Cricket: Waugh's bold defiance delays Indians
Australia 233 v India
THE Indian bowling pair of Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble shot out Australia for a modest total of 233 on the opening day of the second Test in Calcutta yesterday.
The Australians, thrashed by 179 runs in the first Test, faltered again after their captain, Mark Taylor, won the toss and chose to bat on a seaming Eden Gardens wicket.
The vice-captain, Steve Waugh, made a brave 80, sharing a 112-run stand for the fifth wicket with Ricky Ponting, who made 60, but the top four batsmen contributed just 13 runs. Australia were reduced to 29 for 4 within the first hour after Srinath made a dramatic start with two wickets in the first over. Kumble then cut through the lower order.
Steve Waugh, stricken by stomach cramps during his four-hour vigil, missed his 15th Test century by 20 runs when his runner, Greg Blewett, was involved in a mix-up with Gavin Robertson soon after tea.
Australia, who were 178 for 8 at that stage, were saved from further embarrassment by the ninth-wicket pair of Robertson and Michael Kasprowicz, who batted for nearly two hours to add 54.
Kasprowicz made a career-best 25 before fending at a short ball from Saurav Ganguly. Mohammad Azharuddin completed a fine running catch in the slips. Ganguly then trapped Robertson leg-before for 29 in the day's final over to match the three wickets each by Srinath and Kumble.
After sending down a no-ball with his fourth delivery, Srinath had Michael Slater caught at short leg off the fifth. Next ball, Blewett played over a well-pitched delivery to have his middle stump uprooted. Mark Waugh saved the hat-trick but he succumbed leg-before in Srinath's fourth over - then Taylor fell before the hour was up.
First day; Australia won toss
AUSTRALIA - First Innings
M J Slater c Dravid b Srinath 0
*M A Taylor c Mongia b Ganguly 3
G S Blewett b Srinath 0
M E Waugh lbw b Srinath 10
S R Waugh run out 80
R T Ponting b Kumble 60
I A Healy c Laxman b Kumble 1
S R Warne c Azharuddin b Kumble 11
G R Robertson lbw Ganguly 29
M S Kasprowicz c Azharuddin b Ganguly 25
P Wilson not out 0
Extras (2lb, 12nb) 14
Total (89.4 overs) 233
Fall: 1-1, 2-1, 3-15, 4-29, 5-141, 6-151, 7-168, 8-178, 9-232.
Bowling: Srinath 17-0-80-3; Ganguly 13.4 3-28-3; Kumble 28-11-44-3; Tendulkar 2-0-6-0; Venkatapathy Raju 17-2-42-0; Chauhan 11-2-30-0; Laxman 1-0-1- 0.
INDIA: N S Sidhu, N R Mongia, R Dravid, S R Tendulkar, *M Azharuddin, S C Ganguly, A Kumble, J Srinath, R K Chauhan, V V S Laxman, Venkatapathy Raju.
Umpires: K Parthasarathyand B C Cooray (Ind).
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