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| December 27, 2003 | Saturday | Ziqa’ad 3, 1424 |
India take control as Sehwag slams century
MELBOURNE, Dec 26: Virender Sehwag smashed a magnificent century to put India in a commanding position of 329 for four after the first day of the third Test against Australia on Friday.
Sehwag faced 233 balls and hit 25 fours and five sixes in his 195, his highest Test score.
At the close, captain Saurav Ganguly (20) and Vangipurappu Laxman (6) were at the crease after putting on 18 for the fifth wicket.
India, who elected to bat, lead the four-match series 1-0.
Australia are trying to avoid their first series defeat at home since losing to West Indies 2-1 in 1992-93.
The tourists had crawled to 24 without loss in the first hour of play but Sehwag soon took charge with a series of blazing cuts and off-drives.
Sehwag put on century partnerships with Rahul Dravid (49) and opener Akash Chopra (48) before India lost three for 25 in the final session.
Sachin Tendulkar came to the crease at 278 for two following Dravid’s dismissal hoping to improve on a poor series in which he had scored just 38 runs in three innings.
Tendulkar failed again, however, falling for a first-ball duck when he was caught by wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist down the legside off the bowling of Brett Lee.
Sehwag carried on with his free-scoring innings and hit part-time spinner Simon Katich for six over midwicket in the 75th over to reach 195.
He attempted the same shot on the next ball but was caught by a diving Nathan Bracken on the legside boundary at 311 for four in the 79th over.
Sehwag added 141 runs with Chopra after the pair survived a fiery opening from pacemen Lee and Bracken to reach lunch at 89 without loss.
Lee hit Sehwag twice on the helmet and Chopra also ducked into a bouncer from Bracken in the opening overs.
Chopra’s defiant three-hour innings ended when he was caught bat and pad by Katich off the bowling of leg spinner Stuart MacGill, who took 1-70 off 14 overs.
Sehwag clipped Brad Wiliams through midwicket for four in the 48th over to reach his fifth test hundred off 144 balls.
The 25-year-old from Delhi, playing in his 19th Test, leapt into the air in celebration before hugging Dravid and saluting the Melbourne Cricket Ground crowd of 62,613.
Australia captain Steve Waugh had Dravid caught by Damien Martyn at square leg in the 73rd over with the score on 278.
The second Test hero hit five fours and faced 89 balls, adding 137 in 105 minutes with Sehwag.
Waugh immediately swung Lee back into the attack who claimed Tendulkar’s wicket two overs later.
India made one change to the team that won last week’s second Test in Adelaide.
Fast bowler Zaheer Khan returned for Irfan Pathan after overcoming a hamstring injury.
Australia recalled paceman Lee for the injured Jason Gillespie who was ruled out after breaking down with a groin strain in the second Test.
The home side also gave left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken his second Test cap, making the more experienced Andy Bichel 12th man.
Scoreboard
INDIA (1st Innings):
A. Chopra c Katich b MacGill 48
V. Sehwag c Bracken b Katich 195
R.S. Dravid c Martyn b Waugh 49
S.R. Tendulkar c Gilchrist b Lee 0
S.C. Ganguly not out 20
V.V.S. Laxman not out 6
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-1, NB-7) 11
TOTAL (for four wkts, 90 overs) 329
FALL OF WKTS: 1-141, 2-278, 3-286, 4-311.
TO BAT: P.A. Patel, A.B.Agarkar, A.R. Kumble, Zaheer Khan, A. Nehra.
BOWLING (to-date): Lee 21-5-80-1 (6nb); Bracken 23-6-58-0; Williams 19-6-65-0 (1w); MacGill 14-2-70-1 (1nb); Katich 4-0-18-1; Waugh 9-0-35-1.
AUSTRALIA: J.L. Langer, M.L. Hayden, R.T. Ponting, D.R. Martyn, S.R. Waugh, S.M. Katich, A.C. Gilchrist, B. Lee, B.A. Williams, S.C.G. MacGill, N.W. Bracken.
UMPIRES: B.F. Bowden (New Zealand) and D.R. Shepherd (England).
TV UMPIRE: R.L. Parry (Australia).
MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).—Reuters
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