Two unlikely Singhs - RP and Harbhajan - combined in dramatic fashion to give India a start they could have scarcely dreamed of when they lost the toss and were left to field in the second Test against Australia in Sydney. Australia first went down to 27 for 2 and then for a time normalcy returned through a partnership between Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, but after both fell in quick succession India were on top, with Australia on 134 for 6 before a partnership lifted them to 214 at tea.
It all began with Phil Jaques, whose attempt to square-cut a ball that was short and wide, but got a bit big on him with extra bounce, only ended in a simple catch for Mahendra Singh Dhoni. With Jaques gone for a duck India had a sniff of an opportunity, but this also meant that Ricky Ponting was at the crease early on.
Ponting was keen to play his strokes, and even the early tentativeness, where he walked across the ball in exaggerated fashion, covering the line, did not lead to weakness. If anything, the inexperience of Ishant Sharma played into Ponting's hands as he played himself in with a couple of pulls, favourites among his horizontal-bat shots.
But just as Ponting was sending Anil Kumble the most ominous of signals there was a ray of hope as the hulking figure of Matthew Hayden left the middle. Squared up a touch by an RP delivery that was just short of a length, Hayden had a sniff and ended up edging. Sachin Tendulkar, all scraggly and bearded from having to deal with a nasty allergic reaction that did not allow him to shave, took a smart catch to his right.
At 27 for 2 India had a start that looked unlikely when they were asked to take the field minus their fast bowling spearhead, Zaheer Khan, who missed the Test with a bruised heel. Ponting and Michael Hussey restored some semblance of normalcy to proceedings as RP finished his first spell and gave way to other bowlers.
But even this period was not without its share of drama as Ponting survived one confident appeal for a strangled catch down leg side off Sourav Ganguly, and went on to play his strokes, especially the pull, with some confidence. Hussey was the ideal foil, and the two had put on 92 for the third wicket when the balance shifted.
Mark Benson, perhaps subconsciously compensating for the catch he failed to give earlier, missed a significant inside edge as Ponting played Harbhajan back onto pad. Ponting was gone for 55 and Harbhajan, who has made the odd barb at Ponting in the media, was over the moon.
Source : http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/ausvind/content/current/story/328587.html
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