Rain stopped play – Australia 7-517
And that is it from us for today. There’s now close to zero chance of play resuming so we will bid you farewell from the Adelaide Oval. This was a day of muted statistical dominance for Australia. They didn’t lose a single wicket - when play was possible, that is - and both batsmen moved to emotion-charged centuries.
Steve Smith, magnificently inventive as usual, is on 162 when play resumes tomorrow. Join us again then for more live action.
Updated
More mild abuse from Robert Wilson
As play looks increasingly unlikely, I’m still under fire with some further emails from Robert Wilson. “You mentioned the Logie Incident previously,” he says, “but had not revealed that you went the full Gus tonsorially. Chapeau, as the French would say (indeed, you probably needed one after that). A ten year old white kid trying to achieve the full Logie cool must have been...erm... quite a sight. Your poor mother!”
“Have you noticed, young Jackson, that those who come to know you soon sympathise with the women in your life? Does this pattern trouble you?
Dandenong is quite clearly a made up place.”
It is a familiar trope, you’re right. The women thing, that is, not Dandenong. My best-selling memoirs will probably be called, “...and then she rolled her eyes again.”
Pup Fever
A timely photo just posted by @KylyClarke. Nice 28th ton, @MClarke23! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/YP2yZxFUy7
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) December 10, 2014
Will Scott Walker be wheeled in if Clarke manages two more tons?
Still no sign of play
And that might be it for the day, I think.
Patrick O’Brien disagrees with me about Dandenong. “I think Dandenong is more like Croydon,” he says. “Although Mt Dandenong is quite lovely. Not sure if there is a Mt Croydon.”
I was actually going to go with Croydon but didn’t think it was industrial enough. I did actually once have a huge night out at the Walkabout in Croydon sometime in 2003. It remains my only visit to an Aussie-themed bar and I really wish I had an interesting anecdote to relay here but the only other significant thing I remember about Croydon was that a mate claimed - and I have no way of verifying this - that it was a statistical titan in terms of the sheer volume of Sun Page 3 girls that claimed to reside in the town. What a claim to fame.
My hometown Frankston is barely any better. This is our pop cultural peak (shield your ears):
My readers, my friends
Robert Wilson doesn’t think my Peter Siddle anecdote is as impressive as I’d thought he would. “You got Siddle out? Had you lost your mind? Did you then have to face him with a bat in your hand? Tell me you were eight years old.”
I was 16 at the time and it was a game in Dandenong. If I was to compare Dandenong to any British city (You are a Brit, right Robert?) I would probably go with Basingstoke. The crapper parts of Basingstoke.
“Siddle Schmiddle,” says Robert. “A mate of mine once played a kickabout with a post-cocaine Maradona (he was still unbelievable). My cousin once accidentally spat on George Best. And I once got my ass pinched by PD James. So there.”
Woah woah woah, one hit at a time. Have I aired the one about the time I got my hair cut on the next barbershop chair along from Gus Logie and he dared 10-year-old me to get my head shaved like his? My Mum came back and nearly murdered me. That happened in Karingal, a town even more crap than Dandenong, if that’s possible.
Some rain-break reading
Let’s be honest, we might be in for a long haul again so here are some tasty morsels to tide you over. There’s John Stern on David Warner’s hundred yesterday, or perhaps you could make a contribution to our ‘Guardian witness’ cricket page. You can enter your image here.
Face it, both of those things are more fun than listening to Michael Slater talk about that f*cking VB promotional watch. YOU CAN’T EVEN WATCH THE CRICKET ON IT! Can somebody please point out to them that a digital scorecard is not the same thing as “watching the cricket”?
Back to cricket reads, Mike Selvey has a few words about sledging and what might change after the Phillip Hughes tragedy. If your withdrawals are at ridiculous levels, I guess there’s also Joe Root and his ukulele.
Rain stopped play...again
Well, that was fun while it lasted. With Clarke past the hundred mark and Smith going berserk, the heavens open up again and the umpires call for the covers. What a shame, things were just getting really interesting for fans of ‘Smudger’ Smith.
