Australia win second test at The Gabba by four wickets
Well, there you go. The day began with Australia rissolling India and chasing only 128 runs to win. India’s second innings effectively capitulated, before Australia also capitulated. But they were only chasing 128. And made it happen with four wickets to spare.
Good players today included:
MG Johnson - 4 wickets for 61
JR Hazlewood - 2 wickets for 74
MA Starc - 2 wickets for 27
NM Lyon - 2 wickets for 33
And CJL Rogers, who carved out 55 runs in 57 balls after master blasters Warner and Watson made the long walk home, and probably laid the foundation for this fine Australian victory.
We’ll be back in under a week for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. And one would suggest we’ll see more of the same: Good, fiery cricket between foes who don’t actually get on that well. Good cricket. Good times.
Good night.
Updated
Sarah Jane Bacon of Dubai says:
@JournoMatCleary Music to win fourth days by ... http://t.co/HzsMQNEJBW
— sarah jane bacon (@sportzzzgirl) December 20, 2014
And some words from The People:
Krishnan Patel from the internet says: “I’m glad to be proven right on Rohit Sharma and Shaun Marsh. However, these selectors’ boys will continue to play because .... you know “Sharma’s talent is obvious” and “We haven’t seen enough of Marsh”. What is talent if you can’t play on swinging wickets (England), spinning wickets (Adelaide), bouncy wickets (Brisbane). And how much more of Marsh should we see before Ferguson and Burns get a fair chance?”
Yeah ... fair questions. What say, The People?
Australia win by four wickets.
And there you go. Something of a wobble by Australia but nothing to worry about, really. They just leaked wickets at the end. But fine batting by Chris Rogers (55) and Steve Smith (28) has got the hosts home.
Quick break here at the Central Commentary Position, and we’ll wrap this baby up.
Updated
23rd over: Australia 130-6 (M.Marsh 6, Johnson 2)
And there it is. Mitch Marsh, a fine cover drive for four, and that’s the Test match, and Australia is up 2-nil in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series.
22nd over: Australia 126-6 (M.Marsh 2, Johnson 2)
Well. Mitchell Johnson is in, now. And Mitchell Marsh. They probably didn’t expect to bat today. But, you know, bad luck.
Australia needs four to win. Now three. And now ... two.
Wicket! Haddin 1 c Kohli b Yadav
Ha. Brad Haddin is bounced and flicks a poor pull shot to backward square where Virat takes a sharp chance. Australia wobbling, chasing six runs to run, four wickets in hand.
Wicket! Smith 27 run out
Smith! He’s out, man. He’s come back for a second, got out of the way of the bowler, and he’s been run out. On a no ball. Wow. Bummer.
21st over: Australia 116-4 (Smith 23, Haddin 1)
Yadav, steaming in ... He’s extracted a French Cut from Marsh, a microcosm of his career, super-sublime and sometimes quite bad. And then he’s got him. And here’s Brad Haddin, batting six.
Wicket! S.Marsh 17 c Dhoni b Yadav
Yadav digs one into Marsh’s ribs and gets a tickle off the gloves or hip or top of the bat or somewhere good enough for Umpire Gould to say, yes, you’re outta here pal. And Australia have 14 to win with six wickets in hand.
20th over: Australia 111-3 (Smith 21, S.Marsh 15)
Okay! Four runs, Shaun Marsh, fine leg glance. India still steaming in. You can’t fault their endeavour. But, you know ... line and length is key, people.
Oh - booom! Super square cut by Marsh. Leaned back and fairly SMOKED it wide and over gully. Aaron follows up with a bouncer that’s so far over Marsh he couldn’t have hit it with a 10 foot tennis racquet.
Put a fork in this match, it’s done.
19th over: Australia 102-3 (Smith 21, S.Marsh 7)
Oh yes, Shotttt... Shaun Marsh, a classy man, off-drive down the ground. Four bits.
Smith! Great shot - a sort of ramp shot over the slips. Great shot. Top shot. Had you done that in 1992 they’d have said: Stop it you crazy man you can’t do that!
But he did, and Australia is home and hosed, as they say
18th over: Australia 93-3 (Smith 17, S.Marsh 2)
Okay. 38 runs to win. Shaun Marsh at the crease. As Marge Simpson would say: Hmmmm. Yet he’s still there, with a few runs. As is Steve Smith, the captain. He’s nibbling away. He’s had a chance. Good as he’s going, India didn’t want to drop him. This much is certain.
If Australia lose this I will run nude down Pittwater Road, between Brookvale and Allambie Heights.
17th over: Australia 90-3 (Smith 13, S.Marsh 1)
That was moving, Rogers had a good whack at that and Dhawan took a sharp one. Shaun Marsh is in. He’s come in with some form in Shield cricket. He’s a left-hander. Mate of mine thinks it should be illegal. I think that’s extreme.
Updated
WICKET! Rogers 55, c Dhawan b Sharma
Rogers has a whack outside off stump and Dhawan takes a sharp chance at second slip. Indian players do not celebrate like it’s 1999 and they’re on the drink with Prince.
Updated
16th over: Australia 85-2 (Rogers 55, Smith 12)
Four runs - and there’s 50 for Chris Rogers, his career is good for the moment. Fine shot, a pull shot, boom. He follows it up with four more, a square drive that squirts through gully for four. Been a fine innings here from Rogers. He’s whacking away like a dervish. And Australia are looking the goods.
15th over: Australia 75-2 (Rogers 47, Smith 12)
Here’s our man Ishant Sharma, thundering in. They reckon - and by “They” I mean Brett Lee, and probably a few others - that Ishant isn’t aggressive enough. He’s fast, tall, and a bit angry ... but his body language doesn’t scream: AAAIEEEEE! I am a crazy man, as Collin Croft’s did, and Andy Roberts’, and Jeff Thomson.
