Once again Australia showed to all cricketing nation why they are number one team in the world. Reeling at 134/6 at one stage, they bounce back with some superb batting and with poor umpiring to get back into the second test match at Sydney. At close of day1 they were 376/7 with lucky man Andrew Symonds batting on 137 and Brett Lee on 31.
R.P Singh and Harbhajan Singh bowled there heart out to gave the world champions Australian batting line up a rare collapse. At lunch they were 95/2, but R.P Singh and Harbhajan emerged unlikely heroes as India sparked a rare Australian collapse immediately after lunch.
RP sizzled with the wickets of Phil Jaques, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey and Adam Gilchrist, while Harbhajan Singh extracted vicious turn to remove Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke to have the world champions on the mat at 134-6.
However 173 runs partnership between Andrew Symonds (137* runs) and Bradd Hogg (78 runs) get their team right back into the match. Brett Lee rubbed it in along with Symonds with an unbeaten 69-run stand from a situation when they were on the verge of being shot out for under 200.
A luckless Indian team feels sorry at stumps, since too many decisions didn’t went there way. Poor umpiring decisions on Day one of the Sydney Test spoiled India’s first day efforts with as many as 4 legitimate decisions going against the visitors. Steve Bucknor and Marc Benson, the two field umpires were the main culprits as far as India was concerned but their misery was compounded when the third umpire Bruce Oxenford too joined his errant colleagues.
The dangerous Andrew Symonds was let off thrice by the umpires. The first time when he got away was when he was on 30, umpire Steve Bucknor turned down an appeal for caught behind by MS Dhoni off Ishant Sharma. The second time, Symonds was on 48 when Dhoni stumped him off Anil Kumble’s delivery. The third time, Symonds was on 106 when he was trapped leg before, the ball hitting middle and leg stump but Benson decided otherwise.
Earlier, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting edged one to MS Dhoni when on 17 off a Sourav Ganguly delivery. Mark Benson didn’t think so.
Australia:, ML Hayden, Phil Jaques, Ricky Ponting (C), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist (WK), Brad Hogg, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark.
Match Summary (Day1 at Stumps)
Australia 1st Inning (376/7)
Andrew Symonds – 137*Brad Hogg – 78
R.P Singh – 4/108
Harbhajan Singh – 2/88
India Vs Australia Highlights – 2nd Test Day1 at Sydney
