Sydney, January 03: Captain MS Dhoni slammed a quickfire fifty under pressure to guide his team close to 200 runs. Dhoni needed just 67 balls to complete the milestone.
Meanwhile, Ishant Sharma was removed for a duck from the other end by Hilfenhaus who took last three wickets to rattle the Indian lower order.
Captain MS Dhoni, along with off-spinner R Ashwin, gave the Indian innings a little stability after the fall of Tendulkar’s wicket. They ensured that India did not lose any wicket and put a reasonably good total on a good Sydney track. Dhoni as usual remained positive in the innings while Ashwin played his natural game.
The 7th wicket partnership of 54 between Dhoni and Ashwin was finally broken when Ashwin edged one from Hilfenhaus to the first slip. The Tamil Nadu offie made 20.
Zaheer Khan, then, came to replace Ashwin but he deepened the misery of the Indians by gloving the very next ball from Hilfenhaus to be caught at forward short-leg. His first ball duck brought the tea. At tea India were tottering at 178/8 with Dhoni remaining unbeaten on 44.
espite losing the top five batsmen, the only saving grace for India was master batsman Sachin Tendulkar who stood tall amidst the ruin. Coming to the crease in the 10th over of the match, Sachin looked positive from the very first ball he faced in the morning. Though he hit three magnificent fours early in his innings, he had to curb his instinct once the wickets began to tumble around him.
But Pattinson again struck for the Australian, claiming Sachin Tendulkar for 41and his fourth wicket of the match so far.
Sachin, who faced 89 balls, hit eight silken fours before dragging one from outside the off-stump to the wicket.
Virat Kohli again frittered away the opportunity to play a big innings when he nicked a ball from Peter Siddle to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for 23. Kohli, who was on notice to save his place, looked comfortable from the start and was looking all set to prove the critics wrong who questioned his technique to sustain at the highest level.
Morning Session: Rookie Australian fast bowler James Pattison again troubled the Indian batsmen in the morning session on Day One of the Sydney Test and reduced the hosts to 72/4 at lunch. Sachin remained not out on 21 while Virat Kohli was batting on 12 when lunch was taken.
Pattinson took three wickets for 25 runs and his victims were Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman. He bowled with a lot of purpose and venom from the word go, claiming Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir in the very first over.
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Gambhir’s poor run with the bat continued as he was removed in the very first over of the match by the rookie. The Delhi batsman, who again tried to flirt with the outside the off-stump delivery, was caught by captain Michael Clarke at first slip for naught.
Rahul Dravid also did not last long as he was caught at forward short-leg off paceman Peter Siddle for 5. Dravid tried to flick the ball to the leg side but got an inside edge to the pad which Ed Cowan took it easily.
When it seemed that Sehwag would make a big score, Pattinson got him out for 30. Sehwag, who had been edgy throughout the morning session and was even dropped at second slip by Ricky Ponting on 23, nicked a ball just outside the off-stump which wicketkeeper Haddin pouched it.
Pattinson then got the tormentor of the Aussies, VVS Laxman (2) early too. The bowler once again kept it simple and pitched it up. Laxman was drawn forward and induced a thick outside edge which flew to Marsh at third slip.
Earlier, Indian captain MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first in the 2nd Test match of the four-Test series at Sydney on Tuesday.
Both the teams decided to go with the same combinations that they had fielded in the first Test at MCG. Out-of-form Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir got one more chance to prove their credentials in the series which India started as the favourites.
India lost the first Test at MCG by 122 runs and now trail 0-1 in the series.
–Agencies