Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja's blows ensure the hosts dominate Australia at Hyderabad
Uppal (Hyderabad): India are in control of the second Test against Australia, who made 237 for nine declared towards the end of Day One here on Saturday. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets as pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three with Michael Clarke’s 91 keeping the Australian innings together.
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The visitors once again turned to their skipper after slumping to 63 for four, with the 31-year-old putting on 145 with Matthew Wade for the fifth
wicket. u00a0However after Wade went for 62, the lower order failed to fire as Australia lost their final four wickets for just 29 runs.And with little chance of numbers 10 and 11 James Pattinson and Xavier Doherty adding to the total Clarke brought them in so his bowlers could take advantage of conditions for the final three overs of the day. However India were untroubled and finished five without loss.
Oz opt for change
Australia made two changes from the side which lost the opening match in Chennai with Glenn Maxwell making his Test debut coming in for Mitchell Starc, while Xavier Doherty replaced Nathan Lyon. The home side were unchanged.u00a0After the visitors won the toss, Kumar bowled David Warner (six) with a delivery which cut back into the left-hander, then trapped Ed Cowan (four) lbw with a ball which may have pitched outside leg stump.
That left Australia 15 for two. Phil Hughes and Shane Watson effected a mini-recovery, with the left hander playing some eye-catching late drives off the back foot, but Watson (23) then fell lbw attempting to pull a ball which kept a little low with the score on 57.u00a0Hughes (19) followed, caught behind at the second attempt by MS Dhoni offu00a0R Ashwin before Wade and Clarke began a recovery.
Clarke looked comfortable at the crease, with a well-placed clip for four between two fielders indicative of his current form. Wade was less fluid, but equally determined, digging in at one end while his skipper totted up the runs at the other as they moved Australia to 129 for four midway through the afternoon session. On 52, India missed their best opportunity to dismiss Clarke as the skipper inside edged on his pad with the ball dropping to a diving Cheteshwar Pujara who got his fingers under the ball, but could not hang on.
The hosts made a much-needed breakthrough. Wade cut one which was possibly too close to his body and was caught by Kumar at point for a
116-ball 62.u00a0The sixth wicket fell when Jadeja got one to turn away from Moises Henriques, who missed the ball completely as it clipped the top of the stumps. Clarke finally departed, swinging across the line to Jadeja whose delivery kept low and hit the stumps. India had little to worry about for the final three overs, with a Virender Sehwag boundary through gully off Siddle the highlight.
Scoreboard
Australia 1st innings:
David Warner b Kumar 6
Ed Cowan lbw Kumar 4
Phillip Hughes c Dhoni b Ashwin 19
Shane Watson lbw Kumar 23
Michael Clarke b Jadeja 91
Matthew Wade c Kumar b Harbhajan 62
Moises Henriques b Jadeja 5
Glenn Maxwell c Dhoni b Jadeja 13
Peter Siddle lbw Harbhajan 0
James Pattinson not out 1
Xavier Doherty not out 0
Extras: (B9, Lb4) 13.
Total: (for 9 wkts in 85 overs)
237 declared.
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-15, 3-57, 4-63, 5-208, 6-217 7-233, 8-236, 9-236.
Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 15-2-53-3, Ishant Sharma 17-5-45-0, R Ashwin 15-6-41-1, Harbhajan Singh 22-2-52-2, Ravindra Jadeja 16-4-33-3.
India 1st innings
Murali Vijay not out 0
Virender Sehwag not out 4
Extras: (W1) 1. Total: (for 0 wkts in
3 overs) 5
Bowling: James Pattinson 2-1-1-0,
Peter Siddle 1-0-4-0.u00a0