 runs in second innings.Since there are no hopes of winning the series,it's time to say good bye to Sehwag,Kohli,Dravid,Sachin,Laxman and Ishant Sharma.Give chance to Rahane,Rohit Sharma,Pragyan Ozha,Yuvraj,Pujara and Jadeja.Atleast these youngsters will get exposure to best bowling attack and the conditions.Sachin,Dravid and Laxman should retire immediately.All Indians were expecting high centuries ( Double / Tripple hundreds )from the stalwarts but they failed miserably and they should be ashamed of what they have done for the country.Disgusting, if they continue playing in the third test.
Why is it a 'disgrace' if we lose a match (whatever be the margin)? When we win, we celebrate and worship our players as 'Gods' and when we lose we call them 'disgrace'? When do our newspapers and media learn to be more sensible in reprting the news rather than 'sensationalising'. What if Sachin did not score hundredth hundred? Has he not performed well enough to score 80 odd in both innings? Did not Dhoni shore up in first innings? Don't sensationalise non-issues - like paid advertisements for movies and raising / downgrading one's stature in sports.
Aussies are a strong team. They however employ tactics where in they just play 50% of the game and the crowd or the umpire like Daryl Haire do the remaining 50% of the job for them. Also it is just a game. Next time Aussies come here, we can reciprocate similar courtesies to them too and they can go back home with a series defeat.
It is about time Laxman and Dravid should retire and let some younger player take their place. They just appear for the sake of past glorious only on Indian soil.Te selectors should also look for new Indian Capitan with desire/fire to win.
Why do we bother with this stupid game and stupid team? We have made them so rich they dont care and our other sports languish.......Surely as a nation we can do better than follow these useless characters masquerading as sportsmen
It is no wonder India looses on foreigh land. There are number of reasons. First, cricket schedules are so tight that players do not get time to rest or stay with faily for a reasonable time. Second, the IPL has made all to count only money forgeting that cricket is a sport. Third, the indian wickets are so made that players score tons of runs easily which ultimately get contracts to promote foreign brands of consumer products. All in all, it is a game intended to loot poor people of India by foreign brands which produce sub standard products for Indians and market and sell the same with impunity.
The so called "best batting" line up is shattered again.Remember the "white wash" against England. We struggled against the in experienced week West Indians also . Now we will be thrashed by Australians in the remaining two tests also as correctly predicted by Mcgrowth of australia.Even bringing kenya, bangladesh or holland will not have a chance for sachin to get century. It will be difficult for him to get another century. No courage to get that.IS there any match winning innings from him so far?
Test cricket IS real cricket. Any team that is no good at test cricket is not good at cricket. No matter what their records are in the 50-overs and 20-overs nonsense. The true face of Indian cricket and Indian cricketers is pasted on every wall for the people to see. Indians should stop taking pride in their cricket (or in their anything for that matter). A true shame. Chandran, India
no doubt.. I knw early it vl hPpn.. AUS wrap dis series 4-0.. or 3-0 surely... india must call back Harbhajan singh & opener wasim jaffer. I think this is the best Line up ... 1. Wasim jaffer/AAkash chopra (Replace gambhir) 2. Virender Sehwag 3. Rohit sharma (Repalce kohli) 4. Sachin tendulkar 5. Rahul dravid 6. VVS Laxman 7. R ASHWIN 8. MS DHONI 9. I.Pathan 10.Harbhajan singh 11.Zaheer khan Wht u say???
there is hardly any disgrace here because we are losing consistently over a long period. It would have been disgrace in case of reversal of the trend!!!! we must think of two separate sets of test team- one domestic test team, other overseas test team(aus/sa/eng/nz)
Here they fail again - pathetically. They should tour Australia and leave. Thants what they came for. We Indians living in Australia will for the country and win. Disgrace!