Oct. 4: What it gave during the day, was gone in the evening. Ishant Sharma (3/34) and Co. got the ball to rear up from a treacherous Day Four pitch to leave India with an achievable 216-run target in the first Test here, but Australia’s Ben Hilfenhaus (3/22) exploited the same roughs on the surface to devastating effect to push the visitors back in front.
India lost Gautam Gambhir (0), Rahul Dravid (13), Virender Sehwag (17) and Suresh Raina (0) within minutes of each other to vicious and often unplayable bowling that made Mohali track seem like a Perth one.
After Australia were shot out for 192, India ended the day at 55/4, a further 161 runs away from the target with just Sachin Tendulkar — batting on unbeaten 10 along with nightwatchman Zaheer Khan (5 n.o.) — and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to bank upon on Day Five.
There are still doubts over V.V.S Laxman’s fitness; down with a bad back, he had come in at No. 10 in the first innings. The target looks imposing given that the track is rapidly breaking apart. Eight wickets fell in the final session of play, four from either side. And if the hosts can achieve the target on Tuesday, it will fourth-highest successful chase in Tests in India.
India lost the plot very early into their second batting stint with Gambhir falling to a questionable lbw decision from umpire Billy Bowden the very first ball he faced off Hilfenhaus. The opener seemed unlucky; the replays showing he had edged the ball. The other dismissals came as a result of pure intimidation from the pacers who unleashed a barrage of bouncers on Sehwag, Dravid and Raina.
It was a remarkable turnaround after a thoroughly professional display from the Indian bowlers, each of which looked at the top of their game on Monday.
Aussies began well unlike the Indians with Zaheer (3/43) bowling deliveries cross-seam in the hope that it would it would scruff up the more ball quickly and aid in reverse swing. That gave Shane Watson a chance to dominate for the first time, and he along with Simon Katich quickly built on their slender 23-run lead en route to their 87-run stand.
Watson, like Sehwag, pulled balls even a tad outside off-stump to off-set the bowler’s line. Ironically though, it led to his fall, and that off the team as well.
The game-changing over came an hour into the day’s play when Watson, after taking three fours off Ishant in a miserable two-over first spell, dragged a very short and wide ball onto his stumps off the bowler in his second spell. Four balls later, yet another short ball had accounted for skipper Ricky Ponting (4). Michael Clarke (4) too could not evade a sharp bouncer that took his gloves on its way to Dhoni.
Three quick dismissals forced Australians to once gain resort to their first innings’ strategy of cutting down on shots. That proved to be their undoing.
Australia 1st innings 428
India 1st innings: 405
australia 2nd innings
S. Watson b Sharma 56, S. Katich c Dhoni b Ojha 37, R. Ponting c Raina b Sharma 4, M. Clarke c Dhoni b Sharma 4, M. Hussey lbw b Harbhajan 28, M. North c sub (Pujara) b Harbhajan 10, T. Paine c sub (Pujara) b Ojha 9, M. Johnson c Dhoni b Zaheer 3, N. Hauritz b Zaheer 9, B. Hilfenhaus b Zaheer 6, D. Bollinger not out 5.
Extras (b-12, lb-4, nb-5) 21
Total (60.5 overs) 192/10
Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-91, 3-96, 4-138, 5-154, 6-165, 7-165, 8-170, 9-183, 10-192.
Bowling: Zaheer 11.5-1-43-3, Ishant Sharma 9-2-34-3, Harbhajan 23-7-40-2, Ojha 17-1-59-2.
india 2nd innings
G. Gambhir lbw b Hilfenhaus 0, V. Sehwag c Hussey b Hilfenhaus 17, R. Dravid c Paine b Bollinger 13, S. Tendulkar n.o.10, S. Raina c North b Hilfenhaus 0, Z. Khan n.o. 5.
Extras (b-4, w-6): 10
Total (in 17 overs) 55/4
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-31, 3-48, 4-48.
Bowling: Hilfenhaus 7-2-22-3, Bollinger 4-0-17-1, Johnson 5-1-11-0, Hauritz 1-0-1-0.