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| December 30, 2003 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 6, 1424 |
Dravid defiant but Australia eye victory
MELBOURNE, Dec 29: Rahul Dravid scored a defiant 92 as India set Australia 95 to win after being bowled out for 286 at the close of the fourth day of the third Test on Monday.
India, who trailed Australia by 192 runs on the first innings, started the day strongly but lost their last six wickets for 33 runs on a slowly crumbling Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch.
Australia claimed only two wickets in the first four hours of play as India went to tea at 182 for four. But the tourists, who lead the four-match series 1-0, fell away as paceman Brad Williams grabbed four for 53.
Williams ensured Sachin Tendulkar’s lean run continued when he dismissed the champion right-hander for 44.
Vangipurappu Laxman fell to leg-spinner Stuart MacGill for 18 before Dravid played a loose shot outside off stump and was caught behind off the bowling of Brett Lee at 253 for five.
Dravid, who dominated India’s victory in the second Test in Adelaide earlier this month by making 233 and 72 not out, batted for more than five-and-a-half hours and hit 13 boundaries.
The 30-year-old put on 87 for the third wicket with Tendulkar and another 93 valuable runs with captain Saurav Ganguly as India edged forward of Australia’s first innings total of 558.
Dravid’s dismissal in the fourth over with the second new ball brought wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel to the crease but it was Ganguly, on 73, who was next to go, dragging a ball from Nathan Bracken on to his stumps.
Williams quickly removed tailenders Ajit Agarkar (1), Anil Kumble (0) and Zaheer Khan (1) before Patel made a plucky 27 not out.
Resuming on 27 for two after openers Virender Sehwag (11) and Akash Chopra (4) were out cheaply, India started nervously when Ganguly ducked into a Williams bouncer and retired hurt with his score on 16 and the team total at 39 for two in the fifth over of the morning.
Tendulkar, who scored 0, 1, 37 and 0 in the opening two Tests, overcame a slow start to hit five stylish boundaries in his 79-ball innings before he was caught behind.
Laxman was out at 160 for four, bringing Ganguly back to the crease.
Australia took control of the third Test when Ricky Ponting scored a career-best 257 on Sunday to guide Australia to 558 in their first innings in reply to India’s 366 which included a magnificent 195 from Sehwag.
Ponting and Australia opener Matthew Hayden (136) put on 234 for the second wicket. India spinner Anil Kumble bowled a marathon 51 overs, taking 6-176.
Scoreboard
INDIA (1st Innings) 366 (V. Sehwag 195).
AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 558 (R.T. Ponting 257, M.L. Hayden 136; A.R. Kumble 6-176).
INDIA (2nd Innings, overnight 27-2):
A. Chopra c G’christ b Bracken 4
V. Sehwag c Williams b Lee 11
R.S. Dravid c G’christ b Lee 92
S.C. Ganguly b Bracken 73
S.R. Tendulkar c G’christ b Williams 44
V.V.S. Laxman c Hayden b MacGill 18
P.A. Patel not out 27
A.B. Agarkar b Williams 1
A.R. Kumble lbw b Williams 0
Zaheer Khan c Hayden b Williams 1
A. Nehra c Hayden b MacGill 0
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-3, W-1, NB-7) 15
TOTAL (all out, 99.5 overs) 286
FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-19, 3-126, 4-160, 5-253, 6-258, 7-271, 8-271, 9-277.
BOWLING: Lee 22-3-97-2 (3nb); Bracken 25-13-45-2; Williams 22-5-53-4 (1w); MacGill 26.5-5-68-2 (4nb); Katich 4-0-16-0.
NOTE: Ganguly retired hurt on 16 at 39-2 and returned at 160-4.—Reuters
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