By Ashis Ray, IANS
Melbourne : The “drop in” wicket at the MCG appeared dodgy enough on Day One. It looked dodgier at the end of Day 3, worn out and full of cracks. The effect of the heavy roller disguised the devil in it during the eight overs India were called upon to bat on it.
There was, earlier, variable pace and bounce; several deliveries hurried through; and puffs of dust suggested it was becoming powdery. But batsmen demonstrating patience and coming full stretch forward successfully negotiated the threat.
It was sunny and 33 degrees on Friday and the next two days are forecast to be hotter still. This can have two effects: it can increase the craters on the pitch; and it can quickly tire out the fast bowlers. The former would suit the Aussies; the latter might benefit the Indians.
Mathew Hayden makes bowlers tremble with his bravado and awesome power. But he can also get carried away. Harbhajan Singh, introduced to tackle him, kept his cool. To start with, he bowled slower than on the 1st day. He, then, tossed one up to the left-hander and made it dip. Unable to resist the temptation, the batsman stepped out to bludgeon the off-spinner over long-on. He failed to reach the pitch of the ball and only miscued to long-off.
Harbhajan’s stirring success against Australia in 2001 – when he devoured 32 wickets in three tests – 28 of these in two – was founded on being able to generate unusual bounce. This is precisely what surprised Ricky Ponting, more than the top-spinner, as he edged to slip and departed cheaply for the second time in the match – an unexpected windfall for India.
Indeed, the otherwise gluttonous Mike Hussey has also been relatively unsuccessful in this match; this time chasing a widish delivery from R P Singh. But Phil Jaques, with half-centuries in either innings, has been consistent, though neither he nor Hussey seemed to read Kumble.
Zaheer Khan, using the older ball, immediately reverse swung one into Andrew Symonds to shatter the stumps. But to the bowler’s mortification – and quite rightly – it was declared a “no ball”. Zaheer got his man, though, coming on from around the wicket. A change of angle, which the now experienced Zaheer has become adept at affecting, is always a clever ploy when things are not going your way.
The batsman of the day, though, was Michael Clarke. In the previous series during this Australian summer, he handled Muttiah Muralitharan better than any of his team-mates. His judicious use of feet against spinners has thrust him into a role of trying to hit them off their length. Whether gliding down the track to drive or rocking back to cut, he was technically excellent.
Yet, if you live by the sword, you die by the sword. Rushing out once too often to Kumble, he played for a leg-spinner when it turned out to be a googly. He was stumped by miles.
It was delightful to see Harbhajan and Kumble operate in tandem outside the sub-continent. The latter’s decision to pick his spin partner rather than a third seamer has been justified. The Sikh’s wickets in the 2nd innings, including inducing a top-edge from Adam Gilchrist attempting to sweep, should restore self-confidence.
The flatter seam of the Kookaburra is perhaps not suited to Harbhajan’s style of gripping the ball. But he needs to overcome this reservation if he is to succeed in the Antipodes.
But what the Indian bowlers failed to achieve was to curb the Australian run rate. Notwithstanding a slow pitch, a heavy outfield and the difficulty of timing the ball, they motored along at four runs an over. A slower run rate would have compelled Ponting to bat into the fourth day – as he wouldn’t have felt comfortable without establishing an overall lead of around 500 – and consequently reduced India’s batting time in the 4th innings.
The tourists’ first objective has got to be to save the match. They have to occupy the crease for 188 overs in order to do so. In the unlikely event of them scenting victory, time is not an issue. No side have ever amassed 499 in the fourth innings to win a test. It would be a miracle if India accomplished this.