01 October 2004	Friday	15 Shaban 1425

MUMBAI, Sept 30: Australia began their Indian tour on Thursday with an aggressive batting display by Matthew Hayden on the rain-curtailed first day of a three-day match against Mumbai.

The left-handed opener smashed seven fours and two sixes in 67 off 82 balls as the tourists reached 159-3 by stumps after electing to bat on a slow wicket at the Brabourne Stadium.

Only 52 of the stipulated 90 overs were bowled during the day after overnight rains delayed the start till an hour after lunch. Play was extended by an hour but ended due to poor light as dark clouds gathered again.

Australia left out star leg-spinner Shane Warne and fast bowlers Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz for the only practice match before the first Test starts in Bangalore next Wednesday.

All three are almost certain to take the field at Bangalore but the tourists preferred to give a chance to pace man Brett Lee and all-rounder Shane Watson to stake their claims.

Hayden and opening partner Justin Langer took advantage of the brief period of play to notch up 69 for the first wicket. Langer made 24 before he edged Test contender Ajit Agarkar to wicket-keeper Vinayak Samant soon after the tea break.

Hayden appeared set for a three-figure knock when he was beaten in flight by Mumbai captain and leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule and hit a catch back to the bowler. Simon Katich, expected to replace injured captain Ricky Ponting in the pivotal number three position for the first two Tests, made a fluent 30 before he holed out to mid-on off left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni. At close, Damien Martyn was unbeaten on 28 and Brad Hodge was on six.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings):

J.L. Langer c Samant b Agarkar 24

M.L. Hayden c and b Bahutule 67

S.M. Katich c Indulkar b Kulkarni 30

D.R. Martyn not out 28

B.J. Hodge not out 6

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-3) 4

TOTAL (for three wickets) 159

FALL OF WKTS: 1-69, 2-108, 3-146.

TO BAT: A.C. Gilchrist, M.J. Clarke, S.R. Watson, N.M. Hauritz, B. Lee, G.D. McGrath.

BOWLING (to-date): Agarkar 10-3-23-1; Powar 12-1-56-0; Salvi 9-2-24-0; Kulkarni 9-2-22-1; Bahutule 12-2-33-1 (3nb).

MUMBAI: Wasim Jaffer, V. Mane, V.G. Kambli, A. Muzumdar, V. Indulkar, V. Samant, S.V. Bahutule, A.B. Agarkar, R.R. Powar, A.M. Salvi, N.M. Kulkarni. -Agencies