India slip yet again to give England the upper hand

Nagpur: India`s batting woes continued to haunt them with the top-order batsmen succumbing tamely yet again as England snapped up four quick wickets to gain firm control of the the crucial fourth and final cricket Test here on Friday.


After posting a decent score of 330 in the first innings, the visitors exploited the slow and uneven bounce of the track to leave India gasping at a precarious 87 for four at close on an eventful second day which saw nine wickets fall.

Paceman James Anderson (3/24) did the bulk of the damage while Graeme Swann chipped in with a wicket as the out-of-form Indian batsmen put up another pathetic display with none of them willing to show the application and temperament to hang in there.

Virat Kohli (11) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (8) were at the crease when stumps were drawn for the day, with the hosts still trailing by 243 runs.

Earlier, resuming at the overnight score of 199 for five, England did well to stretch their first innings total to 330 with debutant Joe Root (73), Matt Prior (57) and Swann (56) being the notable contributors.

Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was the pick of the Indian bowlers with a career-best haul of 4/69 while paceman Ishant Sharma (3/49) and R Ashwin (1/66) were the other wicket-takers.

The failure of India`s famed batsmen again let the team down badly as Virender Sehwag (0), Gautam Gambhir (37), Cheteswar Pujara (26) and Sachin Tendulkar (2) could not stay for long. Tendulkar was bowled by Anderson who has now dismissed him nine days, the highest by any bowler.

With three full days left in the match, England have put themselves on course for their first series win on Indian soil in 28 years. India, on the other hand, will have to bat out of their skins to save the ignominy of their third successive humiliating defeat.


England struck in the very first over when Anderson broke through the tentative defense of Sehwag with an in-swinger before the hosts adjourned for tea at a nervous 32 for 1.

The opener, who made a two-ball duck, was completely beaten for pace and bowled, his middle stump ripped out of the ground as his lack of footwork let him down.

Gambhir, looking in good touch but for his poor judgment of a run, and Pujara looked well in control of the proceedings when they added 58 runs in 132 balls before the sudden slump when India lost both these batsmen and Tendulkar for just 12 runs and in 9 overs.

Pujara could be termed unlucky to have been declared out by umpire Rod Tucker as the ball seemed to have missed the glove, hit his forearm and bounced off his pad for Ian Bell to take a superb, diving one-handed catch at forward short leg.

The right-handed Saurashtra batsman looked quite composed despite Anderson trying to hustle him with his bumpers in his 89-minute stay during which he also drove the fast bowler to the straight field and hooked him for two fours.

But Swann’s entry into the attack after 20 overs accounted for his wicket.

Tendulkar, whose career is on the line after a string of poor scores, appeared ill at ease and was beaten twice by the sudden turn extracted by his nemesis in the series -- left arm spinner Monty Panesar -- but it was his other career nemesis – Anderson -- who got his wicket for a record 9th time.

Anderson, brought back into the attack after the drinks break, made two balls go away and then brought one back to bowl Tendulkar.

Tendulkar was beaten by the pace and inward movement and inside edged the ball that also kept a bit low which crashed into his middle and leg stump to leave the batsman flabbergasted and thoroughly distraught.

Gambhir, who had batted resolutely for 137 minutes and 93 balls, attempted an ill-advised drive away from the body to offer a catch to wicket keeper Prior.

Kohli and Dhoni managed to see off the day without further setbacks.

Earlier, leg spinner Chawla hastened the end of the England first innings for 330 after lunch by grabbing the visitors’ last three wickets in only 25 balls in the fourth and final Test here today.

Chawla, who finished with his best figures of 4 for 69 in his three-Test-old career, snapped up the wickets of Joe Root (73), to end the eighth-wicket stand between the debutant and Graeme Swann, the latter batsman too for 56 and James Anderson for 4 in a superb post-lunch spell of 4.5-0-17-3.

The 23-year-old Aligarh-born Chawla thus bettered his earlier best figures of 2 for 66 versus South Africa at Kanpur in 2008, his previous appearance in a Test.

Chawla’s excellent spell, after England resumed at the lunchtime score of 277 for 7, helped India wrap up the visitors’ first innings within the first hour of play after lunch.

England had resumed at the overnight 199 for 5 in the morning, added 78 runs in 32 overs while losing the wickets of Matt Prior for 57 -- bowled by Ashwin for his only wicket of the innings -- and Bresnan who was bowled for a duck by Ishant Sharma.

Sharma, who bowled with a lot of fire on the low and slow track sporting cracks, finished with fine figures of 3 for 49 in his second match of the series while Ravindra Jadeja (2 for 58 in 37 overs) and Ashwin (1 for 66) were the other successful bowlers.

