Clarke's triple ton: Aussies close to victory
SYDNEY: Australia's Ben Hilfenhaus struck early in India's second innings on day three of the second test to leave the tourists with a mountain to climb to avoid defeat and a 2-0 series deficit.
Hilfenhaus captured dangerous opener Virender Sehwag for four, brilliantly caught by Dave Warner at gully, and by the close of the stumps on Thursday, India was 114-1, trailing Australia by 354 runs. Gautam Gambhir was 68 not out, with Dravid unbeaten on 29.
Earlier captain Michael Clarke scored an unbeaten 329 before declaring Australia's marathon first innings closed at 659-4. Mike Hussey finished on 150 not out, as he and Clarke scored a record 334-run partnership against India.
Hilfenhaus struck in the fourth over when he teased Sehwag into playing a cut shot which Dave Warner did well to catch at gully.
Gambhir, who has struggled on tour with scores of 3, 13 and 0, played several flush cover drives, including two fours off one Peter Siddle over to guide India briskly past 50.
Clarke's 329 was the fourth highest score by an Australian in tests and the best score at the SCG in its 100 test history. The innings total also equalled Australia's highest score at the ground, hosting its 100th test.
The captain hit a four through mid wicket off Ishant Sharma to bring up his 300 in 431 balls with 37 fours and one six. Clarke ran and punched the air in joy as he celebrated being just the sixth Australian to reach the milestone.
Before lunch Clarke had passed Don Bradman's score of 270, to hold the best score by an Australian captain in Australia and England's Reginald 'Tip' Foster's mark of 287 in 1903 as the highest SCG score.
If not for the declaration, Brian Lara's world record score of 400 might also have gone, as India's bowling attack again failed to make any inroads into a dominant Australian batting lineup and captured just one wicket ' Ricky Ponting for 134 ' in nearly five sessions.
Clarke's epic innings overshadowed Mike Hussey's excellent performance in reaching his second highest test score.
Hussey was largely the more aggressive batsman Thursday, frequently advancing from his crease to hit the Indian bowlers down the ground.
Hussey's 150 came off 252 balls, with 16 fours and one six and was his first century since Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in September 2011.
India's woes were compounded by news that, India's Virat Kohli was fined 50 percent of his match fee for making an obscene gesture to fans on day two.
Kohli reacted to jeers and taunts from a section of the crowd by raising a middle finger.
In a hearing before play Thursday, Kohli admitted making the gesture and match referee Ranjan Madugalle found him guilty of a level two offence of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct.
Scoreboard:
India 1st Innings: 191
Australia, 1st Innings
(Overnight: 482-4)
David Warner c Tendulkar b Khan 8
Ed Cowan lbw b Khan 16
Shaun Marsh c Laxman b Khan 0
Ricky Ponting c Tendulkar b Sharma 134
Michael Clarke not out 329
Mike Hussey not out 150
Extras: (2b, 13lb, 4w, 3nb) 22
TOTAL: (for four wickets declared) 659
Overs: 163. Batting time: 659 minutes
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-8, 3-37, 4-325.
Did not bat: Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Lyon.
Bowling: Zaheer Khan 31-4-122-3, Umesh Yadav 24-2-123-0 (2w), Ishant Sharma 33-2-144-1 (1nb 1w), Ravichandran Ashwin 44-5-157-0 (1w), Virender Sehwag 23-1-75-0 (2nb), Virat Kohli 8-0-23-0.
India 2nd Innings
Gautam Gambhir not out 39
Virender Sehwag c Warner b Hilfenhaus 4
Rahul Dravid not out 7
Extras: (3lb) 3
TOTAL: (for one wicket) 53
Overs: 12. Batting time: 49 minutes
Fall of wickets: 1-18.
Still to bat: Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravi Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
Bowling: James Pattinson 3-0-16-0, Ben Hilfenhaus 4-1-7-1, Peter Siddle 3-1-16-0, Nathan Lyon 2-0-11-0.
