The embers of India's resistance smouldered on Friday, flickers of occasional brightness amidst the dull glow, but were quenched before they could burst into flame.
Resuming on 114 for two, requiring a further 364 to make Australia bat again in the second Test, India was bowled out for 400 on the fourth evening. The innings defeat, which wasn't entirely unexpected after M.S. Dhoni's touring party had folded for 191 on the first day, gave Australia an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
India hadn't much chance of saving the Test. Its ambition was more modest — to muster all the fight it could, as Rahul Dravid said on the third evening. India would then have an idea of how the home side's bowlers, so good when allowed to establish the tone, react when extended, when “under the pump”. Its batsmen would have something to take to Perth, form, confidence, momentum, a clever line in repartee, anything at all.
Magnificent delivery
India had some success. V.V.S. Laxman, like Gautam Gambhir had on Friday, found some runs. Till he was bowled by another magnificent delivery from Ben Hilfenhaus — one that offered to shape in, but changed direction off the wicket, just enough to both elude the static-footed stroke and shave off-stump — Laxman had looked right.
Sachin Tendulkar mightn't have made his 100th international hundred — his 18 innings between centuries is the longest such stretch of his Test career — but he continued the touch he has shown every innings this tour. His cutting and gliding in the first hour were glorious. He shed the defensive skin he had grown on the third evening and made the bowling look ordinary. He progressed thereafter in spurts, but he had shown the way.
Tendulkar and Laxman's 103-run partnership came after Gambhir's rather curious dismissal. After adding 15 to his overnight 68, the left-hander pushed across the angle. There wasn't the control of stroke he seemed to have regained, for his hands got away from him — that the delivery seemed to just hold up in the pitch may have caused it, but it still was a ‘nothing stroke'. The momentary lapse cost Gambhir a well-deserved hundred.
Good work
The partnership between India's Sydney men continued the good work. Between them, Gambhir, Tendulkar, and Laxman struck 11 fours in the first hour. Barring one edge, they were excellent cricket strokes, which showed that the Australian bowlers can be taken for runs if the intent is suitably adjusted and the ball reasonably aged. For some reason, the wind that whistled through the Sydney Cricket Ground was an appropriate soundtrack.
Laxman was troubled early by Siddle, but allowed to settle against Nathan Lyon's off-spin. After a four worked off his pads, Laxman's first of the tour, the familiar inside-out, wrist-flicked drives through cover began to appear. In between, he leant forward to punch Siddle down the ground, a sign that he had his balance sorted out against the pacemen. Laxman out-scored Tendulkar, playing a particularly rousing pull-stroke off Siddle after lunch before he was dismissed.
Tendulkar couldn't cover a left-arm spinner from Michael Clarke that was directed into the right-hander. It turned to take Tendulkar's edge and ricocheted off Brad Haddin's bumbling gloves before it was caught at first slip.
Beating a batsman of Tendulkar's quality in defence, that too after he has made 80, is a considerable achievement, for it demands perfection. Clarke was having that sort of a match.
Familiar slide
The second new ball accounted for Virat Kohli and M.S. Dhoni. Kohli hit a dynamic pull and a poised off-drive before he was struck in front of the stumps by one from Pattinson that cut back and didn't rise as much as it would have from a first-day pitch. Dhoni had earlier toe-ended a half-volley he thought was a full-toss back to Hilfenhaus. The familiar slide seemed to have begun — another overseas score of less than 300 was a possibility.
But Zaheer Khan and R. Ashwin took India from 286 for seven to 342 for eight. Zaheer's methods were drawn from the school of lower-order adventure.
Ashwin hit authentic strokes — flicks, pulls, drives — that were timed like a dream. If nothing else, the Indian off-spinner's half-century and his play against his opposite number, Lyon, backed up the comment that the wicket hadn't much for the bowlers after the first day.
With Ishant joining Ashwin in a ninth-wicket partnership of 42, India put together a sizable total. Why, as the old joke goes, couldn't it have played its second innings first?
Scoreboard
India - 1st innings: 191
Australia -1st innings: 659 for four decl.
India - 2nd innings
G. Gambhir c Warner b Siddle 83 (142b, 11x4)
V. Sehwag c Warner b Hilfenhaus 4 (8b, 1x4)
R. Dravid b Hilfenhaus 29 (73b, 6x4)
S. Tendulkar c Hussey b Clarke 80 (140b, 9x4)
V.V.S. Laxman b Hilfenhaus 66 (119b, 7x4)
V. Kohli lbw b Pattinson 9 (24b, 2x4)
M.S. Dhoni c & b Hilfenhaus 2 (11b)
R. Ashwin c Lyon b Hilfenhaus 62 (76b, 9x4, 1x6)
Zaheer c Marsh b Siddle 35 (26b, 5x4, 1x6)
Ishant lbw b Lyon 11 (35b, 2x4)
Umesh (not out) 0 (14b)
Extras (b-6, lb-3, nb-8, w-2): 19
Total (in 110.5 overs): 400
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Sehwag), 2-100 (Dravid), 3-168 (Gambhir), 4-271 (Tendulkar), 5-276 (Laxman), 6-286 (Dhoni), 7-286 (Kohli), 8-342 (Zaheer), 9-384 (Ishant), 10-400 (Ashwin).
Australia bowling O M R W
Pattinson 23 4 106 1
Hilfenhaus 32.5 8 106 5
Siddle 24 8 88 2
Lyon 20 2 64 1
Clarke 9 0 22 1
Hussey 2 0 5 0
