Mohali, Oct. 1: Sparks flew on the opening day of the first India-Australia cricket Test with Ricky Ponting and Zaheer Khan having an on-field showdown which prompted the match referee to summon the Indian pacer after the end of day’s play.
The incident occurred in the 42nd over which was being bowled by Harbhajan Singh.
All-rounder Shane Watson pushed the fourth ball of that over towards mid-wicket and called Ponting who was batting on 71 for a quick single. Before the Australian skipper could make his ground, Suresh Raina’s direct throw hit the stumps.
After third umpire Sanjay Hazare adjudged him run-out, Ponting was walking back towards the pavilion when he turned back after hearing some comments from Zaheer.
With the Indian players standing in a pack, Ponting walked back towards them pointing the bat at them when he was intervened by Billy Bowden. Good sense prevailed after that and he walked back to the pavilion.
Match referee Chris Broad summoned Zaheer at the end of the day’s play and had a word with him but according to team official Mayank Parikh, it was just a “friendly interaction” and there was no official caution or fine as such.
Australian opener Shane Watson, who addressed the media after the day’s play, was forthright in stating that it was Zaheer whose remarks escalated the tension. “I didn’t know what happened in the middle. Only later I saw the footage. It was Zaheer who came out of the huddle and his remarks escalated the incident. Ricky is not someone who will go out there to pick up a fight. He reacted only after something was said. We know what’s the line we shouldn’t cross,” Watson said.
India spinner Pragyan Ojha, however, sought to play down the issue. “It often happens when you are competitive. There are times when words are exchanged,” Ojha told reporters.
Interestingly, at the pre-match media conference on Thursday, Ponting had said that he doesn’t want any negativity or bad blood during the series as world cricket is still suffering in the wake of spot-fixing controversy involving the Pakistan trio of Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir and Salman Butt.
Stat box
* Ishant Sharma has delivered eight no-balls in Australia’s innings. He has twice bowled 9 balls in an innings — vs Pakistan at Bangalore in 2007-08 and vs South Africa at Kolkata in 2009-10.
* Ponting has extended his record for most ‘run-outs’ (14) in Tests. Rahul Dravid, Matthew Hayden and Allan Border have recorded 12 such dismissals.
* Shane Watson’s unbeaten 101 at a strike rate of 36.20 is his second hundred in Tests — his first against India.
* Watson’s career-best is 120 not out against Pakistan at Melbourne in December 2009.
* Watson is the first Australian batsman to register a century at PCA Stadium, Mohali, obliterating his 78 in October 2008.
* Watson’s aforesaid innings is his slowest of his 11 50-plus knocks.
* Ricky Ponting (71) has posted his maiden fifty at PCA Stadium, Mohali. His seventh half-century against India is his 53rd in Tests.
* Shane Watson and Ponting put on 141 for the second wicket — a partnership record for Australia at Mohali for any wicket, eclipsing the 84 for the sixth wicket between Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin in October 2008.
* For the first time, Marcus North has posted ducks in successive innings. In his previous outing against Pakistan at Leeds, he had posted a duck. Overall, he has five ducks to his credit.