111th over: Australia 473-6 (Clarke 109, Smith 142)
Mohammed Shami now appears for India, which is a strange kind of potential relief given the way he’s bowled for most of this innings. Smith treats him just as disdainfully as he did Aaron, pumping him for a pair of boundaries to move to his highest Test score and then Clarke just takes the mickey with a late cut for one more.
Regular OBOer Robert Wilson is in the house. “I was an early declarer of Smith-Love and I fessed up to getting increasingly trembly and tearful about Warner months ago,” he says. “Given the way this match has gone for the objects of my manly admiration (and the way the Indians are bowling), can I just say that Siddle has always had a special place in my heart and they should let him rack up a ton before they declare?”
Have I ever told you about the time I got Peter Siddle out in a junior match, Robert? I won’t spoil the story because it is going in my book, ‘The time I sat next to Allan Lamb on the train.’
“I had a terrible dream about your Greig cushion,” [see here, readers] Robert adds. “Your poor fiancée. No woman could endure that. So, Russell, is she real?”
I take umbrage to that, Robert. The entire internet seems to believe that my life is the cricket version of Lars and the Real Girl and it is just nothing like that at all. I don’t have a moustache, for starters.
110th over: Australia 460-6 (Clarke 104, Smith 133)
Oh dear. Just when Vijay looks to have wriggled out a wicket when he tempts Clarke forward and into a flase stroke, he’s let down badly by his keeper Saha, who fumbles a gilt-edged stumping chance. That draws groans of pity from the Adelaide locals but probably something far less complimentary from his captain.
109th over: Australia 457-6 (Clarke 104, Smith 131)
Steve Smith is on fire now. Aaron charges in again with a bouncer close to the batsman’s body but he steps back and plays that now trademark tennis smash over mid-on for a cheeky boundary and then slaps the next even less artfully square of mid-wicket for four more.
This is declaration batting and Smith is a man in a hurry. He follows the boundaries by tucking two down to the fine leg boundary. “Do you want to come down here Smithy and have a go?” asks Umpire Gould after Smith gets a little too involved in the umpiring process. Again Smith nearly takes Gould’s head off with another straight pull.
What has Umpire Gould been drinking in the break? It’s all quite entertaining for now but he needs to be careful he doesn’t veer into Billy Bowden territory. When Aaron’s over is all said and done, he’s probably lucky to have only conceded 15 to the rampaging Smith.
108th over: Australia 442-6 (Clarke 104, Smith 116)
Vijay continues , which says either that Karn Sharma can’t grip the damp ball or that his captain doesn’t trust him. Surely there is a better option, even at this point.
107th over: Australia 440-6 (Clarke 103, Smith 115)
Steve Smith could do some real damage now that the milestone barriers have been passed. He advances down the wicket to Aaron and creams him through cover and only the desperate dive of Ishant can keep it to two.
That is nothing though on the vicious straight drive he sends inches past the nose of the bowler as he follows through. It races away to the boundary and Smith grimaces in relief that he did no harm to his opponent. Umpire Ian Gould looks equally as spooked. Replays show it actually deflected off Aaron’s hands but it was a heart-stopping moment.
Maybe it was a goosebumps moment after all:
Spine tingling moment to be amongst the crowd as Clarke brought up his ton. Couldn't have been a person left in the bars
— AlisonMitchell (@AlisonMitchell) December 10, 2014
106th over: Australia 433-6 (Clarke 102, Smith 109)
Kohli must be waiting for a declaration - or perhaps more rain - because he perseveres with the toothless Vijay and that is music to the ears of Steve Smith. The Aussie opens his stance, rocks onto the back foot and cracks the novice spinner through point for a boundary.
The gives way to another replay of Clarke’s subdued but emotion-loaded celebration of that century. If not a goosebumps moment like Smith’s salute earlier it’s a nothing short of tender and lovely.