14th over: Australia 68-2 (Rogers 42, Smith 10)
Here’s Aaron. I’ve got a mate called Aaron. Writes for Men’s Health. They call him “Socks” and he played for the AIS once, a fair fast bowler, like a fast Trent Copeland.
So there you go.
Smith - four runs, tucks one off his hip. Australia starting to cruise. It’s not over. But it’s nearly over. If you can’t chase 128 ... that’s it. You give up playing cricket.
DROPPED CATCH! Steve Smith has wafted outside off-stump, a terrible shot, and second slip has grassed it! Wow. Virat Kohli. Wow.
Smith rubs it in with a single off his hip. And Rogers rubs it in further squirting a fat edge for four through third man. Good times.
Virat Kohli. Top batter. He’ll be unhappy to drop that. And onwards Australia roll.
13th over: Australia 59-2 (Rogers 38, Smith 5)
Okay - Big Ishant, around the wicket. A huge man. Long, like a big drink of water. Black hair of your rock & roll man. He’s firing fast ones across the left-handed Rogers.
Couple off the over. Rogers going well here. Probably needs to if he wishes to continue opening the batting in Test cricket for Australia. Good luck to him. Nice fellah. Ishant’s giving him lip though. No he’s not he’s agreeing with his captain - we need to get this man out. Short leg in.
Nice shot... a sort of back foot defensive pull shot. Nice one, Chris Rogers. Four runs. Then there’s a force off the back foot through off. Ishant’s leaking ‘em, the big crazy Alice Cooper man.
And Rogers, again, more runs. He’s out-scoring his captain. It’s good cricket. And over.
12th over: Australia 48-2 (Rogers 30, Smith 4)
Chrissy Rogers, tucks Yadav off his hip, a description peculiar to cricket, one would warrant. Any other pursuit you can tuck a man off your hip? Break-dancing, maybe?
Regardless, Chris Rogers rips off a cracking square cut for four. Bang, straight out the middle.
And ... over.
11th over: Australia 44-2 (Rogers 26, Smith 3)
Steve Smith now... facing Ishant. And Smith has hit a ... what would you call that? A straight pull hook whack, that hits the deck, and does nothing else. Good times. Ishant thundering in, all crazy eyes and bad hair, necklaces jangling like the first person voted off Survivor. A tall man. Six eight? Six six? It matters not. A tall man. But Captain Smithy sees him off. Bowled, big man.
Updated
10th over: Australia 34-2 (Rogers 23, Smith 3)
Okay. Here’s Chrissy Rogers, facing Yadav ... beaten! Fine bowling. Big black marks in the pitch. Tinges of green, still. It’s Brisbane, sub-tropical. Yadav bowling some Nice Areas. “Nice areas” ... it’s a thing they say. We used to say “bowled, mate”. Tidy over. A maiden.
9th over: Australia 33-2 (Rogers 23, Smith 2)
Ishant is continuing - he got a couple of breakthroughs in Australia’s first innings, too, but couldn’t keep it going. Smith takes a hurried single from a misfield, then Rogers plays one in the gap between gully and slip, quite deliberately, for another run as it was half saved.
Ishant bowls another no ball, he’s had way too many of those this match, and then a ball goes for four byes down the leg side. Wow. That hits a crack outside Steve Smith’s off stump, then jagged a couple of feet in the end and went wide of Dhoni. Well. If they could pitch it up and hit those cracks, and had another 80 runs to bowl at...
That’s it from me - Geoff Lemon waving you off with a jingle of sleigh-bells and wishing you all the best for your festive times, even if they come after a pretty grim end of year. I’ll be back with you come Boxing Day for Test Number Three, and for now I’ll leave you with Matt Cleary to give this match the Last Rites.
9th over: Australia 34-2 (Rogers 23, Smith 3)
Ishant Sharma, thundering in like the evil Lion in the Lion King. Crazy eyes of Alice Cooper. He hurries Rogers, whacks one into his helmet. Steve Smith is less harried. TV people showing South Africa rolling Australia for 103 or so, in ‘94. Fanie De Villiers. Good times. I was in Yeppoon. Top joint.
Ishant jags one off a length that goes down leg side. There is some appealing. But it’s not that appealing. Here’s Ishant, again ... last ball, Smith leaves well alone.
8th over: Australia 33-2 (Rogers 23, Smith 2)
You’re either in for an entirely unpredictable session or an entirely predictable session. I can’t predict which.
What are your predictions?
Chris Rogers v Umesh Yadav to start this session. The first couple are spot on and Rogers is watchful, but then Yadav slips the ball out of his hand and gives Rogers a wide low full toss. Rogers waits, is calm, doesn’t rush, and cover drives it for four!
Four more next ball, this one pitches at least, but is still full and wide and Rogers goes after it. The next ball hits Rogers on the body, a la Dhoni, he started to flinch a bit and it clobbered him on the forearm I think as he stood there.
Tea - Australia at 2-25 chasing 128
At least for a little while longer, this match remains intriguing. India’s capitulation earlier handed Australia a modest target, but Shikhar Dhawan and Umesh Yadav were instrumental in making sure there was at least something to bowl at. Dhawan’s 81 was a top effort considering he was injured and trying to manipulate the strike. Yadav cracked an aggressive 30.
Australia needed a good start, but once again it was Yadav’s aggression when he injured Warner’s thumb, shaking the batsman up enough that he was soon out. With Watson going just before tea it’s currently Smith and Rogers trying to shore things up.
Can India rise from the dead? Better ask Aesop Rock featuring John Darnielle as you enjoy your tea break.
7th over: Australia 25-2 (Rogers 15, Smith 2)
Ishant doesn’t always deliver, but he’s shown a glimpse of daylight here. Steve Smith comes to the crease with the departure of Watson. India must get Smith, he’s the man in coruscating form. If they can take him early then they’re up amongst it. He has a tendency to nick while driving early (as most batsmen do). They need to settle into some accurate bowling against him and dry him up.
There’s a no-ball, then two runs forced through cover for Smith to get off the mark, and that is tea. Will there be further tremors after the break?
