A dead end after a day long ‘leg work’

A dead end after a day long ‘leg work’
Kumar Shyam

Mumbai, February 24: It was indeed an yet-so-near-and-yet-so-far situation for Mumbai. A seven-wicket haul by Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne and yet another temperamental innings by captain Steve Waugh saw the visitors manage a draw on Saturday, the last day of their three-day match against Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium. For Mumbai, leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule bagged four important wickets and had the visitors biting their nails during the last session of final day’s play.

Trust the Indian cricketers to fashion a snafu. After all the hard work the final push was once again conspicuous by its absence. Mumbai, overnight at 83/0, were expected to make the most of the launchpad and attack from the word go today. Attack they did, but it the direction was lacking. How could one justify attacking only Warne and that too without any runs scored off him in the bargain of handing out seven wickets to him and boost his confidence ahead of the first Test ?.

Swelled by the cushion of the 125-run lead, Mumbai started off the day with 208 runs of credit. A total of 300 plus would have been competitive and enticing for the visitors to have a go in the last two sessions of play. Yet the Mumbai side chose to commit harakiri and thus delay the run-making process as well as the declaration.

Mumbai supporters, though, might take pride from the fact that the hosts got the privilege of declaring twice and thus underlined their achievement. A target of 317 from a minimum of 48 overs, which Mumbai finally set after declaring 27 minutes after lunch, was a bit high a asking. Paras Mhambrey bowled with zeal again and the spin duo of Bahutule and Kulkarni who was judged the best bowler of the match exposed the Australian batting.

Mhambrey had Slater nick a outswinging ball and Dighe effected a brilliant catch low down with the wicket not offering much bounce. Sairaj then wrecked havoc skittling the top order and Australia were looking down the barrel at 64 for five.A poor umpiring decision did Michael Slater in just when he was looking in good touch. He struck six boundaries in his 32 and was negotiating well. He reached out for a Bahutule delivery but dragged his feet back in time. The umpire, sadly, didn’t think so. Bahutule was rewarded again when Justin Langer, who was also shaping up well, got a rush of blood and stepped out only to hole out a catch to Vinayak Mane in covers.

Bahutule next drew Ponting out and wicketkeeper Dighe sent him back. Gilchrist, promoted before Waugh to get some vital batting practice, also disappointed playing on to the stumps. Mane dropped a crucial catch of Steve at silly point off Bahutule but Warne was run out in a terrible mixup in the next over by a direct throw from Robin Morris. The Aussie were in real trouble at 80 for six with Mark Waugh not able to bat due to injury and three wickets in hand But super skipper proved himself to be the real ‘Wall’. Finding a perfect partner in Damien Fleming, both hung on for one hour and 20 minutes and denied the valiant local side a outright win. What was disappointing to see was the Mumbai bowlers letting go of any hope in the end with Vinod Kambli coming on to bowl the one but last over.

Earlier, Mane and Jaffer departed soon after completing their half centuries in the second essay. Southpaw Jatin Paranjpe struck five boundaries and one six and as long as he was there at the crease, Mumbai were on schedule according to their plan of setting a score of 325 till lunch. However, none of the batsmen, including Vinod Kambli, clicked and that compelled Mumbai to delay its declaration.

Scoreboard
MUMBAI (1ST INNINGS): 328/9 decl.
AUSTRALIA (1ST INNINGS): 203 all out
MUMBAI (2ND INNINGS)
V Mane c Gilchrist b McGrath 57
W Jaffer c Ponting b Warne 52
J Paranjpe c Langer b Warne 35
V Kambli c Hayden b Warne 2
R Morris st Gilchrist b Warne 0
R Powar c Fleming b Warne 13
A Majumdar c sub (Martyn) b Warne 17
S Dighe c sub (Martyn) b Warne 5
S Bahutule not out 7
Extras: (lb-2, nb-1) 3
Total: (For 8 wkts decl) 191
Fall of wickets: 1-103, 2-121, 3-123, 4-123, 5-154,6-166, 7-178, 8-191.
Bowling: McGrath 13-4-31-1, Fleming 11-3-43-0, Warne 21.3-5-56-7, Miller 21-4-57-0, Hayden 1-0-2-0
AUSTRALIA (2ND INNINGS)
M Slater st Dighe b Bahutule 32
M Hayden c Dighe b Mhambrey 6
J Langer c Mane b Bahutule 18
R Ponting st Dighe b Bahutule 2
A Gilchrist b Bahutule 4
S Waugh not out 34
S Warne run out 8
D Fleming not out 22
Extras: (b-4, lb-4, nb-7) 15Total: (For 6 wkts) 141Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-47, 3-57, 4-61, 5-64, 6-80Bowling: Mhambrey 9-3-21-1, Morris 7-1-34-0, Kulkarni 18-7-27-0, Bahutule 15-4-38-4, Powar 5-3-6-0, Kambli 1-0-7-0