Clarke reached his century
105th over: Australia 426-6 (Clarke 100, Smith 104)
Varun Aaron is limbered up and ready to unload on Clarke and really test out that creaky back.
“Michael, change of plan. Bit of bodyline, son,” says Umpire Ian Gould with a grin on his face as the bowler prepares himself. He’s not wrong though because Aaron fires down a succession of bouncers from around the wicket to test out the Aussie skipper. Two are ducked and the third pulled for a single to take him to 99.
Steve Smith’s single gives Clarke two deliveries to reach three figures and on the second he clips one around the corner to fine leg, runs one and then serenely raises his bat before hugging Smith and possibly fighting back tears. What a gem of an innings under such intense physical duress. It’s his 28th Test hundred and not many can have felt quite like this one.
104th over: Australia 423-6 (Clarke 98, Smith 103)
After hours of frustration, the patient patrons of the Adelaide Oval have finally got that most wonderful of cricketing rewards...three deliveries of Murali Vijay’s part-time off-spin.
To be fair, the lesser-credentialed of the Murali’s draws an edge from Steve Smith with his final delivery but you’d think the front-line bowlers will have a crack at Clarke now.
Play to resume - we have a game of cricket!
Good afternoon readers, Russell Jackson here. I’ve just been snapped out of the trance that was the 1992 World Cup documentary on Fox Sports 1 and will now, I’m pleased to say, usher you through the final session of play after all.
The covers are now off at Adelaide and play is due to resume in a matter of minutes, when we’ll see if Michael Clarke can accumulate the 2 runs he requires for his against-all-odds century.
You can get me on russell.jackson@theguardian.com or via twitter: @rustyjacko
So, as the Indians emerge for some fielding warm-ups, my time with you comes to an end. It has been a pleasure being your Drop-By-Drop correspondent this afternoon, thanks to all the readers who kept me entertained, Russell Jackson will join you now to call some cricket, which will start in eight minutes. I’ll see you again for the second session tomorrow.
I’m enjoying this rationale from the singly named Yum. “Yesterday evening Australia were ‘effectively 7 for 354’ yet seeing as Lyon’s wicket is irrelevant, today we are ‘effectively’ 5 for 423. At this rate we’ll soon be able to declare with only 3 down.”
Play will commence in 13 minutes.
(Then it will start raining again.)
The covers are off now. The hessian is rolled up and being removed. Two dozen random dudes are milling around on the square. The umpires are out there inspecting. The stumps are back in. The rope is going around tied to the little cart. Now we’ll probably have one of those inexplicable 20-minute waits that he umpires like to order after rain stops. Or they’ll call for tea. It’s just past the scheduled tea break now.
Wendy Cowling has asked for a little more information about the lesser-known Indian bowlers. Well, I learned yesterday that Karn Sharma’s name is pronounced more as ‘Karr-an’ than the Australian ‘caaaaaarn’ that he must be getting from all quarters. He’s regarded by the visiting press as more a limited-overs leggie: accurate, lands it on a spot, not much turn or threat. Stuart MacGill yesterday suggested the bowler was just rolling deliveries out rather than giving them much spin.
He’s 27, from Uttar Pradesh, but hasn’t’ played many first-class games: only 34 of them to date. A bowling average of 28 is pretty solid, though 66 wickets from 49 bowling innings is not a massive return. He’s also a decent bat: averages 25 in first-class cricket, with a century and seven 50s in 46 trips to the crease.
Samuel Fiddian wants some epistemological variety: “In response to your quotes from Satre, may I offer that Nietzche said that life is a choice between suffering and boredom. Although if you’re supporting India, you may well be dealing with both at the same time.”
Patrick O’Brien’s concerns are more immediate and pragmatic: “First we had the Tony Greig cushion. Then Warne going the full Lovelace. What depravity will you force on us innocent souls next?”
Patrick, you’ll be pleased to know that the owner of the strapping Greig manchester, Mr Russell Jackson, is due to take over from me in a mere ten minutes.
The large covers are being removed. I want to include exclamations, but who knows whether this will be another false start.