“That’s the 64 dollar question,” says Terry Alderman. ABC budget cuts.
WICKET! Watson 0, c Dhoni b Watson
Calamitous for Watson. He gets steep bounce from Sharma, tries to pull, lobs a big top edge high into the air, and Dhoni just stands underneath it and casually completes the catch.
6th over: Australia 22-1 (Rogers 15, Watson 0)
Runs for Rogers against Yadav as he turns two through midwicket, then some really lucky runs as one pops up a little, surprises Rogers and is deflected up into the air on the leg side. With everyone in catching positions that didn’t go to hand, it landed near midwicket. Another brace.
So far, Watson is one of the few Australians to come out of this Test without an injury. Quite the plot twist. #AUSvIND
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) December 20, 2014
5th over: Australia 18-1 (Rogers 11, Watson 0)
So Ishant bowled a no-ball first up, then got Warner out with the next. Shane Watson wanders out, needing a few runs to get into this series. He blocks out the rest of Ishant’s over squarely and solidly.
WICKET! Warner 6, c Dhoni b Ishant
That’s done it! Three quarters of that wicket can go to Yadav for smashing Warner’s hand, but Sharma gets the stat as he seams one off the pitch and Warner is trying to defend but only nicking.
4th over: Australia 17-0 (Rogers 11, Warner 6)
David Warner is struggling. He drives one in the air through cover, then takes the hand off the bat handle completely in trying to drive another through point. It trickles away for three where normally he would have smashed that away. Rogers drives another two runs through cover point.
So what happens now if David Warner misses the Boxing Day Test with a broken thumb? Mitch Marsh could be replaced with a No6 batsman or an all-rounder, but will we be missing an opener as well? In that case Ed Cowan would have to be a chance for an unlikely comeback.
3rd over: Australia 10-0 (Rogers 9, Warner 1)
Ishant still getting good lift, sailing through into Dhoni’s gloves. Oh, for another hundred runs to this target, then we’d have a hell of a game on our hands. India have about 20 minutes to try to turn this into one.
Rogers takes the first step towards making sure that won’t happen by gloving one through fine leg for four. Leg slip would have gobbled that. Ishant over-corrects his line and pushes his length fuller, and Rogers drives the wide ball through cover with an angled bat and carts it for another fencer.
Pretty boss that ABC Grandstand now use Smashing Pumpkins as part of their transition music.
In other music news this has nothing to do with cricket but is hilarious.
Bill Clinton looks like he bout to drop the hardest mixtape of the year pic.twitter.com/hb8jItnNCv
— Dave Chappelle (@ChappeIIeShow) December 19, 2014
2nd over: Australia 2-0 (Rogers 1, Warner 1)
Umesh Yadav begins and he hits David Warner right on the hand! That will hurt. Warner is seeking attention. That was a really tough ball from Yadav, it lifted sharply and rather than hitting the front of the finger padding or the bat handle, it hit directly on the thumb of his left hand.
“He’s started the chainswaw,” says Andy Bichel with a great description of the way Warner yanked his hand away from the bat handle after that hit. He’s in real pain. He’s batting on, and gets a single to the on side, but he has the glove off again at the non-striker’s end assessing his hand. Rogers pushes a run into the covers. They’re both away. Warner misses a pull from the next ball and it hits him on the body, Warner’s focus his been shaken by that hit.
1st over: Australia 0-0 (Rogers 0, Warner 0)
Ishant Sharma starts proceedings, and he’s on the button early. Rogers facing the first ball, as is the wont of this Australian opening pair. Sharma is right on line, just around that off stump, and a sharp length combined with sharp pace. Past the stumps a couple of times, then a drive from Rogers that misses.
Rogers can be a nervy starter, Watson can be a low scorer, so India need to nick both of them off immediately, then get at least one of the in-form Smith & Warner pairing. Those two sound like a weapon company, and that would be a fair way to describe them at present.
Australia are set 128 to win
A disastrous day for India reaches its conclusion, at least as far as their batting goes. They made 224 in total, which isn’t so bad in itself. But their early and dramatic collapse robbed them of the chance to set a more imposing target for Australia. There’s also the matter of the 250-odd tail-end runs India conceded to Australia yesterday. They’ve had two good days and two shockers thus far.
Australia need only 128 to win. Two or three early wickets could make them start to panic, but it would need something very dramatic to turn this around. We’ll have the best part of 40 minutes of Australian batting before tea, and I reckon we all know how David Warner is going to approach this.
Yadav 30, c Haddin b Johnson
Swing, miss. Swing, miss. This is Yadav versus Johnson. It is quite soothing, like watching a wind vane twirling in the breeze. Swing, miss. Swing, miss.
Swing, nick.
Haddin’s ninth catch for the match, Johnson’s fourth wicket for the innings, India out for 224, Australia need 128 to win.
64th over - India 224-7 (Yadav 30, Ishant 1)
Lyon switches from over the wicket to around halfway through that over to Ishant, but the big feller plays it pretty well, striding forward, defending balls away, or going back to force them away from his pads and keep them out. Maiden.
63rd over - India 224-7 (Yadav 30, Ishant 1)
So. Ishant Sharma versus Mitchell Johnson. It’s not a fair contest, no matter who’s batting and who’s bowling. They have three slips, gully, point and short leg, and the sub fielder in the latter position nearly has a catch as Ishant spars one just past his outstretched hand.
Not sure on the fairness of having a specialist short leg - one who plays there regularly for his own side - as a substitute fieldsman. Peter Siddle is here but not being used as the 12th man.
Yadav plays a few shots at Johnson but misses the lot, ending with a final swipe that nearly takes him off his feet. End is nigh.
62nd over - India 223-7 (Yadav 30, Ishant 0)
Six! Yadav at least lands a blow for honour. They crossed during Aaron’s dismissal, then Yadav saw the next one flighted outside his off stump and swung cleanly through the line toward the sight screen.
