Gilchrist, Hayden steal the limelight as Australia take command

Anand Vasu

February 28, 2001

The second day of the first Test between India and Australia began in a rush of glory for India's spinners. As rushes go, this one lasted pretty long. Resuming on 49/1 off 16 overs Australia were soon in all manner of strife at 99/5 off 30.2 overs. Not to worry, Steve Waugh will play a captain's knock and save Australia, right? Not really. He was one of those five wickets. With the captain dismissed the onus fell fairly and squarely on the broad and young shoulders of Adam Gilchrist.

Responding to the call of the Baggy Green Cap, the Australian vice captain played an innings that people in India will remember for some time to come. In the presence of Matthew Hayden (119), who applied himself with determination, Gilchrist (122) cut loose. Incidentally, Gilchrist's 100 off 84 balls is the fastest century by any batsman in a Test against India, the previous best being 85 balls by Clive Lloyd of West Indies at Bangalore in 1974-75. Propelled by the two southpaws Australia chalked up 349, a lead of 173. In the 30 overs that India had to see off, they lost both openers Shiv Sunder Das and Sadagoppan Ramesh while managing 58 runs.

Earlier in the day it was Punjab offspinner Harbhajan Singh who had the Australians dancing to his tune. In the ninth over of the day, the Punjab offspinner struck a double blow that pegged the confident Aussies back. After having Langer (19, 53b, 2X4) edging to Rahul Dravid at first slip off the first ball of the over, Harbhajan sent back Mark Waugh with the very next ball. Giving the ball good loop Harbhajan got the ball to drift in to the right hander from outside the off and turn sharply off the wicket as well. Going back, Mark Waugh turned the ball around the corner only to see Ganguly at leg slip snap up a sharp catch. So captain courageous arrived at the crease on a hat-trick.

This set the stage well for a classic Steve Waugh rescue act. That well might have happened if Waugh had not closed the bat early on a Rahul Sanghvi delivery that was well flighted, dipped and turned a shade off the wicket. As the ball struck the pad and went to Rahul Dravid at slip, umpire David Shepherd lifted his finger. Steve Waugh was less than happy with the decision but there wasn't much anyone could do about it.

Enter Gilchrist. Cutting the ball with great power when there was width on the off side, the Australian stumper vexed the Indian bowlers. Anything on the stumps was half swept, half heaved over the on side to the fence. When the spinner gave the ball a bit of air in the hope of coaxing a mistake, Gilchrist simply got under the ball and sent it sailing over the ropes for six, not once, not twice, but four times. With Gilchrist on song at one end, Hayden too found his voice. Although nowhere near as aggressive, Hayden wasted no time when the opportunity to score runs presented itself.

When he was finally caught behind off the bowling of Javagal Srinath, Hayden (119, 283 mins, 172 balls, 18 fours and 1 six) had already laid the base for a more than respectable total. Gilchrist too fell shortly after. His efforts yielded 122 runs off just 112 balls and included 15 hits to the fence apart from the four shots that cleared the ropes with ease. The pair's 197-run association surpassed the earlier record for the sixth wicket for Australia against India. Tom Veivers and Barry Jarman held the record till today, putting on 151 at Mumbai in 1964.

To add insult to injury Shane Warne smacked the ball around the park for a 37-ball 39 (2 fours, 3 sixes) before being caught brilliantly in the deep by Tendulkar off the bowling off Sanghvi.

In their second essay India made a shaky start and were still behind by 115 runs, losing reticent opener Das (7 off 50 balls) and his more flamboyant partner Ramesh (44, 84 balls, 7 fours). Ramesh, who reached the milestone of 1,000 runs in his 13th Test, looked good for his 44 but was eventually dismissed by Gillespie who had the southpaw caught at second slip trying to play away from the body. Nightwatchman Nayan Mongia defended well before being struck on the gloves by Gillespie. The India stumper went off the field soon after and Tendulkar came out to the middle and safely negotiated the last five balls of the day.

© Cricinfo

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