If you’ve just tuned in, it’s been raining for much of the day, but Michael Clarke dismissed all talk of doom yesterday - when we were told by big dogs in the press pack that we may never see him play again - and resumed his innings today. Steve Smith has a century, Clarke is one shot away from one.
Correspondent Sarah Bacon says - with great affection for the Australian captain, I must add - “Let’s hope Pup’s on his tum, getting his lumbar area heat-packed and rested and all that palaver. The line between insanity and bravery is rather thin In This One, but I can understand his reasons for returning to the pitch today. The little idiot.”
Re that last post, I do not even know what to think or feel or say. If you need a mental sorbet, you could always read the ever-excellent John Stern on David Warner’s knock yesterday.
If you’re wondering, it is still raining. Both on the field and in my heart. Not super heavily, but persistently. Covers on, crowd muted, hill empty, PA blathering an endless stream of noise like Mark Nicholas in his sleep.
I sent a call-out asking for entertainment during the delay. I received this.
@GeoffLemonSport pic.twitter.com/XHVJR3Qmjd
— Chris(tmas) Currie (@furioushorses) December 10, 2014
According to my correspondent Thomas Cameron, “Sartre also said that ‘Three o’clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do.’ Guess we’ll soon see if three o’clock CST is too early for South Australia’s skies to permit one MJ Clarke to score one of the better centuries of a lifetime. Whenever it happens it sure won’t be too late.”
Well Thomas, the word from the gods isn’t good. The rain has been barely drizzle, but they reckon there is worse on the way. We might be looking at Day 3 at this rate.
Here’s an artist’s impression - terror on the BOM radar.
All action on the big screen here, as a pre-recoraded George Bailey plays scissors-paper-rock with someone in the crowd. Never let it be said that Cricket Australia and their thoroughly not at all annoying MC don’t put together the latest in top-line entertainment.
A hat-tip to Matthew Reddin, picking up the philosophical gauntlet.
“Satre once said, ‘In a word, man must create his own essence: it is in throwing himself into the world, suffering there, struggling there, that he gradually defines himself.’ Food for thought, India. Food for thought.”
I feel pretty bad for India’s bowlers at this stage, the innings is past ugly. Shami, Aaron and Karn have all bowled more than 20 overs, and are going at 4.71, 5.55 and 4.36 runs per over respectively. They’ve all picked up a wicket or two but it’s tough going.
Nice to know that Phil Withall is Withall of us, even me. “Can I just say how worried I am about your mental strength? You seem to be cracking under drizzle induced emptiness. Stay strong.” Indeed. I believe that Sartre was quite a cheery chap until he was called upon to sit through a spate of rain delays in the northern summer of 1926.
Safe to say there’s a lot of love for the Spud here today. Of course, if we can get back on, Clarke is also poised for a ton. Currently he has 27 centuries and 28 half-centuries. Two more runs and those numbers will invert. WHOOOOOOOO STATISTIIIIIICS.
On that Smith tip, here’s another thinking point.
Centuries after 23 Tests: Smith 5 Border 5 Hayden 4 Warner 4 Ponting 3 Clarke 2 S. Waugh 0 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/ko4wpXhDkX
— Samuel Ferris (@samuelfez) December 10, 2014
Also, this photograph? How good.
A great moment as @SteveSmith49 brings up his century and salutes Phillip Hughes #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/6dyJoDPpag
— Aust Cricketers Assn (@ACA_Players) December 10, 2014
So we’ve seen a consolidation of recent form from Steven Smith, just as we saw from David Warner yesterday. In 12 Tests since his breakthrough ton at the Oval last August, Smith’s 12 Tests have yielded five centuries, a 97, an 84, a 55 and a 49. Sensational numbers from a guy who once batted at 8 as a specialist spinner. He’s made centuries in England, South Africa and Australia, and 90s in India and the UAE, facing pace and spin with equal assurance.
Rain again. Halfway through the 104th over, bowled by the part-time off-spinner Murali Vijay, with a couple of singles leaving Clarke on 98 and Smith on 103, they’re off once more. Cue complaints.