Six! And again. This one squarer, deep midwicket. Quite a big boundary, David Warner is under it but the rope is right by his foot, and while his leap helps him get a hand to the ball he lands over the rope.
The lead is at 126.
Updated
WICKET! Aaron 3, c Johnson b Lyon
Some cheapies here for Nathan Lyon as Aaron aims a big slog, mistimes it, and just clips it in a gentle arc to mid on. Lead is 114.
61st over - India 210-8 (Yadav 17, Aaron 3)
A pull from Yadav for a single, a push through cover from Aaron for one, then a big ol’ slog from Yadav that skews high over cover. Total shambles here - horrible shot, lands safely, they run two, then turn for a third that is no way there, run anyway, Haddin would have run Aaron out easily but he gets a very hard flat throw and can’t reel it in. He ends up knocking the bails off with his empty hand. They survive.
Updated
60th over - India 205-8 (Yadav 13, Aaron 2)
Dhawan falls from the first ball of Lyon’s over, a great knock in the circumstances but how much a hundred from him would have meant to India. Or a hundred fewer conceded to the Australian tailenders. Ouch. Varun Aaron is the new man, and he drives two runs over cover.
The lead is 208.
Updated
WICKET! Dhawan 81, lbw Lyon
There’s the game - Dhawan trying to move the score along, he went down to sweep Lyon, had moved outside off, and he missed the stroke and hit the back of his front leg in that kneeling position. Looked a good call live, even if it was hard to see the ball behind the attempted shot.
59th over - India 203-7 (Dhawan 81, Yadav 13)
Huge appeal, huge from Hazlewood and the entire Australian side as Dhawan pushes at one that beats him. On the replay there probably wasn’t a nick but it looked very close, and that is an excellent decision by the umpire. They’ve fired quite a few Indian batsmen this series but finally brought some restraint.
Dhawan gets a single from the fourth ball, then Yadav plays a dumb shot with only two balls to survive, a big drive that takes an edge high over the slip cordon and rolls away for four. He raises the Indian 200, but he just needs to stay in.
58th over - India 198-7 (Dhawan 80, Yadav 9)
There’s the hundred lead! Dhawan uses his feet against Lyon, chips mid-on deliberately for a couple of runs, and at least brings some semblance of respectability to the Indian score. Some. They’d need another 50 or 60 to even a gleam of home. They’d need another 120 to be in with an actual chance. But we’ll see.
Just hearing on the radio via Cricinfo’s Brydon Coverdale that Yadav made 90 this year in Brisbane against Australia A. Which I suspect is an interesting piece of information that won’t be relevant for long.
Dhawan gets one run from the fourth ball. Yadav survives. The partnership is worth 55 from 79 balls. Yadav has faced 26 of them and scored 9. Dhawan into the 80s.
@GeoffLemonSport "Dhawan into the 80s"? Mullet haircut, boxy jacket with rolled up sleeves and Birkenstock sandals?
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) December 20, 2014
Updated
57th over - India 195-7 (Dhawan 77, Yadav 9)
Shot. Hazlewood gets a fraction leg-side, Dhawan moves across to accentuate it, then with immaculate timing he flips that ball off his legs and high lover the leg side, down to the long leg boundary for four. That’s some hand-eye magic for you. He gets a single through cover from the fifth ball. Farming the strike to perfection.
56th over - India 190-7 (Dhawan 72, Yadav 9)
An uneventful over for Dhawan, who is less building an innings than solving a number puzzle. He waits until Lyon’s fourth ball to take a run, and Yadav does his job in defending the rest.
Richard Peel has some time on his hands. “Is it just the Aussie accents that makes the commentary so... Awful ? And why don’t they have any Indian lads joining them, like what Sky and BBC do? Maybe it’s just my English bias showing but it’s all too often like listening to a cat whining outside the house cos it wants to be let in.”
Not liking an accent is not a helpful marker for the objective quality of... well, anything. But I’ll pass it on to those annoyingly-voiced Aussie radio commentators Harsha Bhogle and Rahul Dravid, who’ve peen part of the series so far for ABC.
55th over - India 189-7 (Dhawan 71, Yadav 9)
Dhawan’s confidence in Yadav is growing, he takes a single from the third ball of Hazelwood’s over. The South African sub fieldsman then tries to claim a short leg catch that lobbed straight off the arse cheek of the Indian No9. Off the meat of the butt? Yadav swipes two runs with a perilous shot through slip, then could have had a single but again Dhawan says no.
Some interesting batting from Shikhar D at the moment... http://t.co/90Bj09PGgr #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/w4WiaGENZy
— FOX SPORTS Cricket (@FOXCricketLive) December 20, 2014
54th over - India 186-7 (Dhawan 70, Yadav 7)
Punt time, says Steve Smith, as he brings Lyon on. He wants to see Dhawan try to slog. Short leg and a slip are the only catchers, as Dhawan goes down on one knee for a scoop over fine leg that nets him two runs. Backward point, short cover, deep point, long on, long off, midwicket, deep backward square. Singles all over with some catchers still in place. Interesting field.
Dhawan takes a single from the third, happier to give Yadav strike here. Yadav wants a single to long-on from the fifth ball but Dhawan declines. He’s on to 70. Imagine if he could net another 30 under these circumstances.
53rd over - India 183-7 (Dhawan 67, Yadav 7)
Hazlewood comes back for Johnson, and Dhawan isn’t hanging around. He slaps the first ball just over a leaping mid-on fieldsman to the straight boundary. Then he aims a big hook at a short ball but misses out. The lead is at 85, getting it to three figures must be his next target. Bit by bit.
Fifth ball he wanders well outside off, exposing his stumps, to glance Hazlewood for a single. Yadav gets a brutal short ball that he plays really well, riding the bounce to glove it down from in front of his face onto the pitch. The partnership survives.
