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Lee thunderbolts rattle India

S. Dinakar

Rain, however, has the final say; the teams share four points

— Photo: AFP

BANG ON TARGET: Brett Lee set up Manoj Tiwary with short-pitched deliveries before rattling his stumps with a sizzling yorker.

Brisbane: It was a day of Brett Lee’s thunderbolts, rain and interruptions. Inclement weather eventually cut short compelling cricket at the sporting ’Gabba. When the opening match of the CB tri-series was abandoned, Australia was 51 for three in 7.2 overs chasing a target of 141 in 26 overs after the Duckworth and Lewis method had been employed.

It was a game which the Aussies had dominated for most part. But then, the white ball started darting around under the lights and the Indian pacemen made inroads. Given the conditions, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men had a sniff even if Australia was the favourite.

First, Adam Gilchrist ‘walked’ after gloving a pull off Sreesanth. Then, Ishant Sharma’s speedy off-cutter breached James Hopes’ defence. Sreesanth trigged further celebration in the Indian camp when he opened up Ricky Ponting with a lovely outswinger; Virender Sehwag held a smart catch in the slips.

Uneasy moments

Andrew Symonds spent an uneasy few minutes at the crease before the skies opened up again. The two teams picked up two points each. Given the extent of downpour from the morning, it was astonishing that so much cricket was actually played. The drainage facilities at the ’Gabba are excellent.

India was dismissed for 194 after rain forced the overs to be reduced to 45. Further showers during the break meant the Aussie target was revised to 192 off 43 overs. In the end, these were just numbers.

The quality of Lee’s bowling travelled beyond numbers. Lee bowled with pace and precision. The responsibility of being the attack’s spearhead has stoked his combative instinct. He ran in with aggression and moved the ball at a furious speed, not for a moment losing control.

He accelerated with short strides and released with a high-arm action. Lee comprehends well the mechanics of fast bowling. He no longer drags his leg in the final stride. The Aussie’s mind and body are in perfect harmony.

Lee forced Sachin Tendulkar right back, so much so that the maestro disturbed the stumps with his heel. The fast bowler snared Rohit Sharma outside off-stump with a delivery of pace and bounce. Lee set up debutant Manoj Tiwary with short-pitched deliveries before nailing the youngster with a hissing yorker. Tiwary should have played forward and he will learn.

The inexperience of the Indian batting was evident on a cloudy day, on a surface assisting pacemen. There was definite carry for the quicker bowlers and batting called for application and judgment. Sehwag’s lack of judgment did him in; he attempted to cut a Nathan Bracken delivery too close to his body.

Gautam Gambhir flashed a few drives, cut and pulled for a chancy 39. He plays the horizontal shots well and could be among the runs on this Australian tour. He had the rub of the green too. Luckless left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson looked into the dark sky in anguish as Michael Hussey and Ponting grassed catches in the slip cordon. Gambhir was on 24 on both occasions.

Luck

Johnson eventually made his own luck. He straightened the ball into the left-hander from over-the-wicket and Gambhir, playing across the line, was trapped in front. Johnson is a compelling bowler and a natural athlete. He can contain and strike in the middle overs.

Like Gambhir, Rohit Sharma promised briefly even if he led a charmed existence. His 29 included a couple of flowing off drives before Lee, fatally, lured him. Gambhir and Sharma had orchestrated a revival of sorts for India before the side’s middle-order caved in. India lost four wickets between 91 and 102.

Robin Uthappa, surprised by a sharp short-pitched delivery from debutant Ashley Noffke, looped an easy offering. Noffke faltered in his first spell but was lively and probing in his subsequent burst. Ponting fired in a direct hit from mid-on to get rid of Irfan Pathan.

Dhoni’s stand

Skipper Dhoni battled hard on a surface not to his liking. His 37 consumed 61 balls and he struck a lone boundary. He eventually walked back attempting to whip a full length ball from Lee off the back foot instead of driving it off the front foot.

Harbhajan Singh biffed an entertaining 19-ball 27 to provide the innings some momentum before becoming Lee’s fifth victim. It was the paceman’s seventh five-wicket haul in the ODIs and the crowd roared in appreciation.

Rain, though, had the final say.

SCOREBOARD India: V. Sehwag b Bracken 6, S. Tendulkar hit wkt. b Lee 10, G. Gambhir lbw b Johnson 39, R. Sharma c Gilchrist b Lee 29, M. Tiwary b Lee 2, M.S. Dhoni c Ponting b Lee 37, R. Uthappa c Clarke b Noffke 5, I. Pathan (run out) 21, Harbhajan c Clarke b Lee 27, S. Sreesanth (run out) 4, Ishant (not out) 1; Extras: (lb-7, w-4, nb-2) 13; Total: (in 45 overs) 194.

Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Sehwag), 2-26 (Tendulkar), 3-91 (Gambhir), 4-93 (Sharma), 5-94 (Tiwary), 6-102 (Uthappa), 7-147 (Pathan), 8-189 (Dhoni), 9-190 (Harbhajan).

Australia bowling: Lee 9-2-27-5, Bracken 9-0-55-1, Noffke 9-0-46-1, Johnson 9-2-33-1, Hopes 6-0-17-0, Clarke 2-0-5-0, Symonds 1-0-4-0.

Australia: A. Gilchrist c Dhoni b Sreesanth 14, J. Hopes b Ishant 17, R. Ponting c Sehwag b Sreesanth 0, M. Clarke (not out) 2, A. Symonds (not out) 5; Extras: (b-4, w-4, nb-5) 13; Total: (for three wkts. in 7.2 overs) 51.

Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Gilchrist), 2-38 (Hopes), 3-39 (Ponting).

India bowling: Pathan 2-0-23-0, Sreesanth 3.2-0-17-2, Ishant 2-0-7-1.

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