103rd over: Australia 421/6 (Smith 102, Clarke 97)
Karn continues, and Clarke drives his first ball for a single to raise that score of 408, the number emblazoned on every Australian shirt. The crowd applauds again, and the batsmen stand quietly to allow the moment of acknowledgement.
Karn probably wishes that quiet moment had lasted, as Clarke drives him down the ground for four, edges him for three, Smith takes a single, then Clarke smacks a short one to the deep point boundary.
Century! Smith 100 (173 balls)
102nd over: Australia 407/6 (Smith 100, Clarke 85)
After all the waiting, we didn’t have long to wait. The very first ball after the resumption, Varun Aaron bowled near Smith’s legs, and Smith tucked him away for two runs square of the wicket to raise his century. A little anti-climactic with the break in play, but the crowd rises to Smith, and Smith touchingly walks all of 50 or 60 metres over to the 408 painted onto the Adelaide Oval turf, gestures to it with his bat, and salutes the sky. Fantastic knock, his fifth Test century.
The big old Adelaide scoreboard here has the players rom both sides listed in full. Running your eye down the Indian team you find: Sharma, Sharma, Sharma.
Which, as one gentleman in the crowd pointed out yesterday, is at least a phonetic anagram of the Brady Bunch tagline “Marcia, Marcia Marcia!”
I don’t know why this tickles me but it does.
Oh, worth noting the Indians have three Sharmas, and Australia have a Marsh. And could have had a(nother) Marsh in this match. Is there some kind of record here? Where is Statsguru on this?
Wait! The Indians also have a Shami. Thus now they can sing the famous Culture Club lyrics: Sharma Sharma Sharma Shami Chameleon.
Australia got off to a very good start this morning until the rain delay. It was interesting how effective Clarke was - he was about as supple as a railway sleeper, but he still managed to force boundaries square of the wicket on the off side, and both he and Smith have tracked to within reach of centuries. In the numerological adventures of this Test match, I’m tipping there’ll be a crowd response if Australia score three more runs and take their score to 408.
Now the small cover is off. The hessian is being rolled. Ton Watch is doubly on!
Ah ha! The big covers are coming off, the groundsmen trailing it away to the boundary like some press-ganged kids doing an interpretive dance representation of the Sydney Opera House during the Australian bicentenary. The small covers are still on.
You can email me at geoff.lemon@theguardian.com if you have any exciting thoughts about water falling unenthusiastically from the sky.
Hello everyone, Geoff Lemon here taking over the Drop-By-Drop rain commentary here at Adelaide. Thanks to Paul Connolly for the last couple of hours of solid precipitation coverage, even though it was frustratingly interrupted at times by bursts of cricket.
The fall is still very light here, only one or two of the security gents on the ground are actually bothering to wear ponchos. They look a bit like bundles of parsley waiting in the supermarket. The rest are just wearing their polo shirts like badasses who don’t care about moisture. Bred tough out here in South Straya.
The covers were off and the players were on but before they made the square a drizzle arrived, and it’s as unwelcome as an electricity tout at your door at dinner time. Curses! Now the covers are being put back on. You can handle a rain break when it’s bucketing but this spattering of precipitation increases the frustration. How must Steve Smith be feeling, sitting in the sheds with 98 to his name?
Matt Harris returns to ask some rather pertinent questions; ones that have long been levelled at the Indian Test side which, in recent times, has not travelled well. “Do the Indians hate touring?” Matt asks. “Does the BCCI book them rubbish hotels? I’m having flashbacks to 2011-12, when I got the distinct impression that Virat Kohli was the only member of the Indian side who actually wanted to be in Australia playing cricket. Do you get the same impression from the long faces, insipid bowling and unthreatening field placements?”
With play due to restart in 10 minutes, a reminder of the state of play. In this morning’s 12.2 overs Australia have put on 51 runs without giving up a chance. An early lunch was called due to rain with Steve Smith just two runs short of a ton. Michael Clarke, held together by one long grimace, has played with heavy feet but considerable boldness and taken his score from 60 to 85.