52nd over - India 178-7 (Dhawan 62, Yadav 7)
Four more slightly lucky runs from Watson, but that was intentional from Dhawan - he was looking to come forward and drive, the length wasn’t quite there, so he hovered on the back foot and just pushed at that ball, sending it away to third man for four. A nice straight drive doesn’t beat mid on, but Dhawan manages to keep the strike from the final ball by walking across his stumps to work it away towards leg.
51st over - India 173-7 (Dhawan 57, Yadav 7)
Johnson continuing, one down the leg side, then another short one that Dhawan pulls successfully but turns down the single to fine leg. Instead he takes the single from the fifth ball by tapping it into the leg side. Yadav blocks out the closing yorker.
50th over - India 172-7 (Dhawan 56, Yadav 7)
A standard one-day international innings is completed by Shane Watson. How he does not have more wickets in this innings is a mystery. Dhawan cut two runs and took a single, but Yadav was beaten three times, once by an absolute beauty on the forward prod that swung subtly and nearly nicked him off.
49th over - India 169-7 (Dhawan 53, Yadav 7)
That man Johnson is now starting at the other end. He nearly runs out Dhawan at the striker’s end after fielding in his follow-through and hurling at the stumps. Dhawan scrambled back but might have been short if the throw had hit. He makes up for it by shuffling to the leg side - Johnson around the wicket, Dhawan left-handed - and weltering a pull shot through midwicket for four.
That’s Dhawan’s half century, from 101 balls with five boundaries.
Then a single, but Yadav survives two Johnson deliveries.
48th over - India 164-7 (Dhawan 48, Yadav 7)
It’s Shane Watson to resume hostilities after the lunch break, somewhat suprisingly. He’s starting his 11th over, covering for the injury to Mitchell Marsh and the general rubbishness of Mitchell Starc. Basically we’ve only had one good Mitchell. His first ball is left. His second, Charlie Dhawan advances dramatically and lobs two runs down the ground with a mistimed shot. Then Dhawan gets one with some width and goes after it viciously, slamming it to the cover boundary. None of that was controlled, but his intent is clear - Dhawan wants runs and isn’t confident about the tail.
Fair enough. Any of these Indian bowlers could slam a quick 15, but you wouldn’t back them to hang around with Dhawan for any length of time, whether attacking or not. We certainly won’t see any Johnson-style innings from them, is my wager.
Thanks to the first-session philosophy of Rousseau Jackson. Geoff Lemon joining you after the lunch break, with Shikhar Dhawan and Umesh Yadav trying to set some sort of target for the rampant Australians.
Get me on Twitter at @GeoffLemonSport or send me an email with your thoughts via geoff.lemon@theguardian.com.
To ease you into the session with some soul and swing, let’s hit play on the OBO Jukebox.
The morning in brief
It was an utter, utter shambles for India this morning. They started the day in mild chaos after Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli had both been struck to the arm while batting in the Gabba nets. Dhawan was forced to to retire hurt without a ball being bowled and coming in as his hasty replacement, Kohli (1) departed almost immediately.
That sparked a collapse with India losing 6 for 86 (shades of their lower-order failure in the first innings, there) including the wickets of Rahane (10), Sharma (0) and Dhoni (0) all falling within in one shambolic half-hour period. Ravi Ashwin (19) looked comfortable and got a shocking decision to be caught behind off Starc’s bowling and then Che Pujara (43) - India’s rock in relative terms - got a brute of a ball from Josh Hazlewood.
The Australian bowling ranged from the sublime to the slightly ridiculous. Johnson produced his best spell of the series so far, including the double-blow of Rahane and Sharma in the one over. He’s got 3-54 from 14 overs and has been capably supported by Hazlewood (2-51 off 11) and Shane Watson (1-12). The latter was superb and probably could have had a bag of wickets himself.
Less impressive in all senses other than the statistical was Mitch Starc, who produced a couple of gems amid some real rubbish to go to lunch with 2-27 from his 8 overs.
The equation for India is now desperate. They lead by 60 and perhaps there is life in this game yet if they can set an awkward target around the 150 region and take a few early wickets. If they fold soon after lunch, this one might well be over by the end of the day.
Joining you post-lunch will be the incomparable Geoff Lemon and Matt Cleary will mop up the tail in the evening session, if we last until then.
Lunch on Day four - India are in serious strife
47th over - India 157-7 (Dhawan 41, Yadav 7) - India lead by 60
While Dhawan is at the crease, there still remains hope that India could set a three-figure chase for Australia. Before that run-out scare he pulls Hazlewood out to the deep mid-wicket boundary and then there’s some less artful slogging from Yadav, who tucks two around the corner to fine leg for two and then cross-bats a truly filthy boundary down to long-off.
And that, my friends, is stumps for the morning session.
Sankaran Krishna has just written in with the email of the morning:
“Watching the Indians after they got Haddin yesterday morning reminded me of a Punjabi joke. In translation it runs something like this: A mouse once fell into a barrel which had some dregs of liquor in it. After a mighty struggle, the inebriated mouse staggered out of the barrel and demanded to know “Where’s the blooming cat?” What a bunch - especially you Rohit Sharma.”
Run-out review - not out
Has Warner got Yadav? It’s a brilliant side-on throw to break the stumps. No, it’s not out. Yadav was running in sand there but somehow he made it home.
46th over - India 146-7 (Dhawan 36, Yadav 1)
Lyon probably fancies a couple of the rabbits here and with the prospect of this match being over by the end of the fourth day, my fiancee is beaming with delight and planning out a rejigged Sunday schedule. I fear that shopping and conversations about Christmas table-settings are on the cards. Is this what you want for me Umesh? Is this what you want for me Shikhar?
Gary Naylor never forgets.
@rustyjacko "Have you never seen Australia chase a small total and fail?" Some of us were 18 in '81 and remember it like it was yesterday...
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) December 20, 2014
45th over - India 143-7 (Dhawan 34, Yadav 0)
Hazlewood finishes the over by jamming up Yadav and forcing the tailender onto the back foot, perhaps in the hope of a similar dismissal as the Pujara one. It’s a solid plan.
