By IANS
Melbourne : Skipper Anil Kumble made the centenary Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) a memorable outing for himself as well as India by wresting the initiative from Australia on the opening day Wednesday.
Kumble’s five for 84 restricted Australia to 337 for nine at stumps after they looked headed for a commanding total at the Boxing Day Test when they went in for lunch at 111 without loss.
While Kumble set the tone for the series by leading the side from the front, Matthew Hayden shared the day’s honours by scoring his sixth century at the MCG. The Australian opener gave his team a great start with the in-form Phil Jaques, and his 28th Test century saw to it that his side has a fair amount of runs to bowl against the formidable Indian batting line-up.
Hayden’s love affair with the MCG is such that he has not missed a hundred in a Boxing Day Test since 2001-2002 except once, against Pakistan three seasons ago. However, this was the 36-year-old Queenslander’s first century of the year after the one against England here.
Hayden’s defiant century was not enough for the World Champions to consolidate their position as Kumble first provided the breakthrough and then ran through the middle order. His victims were Phil Jacques (66), Mike Hussey (2), Andrew Symonds (35), Adam Gilchrist (23) and Brett Lee (0).
Ponting had no hesitation in asking Indians to field and Jaques and Hayden gave the Australians the right start by putting on 135 runs. They had their share of luck all right as both were beaten repeatedly in the initial overs, but they managed to negotiate the Indian new ball bowlers Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh’s probing line and length.
It was tough for the two fast bowlers with no third pacer to assist them as India chose to go into the Test with both their world-class spinners, Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. Sourav Ganguly, who is playing his 100th Test here, bowled three overs as a change bowler.
Yet, the Australians could not take off till the fourth over as Zaheer and R.P. Singh made light of their prolonged rest through injuries and the lack of a warm-up game before the Test.
Zaheer, in particular, got his outswing going to trouble Jaques and the opener was lucky to survive some play and miss attempts. Jaques was lucky to have got away with a couple of leg before shouts.
Eventually, Jaques failed to judge Kumble’s tossed up googly and was stumped brilliantly by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Ponting, who came in next, departed soon after as a peach of a Zaheer delivery cleaned him up. Zaheer, coming round the wicket, pitched one that left him a shade to peg Ponting’s off stump.
In the next over, Kumble struck again with his googly to trap Hussey leg before and Australia slumped to 165 for three from 134 for no loss. But Hayden continued to defy the Indians and posted the 99th century by an Australian at the MCG off only 126 balls.
Just as Hayden and Michael Clarke seemed like settling down, Rudra Pratap tempted Clarke to slash at an away going delivery to be caught splendidly by V.V.S. Laxman at second slip.
Zaheer then struck to remove Hayden clipping to mid-on Rahul Dravid and thereafter it was Kumble all the way as Gilchrist, Symonds and Lee fell in a heap without being able to cope with his persisting line and subtle variation.
Symonds’s short-arm pull was snatched by substitute Dinesh Karthik at mid-wicket and four overs later Gilchrist’s swipe at a googly ended in an easy catch to Tendulkar at point.
The Indian captain completed his five-wicket haul on a first day MCG pitch in the 80th over when he trapped Lee leg before to reduce the Australians to 294 for eight.
Seeing Brad Hogg and Mitchell Johnson trying to dig in, Kumble took the new ball after 86 overs and Zaheer struck with the first delivery forcing the lone Australian spinner in the side to edge to Dravid at third slip.
Johnson (10) and Stuart Clark (21) collected some useful runs for the last wicket.
Earlier in the day, India, as expected, got Yuvraj Singh into the side, leaving out Virender Sehwag and pitchforking Rahul Dravid into the opening slot. Australia, too, predictably brought in left-arm spinner Hogg for his fifth Test, leaving out Shaun Tait.