Australia 405/6 (Smith 98, Clarke 85)
Bowling: Mohammed Shami — 2/99, Varun Aaron — 2/109, Ishant Sharma — 1/71, Karn Sharma— 1/95
As we await Geoff Lemon’s arrival into the central commentary position, we contemplate the notion that improvements in technology aren’t necessarily of great benefit:
Worst. Kenobis. Ever. MT @WWOS9: .@MClarke23 joins @mcjnicholas, @Iheals and Tubby in the Studio! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/uarNsWszj3
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 10, 2014
And now I’ll take the opportunity to bid you adieu, and introduce you to Geoff Lemon who will take you through to tea, before Russell Jackson steers you to stumps. You’re in capable hands, dear readers.
Lunch has been called: Australia 405/6 (Smith 98, Clarke 85)
Oh hell, just as I was preparing to return to play I discover the umpires have called an early lunch —though I dare say Smith and Clarke (who sound like explorers from an early time) have already been getting stuck in to the buffet. The umpires figure that too as it’s hoped play will resume at 1pm (local time).
So, the morning session ends, officially, with a whimper, but the afternoon session is nigh. Smith needs two runs for his ton, Clarke needs just 15 for an heroic hundred himself. India needs something special themselves.
Meantime, Trevor Holden writes in to show he hasn’t seen that video below of Brisbane rain. “Naively I thought rain could never stop play in Australia,” he writes. “I can’t remember it ever happening during the Ashes but I’m sure you will put me right. The covers look a bit basic, a roll of hessian and some plastic sheet. Surely the greensward will sweat under that. Don’t they have those covers on wheels and fans etc says trevor holden in lisbon and why is Slats promoting a blockbuster film?”
Just as I was contemplating writing you some poetry, they are peeling the covers off; gently, so as not to lift the scab. That’s a lucky break for y’all (sorry, too much Friday Night Lights lately).
Patrick O’Brien takes the opportunity to send Joe Hockey a message. “Cricket. Peaches. Summer. Sorry to break it to Joe Hockey but I’m being a bit of a leaner this morning. GDP be damned!”
Indian and English readers won’t be aware of this but the makers of a surprisingly popular local beer brand is giving away, with every case/slab, a watch that tells the score (I presume it also tells the time). As an ad on TV suggests, you can wear it to work, to your wedding, to your divorce settlement proceedings, to the magistrate’s court, wherever, and it automatically updates the score of the current Test as well as indicating, in bold letters no less, major incidents like fours and sixes and wickets and what not. Normally, I scoff at such themed giveaways but this one has me rather interested. Or at least it would if I had a wedding to go to this weekend. I’m pretty sure Russell Jackson will be getting one.
Am I just prattling away with nonsence to fill the dead air? Yes I am.
India’s bowling? “Geoff Boycott” (no, not really... actually, not at all) has some thoughts:
India's bowling this morning..... #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/iLHYXO6aVL
— Sir Geoff Boycott (@SirGeoffBoycott) December 10, 2014
Just to put your minds at ease, the rain doesn’t look too bad so hopefully we won’t be long. It’s certainly not bad enough to prompt Richie Benaud to get behind the mic and talk us through it. He missed a promising career as a weather presenter, did Richie. Oh well, I’m sure he’ll be fairly satisfied with the careers he’s had:
And, as light showers fall, play is interrupted as the covers come on.
Steve Smith, who helped himself to a four off Aaron’s fourth ball, will have to endure a nervous wait on 98. But it’s been Australia’s morning so far, rattling along without giving India a sniff. India, it has to be said, have looked as unthreatening as a warm flannel, lightly lubricated with sorbolene cream.
Perhaps the worst part of the rain delay is the opportunity it gives the Nine team to sit in armchairs and talk some more.