“Is there a purer joy in summer,” asks Patrick O’Brien, “than switching on Channel Nine, slouching in your chair and slamming down the mute button?” No Patrick, there’s really not.
WICKET! Pujara c Lyon b Hazlewood 43 (India 143-7)
Josh Hazlewood replaces Johnson and that move pays immediate dividends when the change of line and extra bounce takes the well-set Pujara by surprise. He’s back and across towards off stump but the ball rears awkwardly and takes the bat around the splice, lobbing up innocuously into the hands of Lyon at gully.
44th over - India 142-6 (Pujara 43, Dhawan 33)
The Indians are accellerating a little now and also looking to bat proactively to Lyon, as they should. Both move around the crease to disrupt his line and force a few singles.
43rd over - India 139-6 (Pujara 42, Dhawan 31)
He ain’t heavy, he’s my bowler. Johnson starts this second over of his spell with a quite absurd, trampolining bouncer that flies over the head of Dhawan and Aussie keeper Brad Haddin to races away for 5 wides. He’s a little less threatening than in the morning though.
Kabir Sethi doubts my logic about a small chase. “Why on earth would 140-150 be tricky for the Aussies?” he asks. “Pitch still looks very good, and Indian bowling is crap. I think combination of excellent bowling this morning and completely inane batting (looking at you Dhoni) has done us in.”
Have you never seen Australia chase a small total and fail? One doesn’t recover quickly.
42nd over - India 129-6 (Pujara 41, Dhawan 27)
Lyon’s been right on the money this morning, coming over the wicket to Pujara and getting sharp spin angling towards the batsman’s pads. Only when he drags one short outside off stump does the batsman get a breather, clipping it away through gully for a welcome boundary.
There's that word "heavy" again. Has the earth's gravitational field changed now that Johnson is bowling?
— Samir Chopra (@EyeOnThePitch) December 20, 2014
41st over - India 125-6 (Pujara 37, Dhawan 27)
Now Johnson returns for another burst and he’s got Dhawan in a spot of trouble when the batsman refuses to defer to the bowling and the game situation and wafts dangerously at a series of shorter balls. Might it not be better to just see him off in these three over bursts? Call me crazy...
He lets the last few fly by outside off stump. That’s a bit smarter.
At the moment no bowler in the world can match @MitchJohnson398 when he clicks....My assessment having just come in from Mad Friday..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 20, 2014
40th over - India 124-6 (Pujara 36, Dhawan 27)
Nathan Lyon is granted his wish now and Shane Watson saunters across to first slip for a rest as the off-spinner goes to work. His first over brings appreciable turn, perhaps a hint of the nervous moments that might await the Aussies if they’re facing Ravi Ashwin in a small chase. Is that pessimistic? Perhaps.
@rustyjacko There are people just tuning in and seeing Pujara 30, Dhawan 26 and thinking, "Well, things have been slow today..."
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) December 20, 2014
39th over - India 123-6 (Pujara 35, Dhawan 27)
On the flip-side to that Watson scenario, how does Starc have the relatively impressive figures of 2/27, especially dishing up the kind of dross that Pujara slaps for another boundary through gully now? Cricket’s not always fair, I guess. India lead by 26. Even if they got that up around 140-150, there’d be some squeaky bum time for the Aussies.
If you'd just switched on you'd see the overnight pair still batting and think 'Shithouse first hour'. #AUSvIND
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) December 20, 2014
Woke up late, and missed two familiar sights not seen so far in the series. A fiery Mitch and an Indian top-order collapse.
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) December 20, 2014
38th over - India 117-6 (Pujara 30, Dhawan 26)
Watson produces another maiden full of “oohs” and “ahhs” and normally Id give him stick for his theatrics but he really does deserve a few more wickets the way he’s been bowling. His batting has been so thoroughly ordinary of late but what a gem of a change bowler he is.
Is this account actually Steve Waugh? Some say yes, I suspect no. If it’s fake, there really is a special place in hell for use the word “real” in fake accounts.
Well DRS would make things interesting. Oh wait... lets not use a more accurate decision making process. That will work.#AUSvIND @WWOS9
— Steve Waugh (@RealSWaugh) December 20, 2014
"Don't just stand there!" - Ian Healy on poor call for Indian "Get my shotgun." - Ian Healy on poor call for Australian
— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) December 20, 2014
37th over - India 117-6 (Pujara 30, Dhawan 26)
Now the injured Dhawan reappears. He’s got a serious rearguard innings to play here if India are to set a target that will worry Australia. They lead by 20 now with the last of their recognised batsmen at the crease.
Gee there's been some ordinary umpiring this series - most against India it must be said #AUSvIND
— Brett Graham (@worldofBG) December 20, 2014
WICKET! Ashwin c Haddin b Starc 19 (India 117-6)
Starc is bowling like a drain at the moment so Ravi Ashwin is more than a little stiff when he gets his one decent delivery of the session and claims an inside edge through to Haddin. Ashwin doesn’t want to go - he doesn’t think he’s made contact - but he’s sent on his way.
“Who cares pal? You’ve been given, get out” screams the ever-impartial Ian Healy.
In fairness even Brad Haddin didn’t even look convinced, which is never a good sign. Replays confirm it probably clipped the pad. The noise is enough though, says Heals. Can someone roll up a pair of cricket socks and shove them in his mouth?
36th over - India 115-5 (Pujara 30, Ashwin 17)
Smith decides that he’s seen enough wasteful bowling in the last half-hour and brings Watson back, which is a good move as long as the bowlers’ body is up to it. He starts with a a half-tracker that Ashwin cross-bats down to the extra cover boundary for three but then goes agonizingly close to taking the edge of Pujara’s bat.
How has Watson only taken one wicket? He’s bowling like a dream in this Test. India lead by 18 now, by the way.