SYDNEY: Australia's Ben Hilfenhaus struck early in India's second innings on day three of the second test to leave the tourists with a mountain to climb to avoid defeat and a 2-0 series deficit.
Hilfenhaus captured dangerous opener Virender Sehwag for four, brilliantly caught by Dave Warner at gully, and by the close of the stumps on Thursday, India was 114-1, trailing Australia by 354 runs. Gautam Gambhir was 68 not out, with Dravid unbeaten on 29.
Earlier captain Michael Clarke scored an unbeaten 329 before declaring Australia's marathon first innings closed at 659-4. Mike Hussey finished on 150 not out, as he and Clarke scored a record 334-run partnership against India.
Hilfenhaus struck in the fourth over when he teased Sehwag into playing a cut shot which Dave Warner did well to catch at gully.
Gambhir, who has struggled on tour with scores of 3, 13 and 0, played several flush cover drives, including two fours off one Peter Siddle over to guide India briskly past 50.
Clarke's 329 was the fourth highest score by an Australian in tests and the best score at the SCG in its 100 test history. The innings total also equalled Australia's highest score at the ground, hosting its 100th test.
The captain hit a four through mid wicket off Ishant Sharma to bring up his 300 in 431 balls with 37 fours and one six. Clarke ran and punched the air in joy as he celebrated being just the sixth Australian to reach the milestone.
Before lunch Clarke had passed Don Bradman's score of 270, to hold the best score by an Australian captain in Australia and England's Reginald 'Tip' Foster's mark of 287 in 1903 as the highest SCG score.
If not for the declaration, Brian Lara's world record score of 400 might also have gone, as India's bowling attack again failed to make any inroads into a dominant Australian batting lineup and captured just one wicket ' Ricky Ponting for 134 ' in nearly five sessions.
Clarke's epic innings overshadowed Mike Hussey's excellent performance in reaching his second highest test score.
Hussey was largely the more aggressive batsman Thursday, frequently advancing from his crease to hit the Indian bowlers down the ground.
Hussey's 150 came off 252 balls, with 16 fours and one six and was his first century since Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in September 2011.
India's woes were compounded by news that, India's Virat Kohli was fined 50 percent of his match fee for making an obscene gesture to fans on day two.
Kohli reacted to jeers and taunts from a section of the crowd by raising a middle finger.
In a hearing before play Thursday, Kohli admitted making the gesture and match referee Ranjan Madugalle found him guilty of a level two offence of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct.
Scoreboard:
India 1st Innings: 191
Australia, 1st Innings
(Overnight: 482-4)
David Warner c Tendulkar b Khan 8
Ed Cowan lbw b Khan 16
Shaun Marsh c Laxman b Khan 0
Ricky Ponting c Tendulkar b Sharma 134
Michael Clarke not out 329
Mike Hussey not out 150
Extras: (2b, 13lb, 4w, 3nb) 22
TOTAL: (for four wickets declared) 659
Overs: 163. Batting time: 659 minutes
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-8, 3-37, 4-325.
Did not bat: Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Lyon.
Bowling: Zaheer Khan 31-4-122-3, Umesh Yadav 24-2-123-0 (2w), Ishant Sharma 33-2-144-1 (1nb 1w), Ravichandran Ashwin 44-5-157-0 (1w), Virender Sehwag 23-1-75-0 (2nb), Virat Kohli 8-0-23-0.
India 2nd Innings
Gautam Gambhir not out 39
Virender Sehwag c Warner b Hilfenhaus 4
Rahul Dravid not out 7
Extras: (3lb) 3
TOTAL: (for one wicket) 53
Overs: 12. Batting time: 49 minutes
Fall of wickets: 1-18.
Still to bat: Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravi Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
Bowling: James Pattinson 3-0-16-0, Ben Hilfenhaus 4-1-7-1, Peter Siddle 3-1-16-0, Nathan Lyon 2-0-11-0.
News Posted: 5 January, 2012
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