101st over: Australia 401/6 (Smith 94, Clarke 85)
Mohammed Shami keeps the damage to a single, though he was lucky with his wide and loose fifth ball. Clarke was disappointed to find the point fielder what with the pickets beckoning.
Trying to listen to the cricket on ABC while watching Nine? Annoying time delay, isn’t it? It’s so annoying it reminds Tony Robertson of a hipster barrista playing cricket ironically.
The time delay on the live streaming of the cricket is just ridiculous #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/5AbqakfNWB
— Tony Robertson (@tony_robbo) December 10, 2014
100th over: Australia 400/6 (Smith 93, Clarke 85)
Smith ruins Aaron’s figures this morning by clipping a plump leg-side delivery to the fine leg boundary. It wasn’t on a platter, but that was a Christmas ham, and Smith moves into the 90s. Moments later the umpires signal to the groundsmen as it begins to drizzle but after a pause they change their minds and play continues. Phew. As it does, Smith adds a single before Clarke lifts Aaron’s final delivery to the backward point boundary! Shot! And that brings up the 400.
99th over: Australia 391/6 (Smith 88, Clarke 81)
Ishant continues to be the pick of the Indian bowlers, his tight line here seeing him bowl out a maiden. But he had Clarke to bowl at and not once did he test his back with some short balls. Surely India should have Clarke jumping about?
98th over: Australia 391/6 (Smith 88, Clarke 81)
Varun Aaron, who copped a bit of a hiding yesterday, is on to bowl, replacing Karn Sharma. He’s quick —yesterday he averaged 142kph, with a top speed of 149.8kph— but he’s erratic, to put it kindly. It’ll do his confidence the world of good to break this partnership. But he doesn’t manage it this over, though he only concedes a single to Clarke down leg side. Considering he went for 5.58 off his 17 overs yesterday, that’s a solid start.
97th over: Australia 390/6 (Smith 88, Clarke 80)
A brace of singles, as Twitter lights up with admiration for Clarke’s bravery.
#Respect RT "@FOXCricketLive: The body isn't 100%, but the mind is. http://t.co/QhKegOL0I4 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/AYbgubKY38"
— Eric T. (@Eric_T_Music) December 10, 2014
96th over: Australia 388/6 (Smith 87, Clarke 79)
After two singles Clarke ends the over by rocking back and guiding the ball with an elegant thwack to the deep midwicket boundary. Pure timing, that was. Sharma helped matters, it must be said, by helpfully straying to Clarke’s legs.
95th over: Australia 382/6 (Smith 86, Clarke 74)
Ishant bowls a tighter over and has Clarke grimacing when he bangs one in short — but Clarke still manages to roll the hips and pull through square leg for a single.
Matt Harris, meantime, writes in to show he’s not greedy when it comes to keeping up with the cricket while at work. “Thanks for keeping me going at work,” Matt writes. “Fortunately my employer’s intranet provides a live stream of Channel 9 on the desktop, which is currently gracing the bottom corner of my screen. The live blog is my commentary, as I feel having the cricket on at all is pushing my luck, but the sound would be a bit much.” Can’t imagine productivity will be high at Matt’s work this morning.
94th over: Australia 381/6 (Smith 86, Clarke 73)
Clarke really is playing like he expects his body to fall apart any moment. With little footwork to speak of he lifts a short ball from Shami over backward point for four. Three subsequent singles from the over continue Australia’s brisk start to the day.
93rd over: Australia 374/6 (Smith 85, Clarke 67)
Smith is in great touch and his momentum continues with two fours in the over; the first, from an inside edge which rattles away to deep square leg, the second a much more convincing punch off the back foot to the cover boundary. Pretty as a picture, that one.
92nd over: Australia 366/6 (Smith 77, Clarke 67)
Though he’s looking a little robotic —like Kevin Rudd on the campaign trail— Clarke appears to be trying to slog his back into shape. He flogs Shami’s first ball through point, then two balls later pulls somewhat agriculturally for two over mid-on. An exchange of singles raises eight runs from the over.
Hmm, there are some dark clouds on the horizon... Literally.