India’s leading wicket taker in the series, left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, ended wicket-less after conceding 71 runs in 35 overs.

Chawla, who had dismissed Ian Bell yesterday, accepted a return catch from Root after the batsman had a sudden rush of blood - after having plodded for nearly six hours in his 229-ball essay in which he hit just 4 fours.

It ended the stubborn 8th wicket partnership between Root and Swann, who faced 91 balls and struck six fours and two sixes, after the duo added an invaluable 60 runs after joining hands at 242 for 7 at the fall of Bresnan before lunch.

Two overs later, the leg spinner then trapped the dangerous-looking Swann leg before for 56 with a quicker ball that went straight and hit him on the pads as he attempted a reverse sweep.

IND vs ENG, 4th Test, Nagpur

IND 87/4 (41.0 Ovs) MS Dhoni* 8 (27) Virat Kohli 11 (39) ENG 330 Tim Bresnan* 10-1-25-0 Jonathan Trott 1-0-2-0 CRR 2.12 Partnership 16(56) Last Wkt G Gambhir 37(93) Day 2: Stumps - India trail by 243 runs

• IND 1st Inn

Batsmen

IND : 87/4 ( ovrs 41)

R

B

4s

6s

SR

Gautam Gambhir

c M Prior b J Anderson

37

93

4

0

39.78

Virender Sehwag

b J Anderson

0

2

0

0

0.00

Cheteshwar Pujara

c I Bell b G Swann

26

72

3

0

36.11

Sachin Tendulkar

b J Anderson

2

13

0

0

15.38

Virat Kohli

batting

11

39

0

0

28.21

MS Dhoni (c & wk)

batting

8

27

1

0

29.63

Extras:

(b 1, lb 2, w 0, nb 0, p 0)

3

 

 

 

Total:

(4 wkts, 41 ovs)

87

 

RR:

2.12

Did not bat: : Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha

Bowling: ENG

O

M

R

W

Nb

Wd

ER

James Anderson

9

2

24

3

0

0

2.70

Tim Bresnan

10

1

25

0

0

0

2.50

Monty Panesar

14

4

24

0

0

0

1.70

Graeme Swann

7

3

9

1

0

0

1.30

Jonathan Trott

1

0

2

0

0

0

2.00

Fall of Wickets

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Hobart Test: Australia 299/4 on Day 1

AUSTRALIA: Over: 90 II Score: 299/4 (1st innings) ( Clarke: 70*, Hussey: 37*)

Australia end the opening day losing four wickets after scoring 292 runs with their skipper Michael Clarke batting alongside Michael Hussey. They lost the wicket of Ed Cowan early but two fifty plus stands helped them recover from the early shock. Phil Hughes, who last played for the national team way back in December 2011 on the same ground, made 86, missing out on a century on return to Tests after being bowled by Chanaka Welegedara. David Warner too scored a fifty before departing for the dressing room at the stroke of lunch. For Sri Lanka, Welegedara took three wickets in his 20 overs while leaking 99 runs. The two Michaels have added 101 runs for the fifth wicket. This is Clarke’s 23rd Test fifty and he has now scored over 1400 runs in the calendar year.

MATCH REPORT:

Phil Hughes top-scored on his return to Australia's Test team, hitting 86 as the hosts finished today's opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on 299-4.

Brought back after a year's absence to replace the retired Ricky Ponting at No 3, Hughes was even on course for his first Test century on home soil until Chanaka Welegedara bowled him for 86 in the second over after tea.

Captain Michael Clarke then continued his stellar form for 2012 with 70 not out in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 101 with Mike Hussey (37).

Welegedara was the most expensive bowler at Bellerive Oval but also the most dangerous, finishing with 3-99 after removing Ed Cowan in the morning session and Shane Watson after lunch.

Cowan failed to convince and fellow opener David Warner was needlessly run out, but Clarke and Hussey maintained Australia's hopes of a commanding total.

Clarke was limping at the close after a blow to the knee but still moved to 1,428 runs for 2012 with his 22nd career half century.

"He does have a big limp but he'll get a bit of treatment and I'm sure he'll continue on tomorrow," Hughes said.

Clarke dominated more than Hughes but the latter did enough against a largely disciplined but unthreatening Sri Lanka seam attack to suggest his third stint in the side could be longer than the previous two.

"There were a few nerves but really I was quite calm," Hughes said. "Overall, it was more excitement. To get a few runs behind me, the confidence is quite high now."

Hughes has three test centuries but had never previously scored heavily at home.

The 24-year-old former opener came to the crease at 18-1 after Clarke had won the toss, and withstood patient probing of his reworked technique until hitting out midway through the second session.

