Hussey guides Australia to safety with a ton

Bangalore, October 10: : Michael Hussey slammed a crafty 146 as Australia piled up a commanding first innings total to push India on the backfoot but the hosts fought back with a flourishing start to keep themselves afloat in the first Cricket Test in Bangalore on Friday.

The 33-year-old Hussey gave ample display of his class by notching up his ninth Test century and steer the visitors to a comfortable first innings total of 430 on the second day.

The Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir provided a confident start to the second innings rattling up 68 for no loss in 18.1 overs before a sharp shower forced play to be called off a little early.

Sehwag was on 43 and Gambhir was giving him company on 20 at stumps on day two which saw the Australians consolidating their position in the match.

It was Hussey who stole the limelight on the second day with a fine exhibition of stroke-play and temperament as he guided his team to a position from where it could dictate terms in the remaining three days.

Paceman Zaheer Khan was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 5 for 91 while fellow paceman Ishant Sharma scalped 4 for 77 as the fast bowlers accounted for nine wickets in the innings. Harbhajan Singh had to be content with one wicket while captain Anil Kumble returned with dismal figures of 43-6-129-0.

Brad Haddin (33) and Bret Lee (27) came up with useful contributions in the lower order to torment the Indians on a Chinnaswamy track which is showing signs of a gradual deterioration.

With the three days left in the match, the Indians will have to bat out of their skins to counter the Aussie total since they may have to bat on a last day track in the fourth innings.

Resuming at the overnight score of 254 for four, the visitors lost Shane Watson (2) cheaply but Hussey and Brad Haddin rebuild the innings with some sensible batting.

Hussey and Haddin stitched a 74-run partnership for the sixth wicket frustrating the Indian bowlers for 104 minutes before the lunch break. The only wicket the visitors lost in this session was that of Shane Watson.

It was a good breakthrough for India in ideal batting conditions as Ishant Sharma clipped the off stump of Watson with a good length delivery early in the day to raise hopes of an Indian fight back.

Watson, who played his first Test innings in...

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Kumble's hundred by Dinesh on 2008-10-10 18:38:51.335969+05:30
Since last couple of years Kumble was feasting on tailenders to keep his wicket tally moving. This test is a fluke where Kumble did not get a wicket of even tailenders. It is more of a fault of Zaheer khan who wrapped up OZ with his inswingers than the weakness of Kumble. Has Zaheer not taken the wickets of tailenders Kumble would certainly have accounted for those tails. Give Kumble more chance as he is the highest wicket taker of India. You just can't write off seniors like that. And remember one or two series loss is nothing in the grand schem of things. India has been losing in past any way. At least Kumble will motivate future bowlers like tendulkar is motivating current batsman. Good job Kumble. he he he.

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