91st over: Australia 358/5 (Smith 76, Clarke 60)
Why bother with a sighter when it’s wide outside off-stump and as juicy as a new season mango? That’s right, Ishant’s first ball is clattered to the point boundary by Smith. Job done he sees out the rest of the over as Ishant, India’s best bowler yesterday but some measure, improves his line.
90th over: Australia 354/6 (Clarke 60, Smith 72)
Clarke meets Shami’s first ball (well, the third ball of the 90th over that began yesterday evening) on the front foot with a confident off drive. It went straight to a fielder but it showed confidence and he didn’t crumple to the ground, which is always a good thing. Clarke blocks the second and swings and misses at the third as it moves away from him. Shami then completes a wicket maiden.
And the players are entering the field! One of them is Michael Clarke, looking like he’s walking on thin ice with a full esky in his arms. Brave, silly, mad, all of the above? Who knows, but he’s got the forearm guard on indicating he’s ready for a barrage. Play’s about to start...
India need a hero or two today, and I don’t mean one of those high-pitched motorcycles you see zipping around India like worker bees. But who will stand up? They should show the India batsman this at the change of innings:
Now we have had a light spattering of rain this morning, but not much more than the mist of spittle that emanates from your mate’s mouth when he excitedly talks about his new sound system. The covers were on but there’s nothing to get alarmed about and the delay is expected to be about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, we’re getting a run-down of Clarke’s back injury from an Aussie physio. A recurrence of an old one; not related to his hamstring injury. Encouragingly, Clarke did bat in the nets this morning so fingers crossed. Come to that, does he need to bat? Is it worth the risk given 400 looks a reasonable bet? Your thoughts on that, and anything else welcome:
paul.connolly@theguardian.com
Michael Clarke determined to bat on day two: http://t.co/5jlkGX1mPA #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/lO2vIHnlyO
— The New Daily (@TheNewDaily_) December 9, 2014
Updated
Here’s where we’re at, courtesy of a lovely old scoreboard:
Just 15 Minutes to the start of Day 2 of #AUSvIND from the Adelaide Oval, Recap Day 1 here http://t.co/s2vexApRQp pic.twitter.com/rsIF6NkE8o
— ICC (@ICC) December 9, 2014
The cricket? Yes, it’s on, don’t worry. Day Two will resume shortly with Australia 6/354, Steve Smith not out on 72. Yesterday, Day One, was a wholly emotional day’s cricket for reasons you know all about, and Australia held the upper hand for almost the entire day. That said, a late clatter of wickets got India’s nose back into it and if they can finish off Australia quickly this morning, they’ll be in a reasonable position, particularly when you consider how bad things for looking for them at various points.
The good news for Australia, who’ll be hoping to heap on the runs this morning, is that Michael Clarke hopes to bat after a barrage of injections and one hell of a going over with the magic sponge. Will he walk to the crease with the not out batsman Steve Smith this morning? We’ll know soon enough. If his body does hold together Australia will hope to push towards 500.
Morning all, yes, pads are on (though I did pinch myself with the buckles — yep, I’m old school) ... Now gloves. Hmm, where are my bloody gloves?! Oh here’s the left one but for the life of me I can’t find the right. Where could it be.... Ah yes! I threw it at the kids last night when I was, um, encouraging them to set the table. And here it is, on the floor under the piece of furniture my good lady calls the buffet. I call it the thing that holds the old crockery we bring out when the guests are important enough. You say tomato I say tomayto. Okay, now I’m ready! My protector? Don’t have one. Shouldn’t be a problem, should it?
Good morning everyone. Paul Connolly will be along in a minute, but let’s have quick look back while he gets his pads on.
Where to start. That was some day of test cricket. Two of the most courageous innings you’ll ever see – first from David Warner and then from Michael Clarke, who must have known he wasn’t right but still wanted to play for his mate. Steve Smith carried it on but India did not throw in the towel and fought their back into things a little bit with quick wickets at the end.
Let’s hope today keeps up the standard.
