Tendulkars bizzare dismissal overshadows Aussies
victory march
ADELAIDE: Indian skipper Sachin Tendulkar’s contentious dismissal for the second
time in two days left them facing certain defeat against Australia on the fourth
day of the first cricket Test in Adelaide on Monday.
Tendulkar, India’s main batsman, was declared leg-before by Australian umpire
Daryl Harper when he was hit below the left shoulder by a short ball from fast
bowler Glenn McGrath which did not rise as anticipated.
Set 396 for victory, India slumped to 76 for five by the close of play, still
319 behind with only five second innings wickets in hand and a full day to go.
Leg-spinner Shane Warne and paceman Glenn McGrath captured two wickets each
while Damien Fleming grabbed a fifth to put Australia in total control of the
first of the three Test.
Three Indian batsmen, including their brilliant captain Sachin Tendulkar, made
ducks while Rahul Dravid and Sadagoppan Ramesh also went cheaply as they made
dismal attempts to win the match.
India were sent into bat after Australian captain Steve Waugh declared his
team’s second innings closed at 239-8 after tea, setting the tourists an
imposing total of 396 for victory.
Their run-chase could not have got off to a worse start as they lost two wickets
within the first nine balls. Opener Devang Gandhi went for a duck when he was
caught behind by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist from the last ball of McGrath’s
first over.
Venkatasai Laxman departed three balls later, also without scoring, when Fleming
found a gap between bat and pad and sent the ball crashing onto his stumps.
Warne collected the first of his two wickets when Rahul Dravid gloved a catch to
Gilchrist for six before McGrath got the vital wicket of Tendulkar in bizarre
fashion.
Attempting to duck under a short-pitched delivery, the Indian captain was given
out leg before wicket when the ball skidded through and hit him on the shoulder
as he was crouching down.
Tendulkar, who was also given out to a dubious decision in the first innings,
appeared displeased by the ruling although television replays of the ball’s
trajectory suggested it would have probably clipped the top of the bails.
India’s last real hopes of salvaging a draw effectively disappeared with
Tendulkar as he trudged back to the dressing room with the visitors in dire
straits at 27-4. Ramesh had played a steady innings to reach 28 but gave his
wicket away when he padded up to Warne and was given out lbw without offering a
shot.
Warne now just needs one more wicket to become the first bowler in history to
claim 350 Test victims. In the final overs, Saurav Ganguly was given the benefit
of the doubt to a confident appeal for caught behind as he clawed his way to 31
not out by stumps with Mannava Prasad unbeaten on six.
India’s late collapse undid all their good work from earlier in the day when
they forced Australia to declare their second innings at 239. Resuming at 71-2,
Australia’s batsmen were unable to score quickly as India’s bowlers successfully
tied them down.
Mark and Steve Waugh both fell cheaply before lunch while Ricky Ponting, Warne
and Greg Blewett all departed before tea, with Blewett top scoring with 88.
Gilchrist belted a quick 43 before he fell in the final session, prompting Waugh
to call an end to the innings and send the tourists in.