35th over - India 110-5 (Pujara 28, Ashwin 14)
I’d hesitate to jump to conclusions too quick, but Starc is releasing the pressure that Australia had built up in that wicket spree. He starts this over with a real doozy - full, wide and almost begging Pujara to deposit him to the fence wide of point. The batsman takes up the challenge and does so, his first runs in four overs.
Starc has not been one to learn from his mistakes in this game and he serves up a nearly identical buffet ball three balls later, which Pujara slashes to the fence again. Should he have another gully in place? Or should he just bowl a regulation line and length? I’d lean towards the latter option myself.
Drinks come onto the ground and the Aussies - despite a few ordinary overs in the last 15 minutes - are well on top.
"I've got no bruises on me. I use my bat." @r_harris413 (to @abcgrandstand) on the "bad nets" India grumbling about. He also used them today
— Jesse Hogan (@Jesse_Hogan) December 20, 2014
34th over - India 102-5 (Pujara 20, Ashwin 14)
A little of the manic intensity has disappeared with the ending of Johnson’s spell, but Hazlewood has a plan to nip out Ashwin and that is to bowl a kind of leg theory around the wicket with a man in at leg gully. On the evidence of one prod into that region he might be onto something, but he follows it with a juicy half-volley that Ashwin is too good not to belt for a boundary through extra cover.
Meanwhile...
India's statement says it has been asking for fresh practice pitches but been given worn-out ones. "Because of that" two injuries #ausvind
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 20, 2014
33rd over - India 95-5 (Pujara 20, Ashwin 8)
Johnson’s through his short burst now so Mitch Starc appears to replace him. Perhaps the magic has rubbed off because Starc cuts Ashwin in half when he seams one in from outside off and goes between inside edge and the off stump.
@rustyjacko Channel Nine are right about Haddin. It's just that he thinks they're all out. DRS proved that keepers do.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) December 20, 2014
32nd over - India 94-5 (Pujara 20, Ashwin 7)
Ravi Ashwin won’t be dictated to by the game situation here, which is an admirable trait in some regards. He’s playing attacking strokes at every opportunity, slashing Hazlewood down to third man for four and then chipping him out to mid-wicket for a single.
India will need some serious runs from both Ashwin and Pujara to make a game of this one. They now trail by 3.
This is the cricketing equivalent of shitting the bed. #AUSvIND
— Charlotte Corsleigh (@C_Corday) December 20, 2014
31st over - India 89-5 (Pujara 20, Ashwin 2)
Johnson is now up around 145kmph, by the way, a subtle change but perhaps instructive of resurgent confidence in his powers. His last over was an absolute gem and there was an air of chaos.
Dhawan, meanwhile, has appeared in the India rooms now and is padded, helmeted, and ready to go should another wicket fall. Pujara and Ashwin will be doing well just to halt Australia’s rampant momentum.
Phil Withall is back. “One of the esteemed members of the Channel Nine commentary team uterred the following. “Haddin never over celebrates if he doesn’t think it’s out”. Could that be the biggest lie you’ll hear today? Hyperbolic appealing is a cornerstone of the Australian method.”
Haddin is many things, but a shrinking violet he ain’t. If his grandmother had a fall, he’d motion to stump her.
30th over - India 89-5 (Pujara 20, Ashwin 2)
Ashwin gets off the mark with two through mid-wicket but it’s a little hard to process all of the carnage right at the moment. India still trail by 8 runs and Australia are one wicket away from their tail. Will this game even last out the day? I was setting myself for some fifth day excitement but the tourists are an absolute shambles today.
WICKET! Dhoni lbw Hazlewood 0 (India 87-5)
What the hell is Dhoni doing? Facing up to Hazlewood’s fast, straight second ball of the morning, the Indian skipper wanders across his stumps to try and change the line and flick it to the leg side but he misses and gets rapped on the pad dead in front. The Australians go up and get the answer they want. India are in crisis. After their capitulations in the last three Tests against England, we sort of wondered whether a moment like this would come and it’s arrived with truly disastrous results.
Updated
29th over - India 86-4 (Pujara 19, Dhoni 0)
Captain Dhoni appears now and survives the last ball of Johnson’s over but right as we were speculating whether Johnson’s intensity had dropped off, he’s prized two wicket in an over and put his side right on top. India, it has to be said, sledged the wrong man yesterday.
WICKET! Sharma c Haddin b Johnson 0 (India 86-4)
Right as that Rahane dismissal occurred, more news had emerged about the pre-play Indian training session; there’s some conjecture over whether the tourists were using the wrong practice pitch, one with a lot of juice in it. Dhawan was hit in the arm and is off getting scans, but Kohli also copped a blow too before he was forced to take guard in his teammates’ place.
Now Rohit Sharma emerges from the pavilion far earlier than expected and he goes immediately for a second-ball duck! Australia will win this by an innings at this rate! Johnson is short, fast and wide of off stump and Sharma hangs his bat out and sends a thick edge through to Haddin. Again it’s a desperately close call on the front-foot no ball but the ball is adjudged legal.
Sharma shakes his head and walks off and his side are in pieces. Even if fit, will Dhawan make it back to the ground in time to bat again?
WICKET! Rahane c Lyon b Johnson 10 (India 86-3)
Johnson gets another! This time he forces Rahane onto the back foot and into a meek defensive stroke that balloons up into the hands of Lyon at gully and though replays suggest the bowlers’ front foot might have crept forward too far, the umpires send Rahane on his way. India are in dire straits now. It’s been a shocking start to the day in every respect.
28th over - India 82-2 (Pujara 19, Rahane 6)
Watson is really hooping the ball around at the moment. May I proffer the theory that Australia has actually benefited from Mitch Marsh being unfit to bowl? It’s meant that Watson has had to bowl far more overs than he would have and right now, he’s a consistently threatening option.
Here’s some more recent banner work.