Hughes scored at almost a run a ball off Welegedara and plundered a huge six down the ground off spinner Rangana Herath, who was far less dangerous than his recent form had hinted.

Hughes had a reprieve while on 77 caught behind by Prasanna Jayawardene when Welegedara was no-balled for overstepping but fell to the fifth ball he faced after tea.

Welegedara bowled him via an inside edge for what could still be a crucial breakthrough for Sri Lanka, which has never won a test match in Australia.

Cowan was the first man out on Friday, scoring 4 in an eventful cameo.

He nearly fell to the first ball he faced edging just short of Angelo Mathews' dive across second slip scored 4 from his next delivery and was then dismissed in search of runs following 11 scoreless deliveries. Cowan tried to pull Welegedara but got to the ball late and top-edged to Shaminda Eranga for an easy catch at mid-on.

Warner, who scored an unbeaten century on the same ground a year ago, made 57 from 89 balls before a needless run out.

Warner changed his mind about a quick single on the last ball of the morning session but Hughes continued his charge down the wicket to leave his teammate well short at the non-striker's end and Australia wobbling slightly at 97-2.

Watson steadied things with 30 in an 86-run partnership with Hughes before falling to a sensational full-length, one-handed catch by veteran captain Mahela Jayawardene at second slip. 

AUS vs SL, 1st Test, Hobart

AUS 299/4 (90.0 Ovs) Michael Hussey* 37 (81) Michael Clarke 70 (136) SL Angelo Mathews* 11-2-35-0 Nuwan Kulasekara 22-2-51-0 CRR 3.32 Partnership 101(192) Last Wkt Phil Hughes 86(166) Day 1: Stumps

AUS 1st Inn Batsmen AUS : 299/4 ( ovrs 90) R B 4s 6s SR David Warner run out (A Mathews/T Dilshan) 57 89 8 0 64.04 Ed Cowan c S Eranga b C Welegedara 4 17 0 0 23.53 Phillip Hughes b C Welegedara 86 166 8 1 51.81 Shane Watson c M Jayawardene b C Welegedara 30 61 3 0 49.18 Michael Clarke (c) batting 70 136 7 0 51.47 Michael Hussey batting 37 81 1 0 45.68 Extras: (b 1, lb 3, w 1, nb 10, p 0) 15       Total: (4 wkts, 90 ovs) 299   RR: 3.32 Yet To bat: : Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Lyon Bowling: SL O M R W Nb Wd ER Nuwan Kulasekara 22 2 51 0 5 1 2.30 Chanaka Welegedara 20 1 99 3 3 0 4.90 Shaminda Eranga 16 3 52 0 2 0 3.20 Angelo Mathews 11 2 35 0 0 0 3.20 Tillakaratne Dilshan 4 0 11 0 0 0 2.80 Rangana Herath 17 3 47 0 0 0 2.80 Fall of Wickets

Match Officials

Australia Squad

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Nagpur is most difficult wicket I have played on: Kevin Pietersen

Nagpur: England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Thursday said that the slow-paced pitch prepared for the fourth and final Test here is the toughest he has played on as far as scoring runs in concerned.

"It`s toughest wicket I have played Test cricket on in terms of scoring runs. I don`t have a clue what the pitch will do later. Its playing pretty similar to what it did at the start of the day," said Pietersen after the first day`s play.

Pietersen, whose 73 in 198 minutes off 188 balls is the top score in the tourists` end-of-day first innings score of 199 for five, said his team was in a reasonably good position but the runs doesn`t mean anything until the game is over.

"Like I said after the runs in Mumbai, it doesn`t mean absolutely nothing until the game is over.

"I think we are in an okay position. I don`t know what that pitch will do later but it`s slow. I think the key today was to try to bat as long as possible because I don`t think that wicket is getting any better," said Pietersen.

The England batting stalwart sounded happy that his team had two seam bowlers to bowl on this pitch, as he thought it was very difficult to score runs off Ishant Sharma, the home team`s lone pacer in the playing XI.

"I think we are in a position of strength, if I am allowed to say that, as we have two seamers. I found Ishant incredibility difficult to play today," said Pietersen.

Jadeja, on the other hand, had claimed that the Indian team`s strategy of playing four spinners, including himself as a frontline bowler, would pay dividends in the second England innings as they can use the bowlers` footmarks to extract spin more and more.


Asked whether the pitch could be termed a good Test match wicket, with shot-making so difficult, Pietersen said he could understand the Indians' thinking as they were keen to win this game to square the series 2-2.

"Obviously Indians think that's the kind of wicket they have to prepare to take the series back. We have had incredible challenge in last 2-3 years as a team and this is another one. As for viewers, I don't think they will have any interest in what I have to say as they must have switched off 4-5 hours ago!," he said.

