Cricket Latest: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 test evenly poised after a gripping second day
The second day of the first test between India and Australia ended with the match evenly poised as the Aussies snared the prize scalp of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Virender-Sehwag-c95429 just before the end of the day’s play.
The right hander from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 taking the catch. Sehwag scored 59 runs off 54 balls
striking 10 fours in his belligerent knock.
Earlier the Australians had pushed their first innings past the 400 mark with a gritty performance by the lower half, led by wicket-keeper Tim Paine who struck a career best 92.
The day started with the visitors once again conservative in their approach towards run making. Overnight centurion Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 struck two more boundaries to take his total to 10 on the way to a career best 126.
His resistance finally ended when off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had him caught at forward short leg by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gautam-Gambhir-c58623.
His runs came off 338 balls and were compiled in a 461 minute stay at the wicket.
After his dismissal, Johnson upped the tempo with some epic hitting. The left arm pacer who has a test hundred under his belt which was scored in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 two years ago cleared the ropes three times in a highly entertaining
knock.
He scored five boundaries also making 47 runs in all off 66 balls; his partnership with Paine yielded 82 runs.
After his demise, Paine took the mantle of scoring runs quickly as he eyed his maiden test hundred.
Meanwhile, Nathan Haurtiz perished for 9 runs as he was smartly held by Gambhir off Harbhajan Singh.
The Australians were in danger of being bowled out under the 400 run mark when Ben Hilfenhaus arrived at the crease. However there was more pain in store for the hosts as Tim Paine continued his assault with the help of Hilfenhaus
who also struck some big blows.
The two added 54 runs in their ninth wicket association that frustrated the hosts further, the partnership ended when Paine succumbed to Zaheer Khan 8 runs short of his ton.
He was smartly taken by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/VVS-Laxman-c2772 in the slips off a ball that jagged away of the seam.
Paine’s knock included 12 fours and came off 196 balls.
The Australian innings folded soon afterwards when last man Doug Bollinger attempted to send the ball out of the park and succeeded in skying an easy catch, giving Ojha his first wicket in the 52nd over
of his marathon spell.
For the hosts, pace ace Zaheer Khan snared five wickets for 94 runs in 30 impressive overs. He was ably supported by the spinners with Harbhajan taking 3 wickets for 114 runs, and Ojha’s single wicket for 113 runs.
The hosts started their reply positively with Sehwag’s bat sending the ball towards the fence regularly in the opening overs of the innings.
The remarkable right hander, who has a knack of scoring at more than a run a ball even in test cricket, raced to his half century before falling to Johnson in the closing stages of the day.
Before his departure, his opening partner Gautam Gambhir had returned to the pavilion after scoring 25 runs off 41 balls.
Gambhir’s innings included two hits to the fence. The pair of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ishant-Sharma-c64566 was at the crease when stumps were drawn for the day.
Dravid is currently on 20, while Sharma has yet to open his account. Day three looks to be another day of enthralling cricket, and could potentially set the fate of the match.
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