India on Sunday completed their first victory of their 1999/2000
Australian tour, defeating New South Wales by 93 runs this
afternoon. The final three wickets fell in 27 minutes after the tea
adjournment.
Under overcast and humid conditions, NSW batted slowly through the
pre-lunch session on the final day. Needing 222 today to win, the
Blues scored just 42 runs in two hours for the loss of one wicket,
going to lunch at 106 for two. Though a batting lineup capable of 180
in four hours was still in the pavilion, it was obvious it would
require a major change in attitude from what was on display in the
morning.
Nightwatchman Gavin Robertson (10) added two runs to his overnight
score before being trapped lbw not playing a shot by a Srinath
delivery which nipped in slightly from the off. Umpire Simon Taufel,
who had been the genesis of much Indian angst in the final overs
yesterday, gave the decision and NSW were 80 for two.
Greg Hayne brought his maiden first-class half-century from his 85th
delivery, achieved from 84 runs scored by his side.
NSW captain Michael Bevan looked unimpressive and was almost dismissed
before getting off the mark when he popped a short ball from Srinath
just out of the reach of Vijay Bharadwaj at short leg. Bevan took
eighteen deliveries to get off the mark.
Only one boundary was scored in the whole morning session, Hayne
gliding Agarkar through point about half an hour before lunch. Vijay
Bharadwaj (9-4-6-0) was given his first bowling spell of the match and
was getting some useful turn with his off-breaks. He was replaced by
HH Kanitkar for one tame over before lunch. At the interval Hayne was
59 and Bevan 11 from 79 balls.
India struck hard in the post lunch session and looked poised for
victory at the tea break. With the Blues choosing to go for a draw
instead of a win, five wickets fell for the addition of 65 runs in the
mid-afternoon session and the home team went to tea at 171 for seven.
Bevan's dismal captain's knock ended shortly after lunch when he
padded up to Javagal Srinath and Simon Taufel gave the lbw
verdict. Bevan scored 11 from 85 deliveries, a pace even slower than
that of Rahul Dravid earlier in the match.
Venkatesh Prasad struck twice in the same over. Shane Lee glided the
first ball of the over through slips, then edged the next delivery to
Ganguly at first slip, his cameo being worth a total of six. Michael
Clarke got off the mark first ball with a two, but three deliveries
later was well beaten for pace, his off stump sent flying. NSW were
now 117 for five.
Soon afterwards, Srinath had a very confident lbw appeal to Greg Hayne
turned down. As he showed visible disappointment at the decision,
Taufel had a quiet word with him as he delivered the bowler's cap. In
the following over Darrel Hair and Saurav Ganguly had a brief
discussion. Late on Saturday, Hair had warned Ganguly about the Indian
players showing dissent after the viewing of video replays on the big
screen.
The presence of Brad Haddin (19) at the crease promised much but he
delivered little, the dashing wicketkeeper beaten for pace and bowled
by Ajit Agarkar. Corey Richards, suffering a bruised hip from the
first innings, came to the crease with Greg Mail as a runner. Richards
was showing obviously restrictions of movement, taking a bouncer on
the body from Agarkar at one stage.
On Saturday afternoon Greg Hayne had been scoring at almost a
run-a-ball. On Sunday he could have been more different. Grafting his
way closer to what would have been his maiden first-class century, he
was on 89, he got an edge to a Kumble googly which was taken by Dravid
behind the wicket. Tea was taken with the dismissal, Hayne having
scored 53 runs in four hours today.
The end came swiftly in the final session. The embattled Corey
Richards played just one scoring shot, a flick off the pads for four,
before edging Kumble to Ganguly at first slip. Brett Lee was struck a
painful blow on the thigh by Agarkar which required a visit from the
physio before MacGill (0) went for a swoosh against Kumble and was
bowled. Three balls later in the over, Don Nash lamely lobbed the ball
to Javagal Srinath without scoring and the match was over.
For the second time in the game, Kumble had cleaned up the tail to
finish with 4/38 and match figures of 8/88.
India recovered from a poor first day against the only team with a
minus score on the Pura Milk Cup points table. As long as the
controversies of Saturday evening can be cast aside, their stocks will
be high going into Tuesday's festival match against the Prime
Minister's XI in Canberra, and then on to the First Test at Adelaide
starting Friday.