Pietersen praised Jadeja, who made his Test debut, and leg spinner Piyush Chawla, brought into the team as replacements for Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, respectively.

"They are good bowlers and good cricketers. If you look at the numbers, Jadeja has got incredible stats form this year's Ranji...I saw them when I was waiting to bat. He has had a blinder of a year. Jadeja's intensity in the field is good, Chawla as well.

"(But) for me, it's a case of worrying about our dressing room," he said.

Asked about the absence of Decision Review System in the series, Pietersen sidestepped the issue saying it was the Indian cricket board's call.

"BCCI have their own reasons why they don't want DRS. It has nothing to do with me or the England team," he remarked.

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Stuart Broad out of T20’s against India

Nagpur: England's Twenty20 skipper Stuart Broad has been ruled out of the upcoming two T20 matches against India with a bruised left heel.

Broad will return to the UK immediately to begin a period of rest and rehabilitation.

James Harris, who is currently in Pune with the England Performance Programme, will replace Broad in the squad.

The 22-year old is uncapped at international level.

Eoin Morgan will captain the side in Broad's absence with the first match taking place in Pune on December 20.

The second game will be held in Mumbai on December 22.

Pacer Steven Finn will also return to the UK after a strained disc in his lower back ruled him out of the final Test here earlier today.

Finn is expected to be available for the ODI series against India beginning in January.

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Home News Exclusive Schedule/Results Top Performer Debate Blog Poll Trivia Pic Gallery Under-fire Dhoni lodges complaint with BCCI against Gambhir

New Delhi: Under fire after back-to-back defeats in the home series against England, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is unhappy with Gautam Gambhir's "attitude and on-field ethics" and has lodged a complaint to the BCCI against the left-hander, a media report claimed on Wednesday. Dhoni feels that Gambhir puts his interest above the team and has become too self-centred. The Indian captain has gone to the extent of lodging a complaint to the BCCI tagging the opener's approach as "selfish" and "hurtful to the team", 'cricketnext' website reported, quoting an Indian player who pleaded anonymity. "Of late Gambhir has gone into a shell and focusing on just to save his place in the team. His prolonged poor form has resulted in low self-esteem and he's cut off from other issues pertaining to the team," the player was quoted as saying. "But what irked Dhoni was Gambhir playing for himself and not for the team. It was evident in the way Gambhir batted in the second innings of the Mumbai Test that he was more interested in carrying his bat by remaining not out, rather than shielding the tailenders and scoring quick runs. "...Every run was crucial but Gambhir chose to be a mute spectator. The whole world saw that and everyone was taken aback. The effort to contribute to the team wasn't there. Look how well R Ashwin batted with maturity during his unbeaten 91 in the Kolkata Test and he isn't a specialist batsman. He shepherded the tailenders superbly and scored vital runs. If Ashwin can do, why couldn't Gambhir?" the player said. While assuaging thoughts of any bad blood between Dhoni and Gambhir, the report cited the run-outs of Virender Sehwag in the first innings of the Kolkata Test and Cheteshwar Pujara in the second as moments which precipitated India's downfall and left Dhoni miffed with Gambhir's current approach. "On both occasions, Gambhir was at fault. While there were clearly three runs in Sehwag's case which Gambhir declined, the call for a run to Pujara was ill-judged. He was having a tough time against Steven Finn and wanted to get off the strike. His desperation cost Pujara his wicket. Dhoni doesn't have doubts about his integrity or commitment," the player said. Gambhir's attitude has not gone down well with Dhoni, who is determined to win the Nagpur Test and level the series, and he conveyed his thoughts to the BCCI officials in no uncertain terms, the report claimed. The website report said one of the BCCI officials will speak to Gambhir before the match and the matter will be sorted out. "It is important that all the members take the field in the last Test with the motto of giving their best shot," he concluded. A source close to Gambhir asserted that though the opener hasn't performed to the potential in this series, Dhoni was playing gimmicks to undermine Gambhir. "Dhoni's captaincy is under fire. He's being censured by one and all. His place in the Test team is questioned; his defensive and unimaginative mindset as a captain is unmasked, so he's trying to pass the buck and blame others - whether his batsmen, spinners, Sehwag and now Gambhir - to save his face," the website said, quoting the source. "He (Dhoni) sees Gambhir as a potential threat to his captaincy and wants to undermine him. Mohinder Amarnath has tipped Gambhir to take over the captaincy from Dhoni and proclaimed that Dhoni uses his clout in the BCCI to push his agenda. He thinks that he can dictate terms in every matter...", the report added.

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