Fourth Spinner Does It For India!

On a labourious day for both teams, it was hard to find a semblance of result in the match. But if somehow India make it happen, it would have to include the largesse of a spinner who was not even considered!

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Australia may have been dubbed defensive by everyone from the Zaheer Khan, V.V.S. Laxman to the local paanwalla. But their problems with the batting have stemmed largely from the man who was expected to do well against India. Matthew Hayden did not come to idea suffering from the same stigma as the Australian skipper. Ricky Ponting was making every effort to shake off his average of twelve but it appeared Hayden was in a hurry to take on the mantle. His desperation at Mohali gave the Indians much hope.

But since then, Hayden has had to make a conscious effort to eliminate the shots including the sweep that brought about his downfall, attempt to play each ball on its merit and keep it as straight as possible. The labour paid dividends in that Australia managed to survive the closing stages of day two without losing a wicket in light of India’s mammoth first innings total but also, make the third day even more difficult.

Wickets came at a premium. Runs were not too easy to come by. Tactics differed as did the results on day three. If India went back into the dressing room smiling, it was because they had found the loss of their skipper compensated by the man with the golden arm. On a day when even the bees flattened players on the field, Anil Kumble’s attempt to pull off a catch resulted in a blessing little finger on his left hand that required medical attention. Once again Mahendra Singh Dhoni was handed the reins for the third time in as many matches.

Kumble’s injury could have proved more detrimental to India’s cause, especially in light of the fact that the pitch was still aiding scoring and the Australian batsmen were all getting settled in for reasonably lengthy periods of time. Kumble’s place back in the final eleven came after Harbhajan Singh was ruled out with a toe injury, not enabling India the possibility of using the five bowler theory on a pitch that seems perfect for victory with five match winning bowlers in their own right. That Amit Mishra was now left alone to do the job of two, leave alone three, proved even more difficult as India struggled to pick up wickets.

But Virender Sehwag has this uncanny trait of picking up wickets which is why he was quickly deployed for longer duty. Naturally he didn’t disappoint. Three big fish in the pocket and the Australian tail was just around the corner. Sehwag’s final pick of the day included catching half century maker and prolific Australian on this tour, Mike Hussey, who found his furniture disturbed by Sehwag’s coming round the wicket. It was a crucial blow with just three overs remaining.

But Sehwag effected it twice more before to halt the Australians every time they seem to get a disconcerting partnership going. Amit Mishra managed to break the lengthy opening partnership that involved a decently shaping Simon Katich and a striving Hayden. But thereafter it was the Sehwag show that gave India hope even as Hayden and Ponting approached centuries.

Sehwag had Hayden trapped on eighty-three with Australia 202 for two. Eighty-two runs later as Ponting and Hussey was looking ominous, Sehwag struck for India. Ponting fell to Sehwag’s guile as well on ‘unlucky’ eighty-seven. Just when another partnership was ripening between Hussey and Michael Clarke, Sehwag gave India the final breakthrough of the day giving India something to look forward to tomorrow after a day’s toiling that yielded slow results even as Australia would know that they had done a good job of the third day’s play but that still much needed doing at 338 for four towards pushing this game towards a draw.