By IANS
Sydney : Andrew Symonds, with an unbeaten 137, and Brad Hogg (79) wrenched the second Test out of India’s grasp and steered Australia to a position of strength on the first day at the SCG Wednesday.
Australia ended the day at 376 for seven after their batting top order was rocked by paceman Rudra Pratap Singh and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in the first three hours of the Test. At 134 for six, the home team were looking down the barrel when Symonds and Hogg in a remarkable counterattack typical of the Australian batting added 174 runs for the seventh wicket.
Rudra Pratap, spearheading the pace attack in the absence of injured Zaheer Khan, picked up four for 108 and Harbhajan got two wickets to put India on top. But some indifferent umpiring by Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor dashed India’s hopes taking command of the Test.
Symonds was given two lives, thanks to the umpires, ruining India’s chances of dismissing the Australians at less than 200 runs. Umpire Bucknor could not hear a big snick off Ishant Sharma when the batsman was on 30 and then the third umpire ruled him not out when TV replays clearly showed that Dhoni had whipped off the bails with his foot in the air.
After winning the toss, Australia lost two quick wickets and were struggling at 27 for two but Ricky Pointing (55) played a captain’s knock to bail them out of the precarious situation.
Rudra Pratap removed openers Phil Jaques for his first Test duck and Matthew Hayden unusually cheaply before Ponting and Mike Hussey (41) brought the contest to an even keel.
Jaques was the first to go without a run on the board as he attempted to swat at a short one to be caught by Dhoni. Singh struck again with a beauty, this time forcing Hayden to edge to be well caught at first slip by Sachin Tendulkar. Hayden made 13.
Ponting was lucky to survive a leg side stumping off his nemesis Harbhajan Singh before steadying the innings. He and Hussey added 92 runs for the third wicket. But Harbhajan had the last laugh when he trapped the Australian captain leg before, though this time Benson did not notice the nick from the bat.
Hussey, Michael Clarke (1) and Adam Gilchrist (7) departed in quick succession and left the Australians reeling before the resurrection act by Symonds and Hogg.
India’s catching was impeccable as Tendulkar took three good catches at first slip.
The Australians lost four wickets in the space of 15 runs, three of those for two runs, and just when the Indians looked like stopping Australia’s charge for a sixteenth Test win on the trot, things turned around in the last session. Despite the quick loss of wickets, the home team maintained a rollicking run rate.