@rustyjacko -- People still make banners: they just need the right inspiration. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/JmyN2Abtlg
— sarah jane bacon (@sportzzzgirl) December 20, 2014
27th over - India 82-2 (Pujara 19, Rahane 6)
Kohli was really nowhere there, neither forward nor back as he hung the bat out at a ball he might have left. Perhaps he feels a little robbed and that he shouldn’t have even been out there yet, but with Dhawan injured and Vijay back in the sheds with him, India are down three men who might have made hay on this pitch.
Rahane appears now and pushes Johnson through cover for two to get off the mark. Less convincing is a loose pull shot that takes a top edge and flies perilously behind the wicket but clears the cordon. The tourists are on the back foot in every sense right now.
WICKET! Kohli b Johnson 1 (India 76-2)
Johnson strikes and it’s the key man Kohli! He jams the Indian star up outside off stump and jumping almost nervously, Kohli chops it back onto his pegs. He’s stunned and stands rooted to the spot as though he’s just copped a shonky LBW decision. Is he waiting for a no ball review? Maybe, but it confirms that Johnson has part of his foot behind the line and Kohli must go. What a dramatic start to play. Kohli, replacing the retired Dhawan, is gone for 1.
26th over - India 76-1 (Pujara 19, Kohli 1)
India trail by 22 now, but Kohli is already showing his hand by taking a wild pull when Watson digs it in short. He doesn’t make contact but does get off the make with a more conventional nudge to the next. In truth Watson doesn’t need to dig it in short because he’s getting enough naural bounce out of the surface.
Owing to that extra assistance from the pitch, Pujara ends the over ducking a bouncer.
25th over - India 75-1 (Pujara 19, Kohli 0)
“There’s a party on off stump so let’s crash it”, says the banner of a youngster standing at the Gabba fence. It’s not exactly champagne comedy, but it is nice to see that cricket fans are still making banners. Remember when it was almost compulsory to spray paint a terrible pun onto a bed sheet and take it along to the game? Simpler times.
Mitch Johnson appears to partner Watson and the latters’ lethargy seems to be contagious, because Johnson ssort of ambles in by his own dynamic standards and continues to bowl at 10-15 kmph less than we’ve come to expect. He’s done it all game, actually. Burn-out? Fall-out from the Phillip Hughes tragedy? A new tactic? Whatever it is he’s lacking in the venom we’ve seen from him in the last 12 months.
Still, he’s zeroing in on Pujara’s ribs and concedes four runs when the batsman takes evasive action and gloves it awkwardly down to fine leg. Based on that you wouldn’t think he’ll get much in his own half of the pitch when he’s facing Johnson.
Phil Withall writes in with support. “May I suggest you use a Geoff Boycott approach to your mother and her impressions,” he suggests. “Block, block, block and then leave her stranded as you stay where you are.”
You’ve got to be cruel to be kind.
24th over - India 71-1 (Pujara 15, Kohli 0)
Brett Lee says that the Aussies will need to bowl stump-to-stump today, much like Shane Watson did yesterday. Brett, it needs to be said, was busy preparing for a Big Bash match yesterday so missed the fact that Watto didn’t actually bowl stump-to-stump the whole time. He did swing the ball appreciably though, so Lee’s half-right.
And what’s this? Drama! Even Nine are caught on the hop at the news that Shikhar Dhawan has been struck on the arm in the nets prior to play and can’t take his place at the crease so it’s Virat Kohli who takes guard to Shane Watson. What an unusual set of events - retired hurt without actually facing a ball today.
Watson starts with a maiden full of those swingy, seamy wobblers of his.
A few minutes until the players are due
And quiet expectation is building that this will be a cracking day of cricket. Australia’s quicks have a night of rest behind them and should be raring to go. What price another Josh Hazlewood bag on debut? Remember he only needs 12 wickets to break Bob Massie’s record. Not much to ask, really.
@rustyjacko If your mother starts doing Rahul Dravid, you're in so many kinds of trouble...
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) December 19, 2014
Cracking up
Just as an addendum to my pitch report, the Nine crew are now at the other end and there is a few large cracks running down the wicket -mainly to the sides - but you’d sense they’ll only break up and cause problems if they’re drastically disturbed by the boots of bowlers. If they leave them be, they look like the sort that will hold together.
So we can expect a little more sideways movement than the first two days, but it still looks a reasonably good batting wicket. It can’t have been a cinch for Kevin Mitchell Jr and his team to change their plans at the last minute and produce a truly interesting Test pitch. The reschedule threw everyone out.
Now, to the cricket
This wicket, at least from what I can see via the TV screen, still looks flat enough for plenty of runs. Australia’s wagging tail yesterday also might have had the secondary affect of telling the Indians that they could really thrive in the second innings.
For those wondering, I have now called my mother back. She wanted to tell me about her dentist appointment. It really is time for a home, methinks. It has been suggested by some unkind readers that I might soon find myself in a ‘Mother and Son’ scenario, which I guess could happen once my fiancee inevitably kicks me out.
Speaking of awkward situations, Ian Healy is now taking guard out in the middle of the Gabba, moon boot and all. If he was in ‘Mother and Son’, you just know he’d be playing Robert.
Morning all
And firstly, to a disturbing development. In an attempt to get me to answer her voicemail messages about Christmas, my mother - bless her - has started leaving me those messages in the voices of former cricketers. Yesterday it was Viv Richards, today it’s VVS Laxman. Frankly, I’m worried that it’s time for that difficult decision to send her away to institutional care, and she’s not even 60 yet.
I’ll be honest, it’s unnerving. I suppose I better return her call, right? In the meantime, you can email me on russell.jackson@theguardian.com or tweet me at @rustyjacko with all your tips for today’s play, and perhaps some pointers as to how I might handle this family issue. Or, I guess, with predictions of who’ll she’ll impersonate next. A small part of me actually hopes she tries out some Fanie de Villiers.
Only a small part.
As the kids say, BRB.
Good morning and welcome to the live blog. Russell Jackson is just fine-tuning his word machine and will be with you shortly.
