Classic Laxman leads India fightback
India staged a brilliant fightback in the post-lunch largely thanks to VVS Laxman’s scintillating strokeplay. After losing Wasim Jaffer early, it was down to the familiar partnership of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid to steady the Indian ship. Laxman saw through some deliveries from Lee and Clark, but once he got his eyes in, his strokeplay was there to see. The timing was back, the wrists were moving and so were the feet. He upped the ante particularly against Mitchell Johnson with some scorching cover drives and flicks through mid-wicket.
Laxman raced to his fifty of just 43 balls over a run a ball and it was’nt power play but sheer artistry and the ability to place the ball in gaps. However, Laxman was lucky to survive as he was dropped on 45 and 77 by Gilchrist and going by the pace he has been in this innings, it could just prove costly for the hosts.
Dravid, in the meanwhile was crawling at his own pace keeping one end tight and tied. There were occasions when it seemed he got his touch back, especially the three boundaries he scored. History repeated itself as Dravid was unlucky to be caught off a no-ball by Ponting off Johnson as it happened at the MCG. But, thereafter, Laxman dominated the strike and it was a terrific counter-attack after Lee was swinging it early. Dravid finally scored a run off 39 balls, much to the satisfaction of the restless Aussie crowd.
Earlier, just after lunch, India suffered their first hiccup in response when Brett Lee yorked through Wasim Jaffer’s defences. It was bowled at sheer pace from Lee, close to 147 kmph, and the yorker tailed into Jaffer before it moved a touch away from the bat and crashed into the base of off-stump. Jaffer was all ends up, beaten for pace and that was absolutely unplayable. Lee set up Jaffer superbly before producing this jaffa of a delivery. India were 8/1 when Jaffer departed.
After facing the wrath of the umpires on Day 1, India went into the morning session of Day 2 with a hope of cleaning up the Aussie tail as quickly as possible. But that wasn’t to be. The two overnight batsmen, Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee began from where they left off last evening as they helped their team move past 400 at a fairly quick pace.
Lee managed to score his fifty and soon after that became the first wicket of the morning. His resistence was finally broken by Kumble, who trapped him in front with one that just cut in from outside the off-stump and rapped him on the pad, right in front. Lee went for 59, but he did his job by helping Australia race past 400. Australia were 407/7 when Lee departed.
Mitchell Johnson then came into the crease with an intention of further frustrating the Indians and he didn’t disappoint his captain by doing so. He helped his fellow Queenslander, Andrew Symonds get past his 150 and kept the Indians wilting under the charge as he took toll off the bowlers by smashing some powerful hits. Johnson’s cameo of 28 came to an end when he tried to play a pull shot for the six. He went with the spin to Kumble, but could only find Sourav Ganguly at deep mid-wicket.
Australia’s innings finally came to a close when Kumble produced one of his typical deliveries to a tailender to remove Stuart Clark for 0. Clark missed a straighter one from Kumble, which thudded onto the pad and this time Bucknor had no hesitations about the decision. The Aussies piled on 463, largely thanks to Symonds’ unbeaten 162. India will have to bat through a very tricky period before lunch as they will look to negotiate the new ball.
In reply, the Indians carefully negotiated three tricky pre-lunch overs from Lee and Johnson, before umpires signalled the end of the session. India were yet to score at the break.
