Triple centurion Michael Clarke put team interests ahead of personal glory as Australia moved towards a crushing win over India in the second Test in Sydney on Thursday.
Triple centurion Michael Clarke put team interests ahead of personal glory as Australia moved towards a crushing win over India in the second Test in Sydney on Thursday.
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Captain Clarke, unbeaten on 329, declared Australia's first innings closed at 659 for four to press for victory -- despite various individual milestones beckoning.
PIC/AFP
After building a massive 468-run lead, Clarke called a halt to the onslaught to give his attack seven and a half sessions to bowl India out.
He was rewarded with the key wickets of Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid as the tourists dug in to save going 2-0 down in the four-Test series.
India, who have never won a Test series in Australia, reached third day stumps at 114 for two, 354 behind, with Gautam Gambhir on 68 and Sachin Tendulkar eight.
India had an early stumble when big-hitter Sehwag was brilliantly plucked from the air by the athletic David Warner at point off Ben Hilfenhaus for four.
Dravid's reputation as "The Wall" took another hit when he was out bowled for the third time in the series, this time by Hilfenhaus for 29.
Gambhir was dropped by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin on 66 off James Pattinson in the penultimate over of the day.
Clarke's selfless decision prevented him from pursuing Australian cricket landmarks.
He passed up the chance to press on against an unthreatening Indian attack and have a shot at Matthew Hayden's 380, the highest Test score by an Australian.
The 30-year-old now ranks fourth behind Hayden, Mark Taylor (334 not out) and Don Bradman (334) in the list of highest Australian Test innings.
Taylor earned national admiration in 1998 when as skipper he declared overnight on 334 against Pakistan in Peshawar rather than usurp the legendary Bradman's highest Test score.
In a world perspective, Clarke's score ranks joint 14th among the highest Test innings behind West Indian world record holder Brian Lara's 400.
Soon after batting partner Mike Hussey reached 150 and middle session drinks were due, Clarke called it quits, leaving his bowlers with plenty of time to bowl India out.
Clarke's supreme innings surpassed V.V.S. Laxman's 281 as the highest individual score in Australia-India Tests and also overtook Bradman's 270 as the best by an Australian captain in a home Test -- a record that had stood since 1936.
The Australian skipper received a standing ovation from his hometown crowd when he eclipsed the highest score of 287 at the Sydney Cricket Ground -- hosting its 100th Test match -- registered by Englishman Reg Foster in 1903.
Clarke's unbroken 334-run stand with Hussey was a record for any Australian wicket against India, eclipsing the 288 the captain set with Ricky Ponting for the fourth wicket on the previous day.
He was at the crease for 617 minutes and faced 468 balls, hitting 39 fours and one six.
Australia's 659 for four total ranked second only to their 674 in India Tests at Adelaide in 1947-48.
Hussey's innings took a back seat to Clarke's prodigious knock. He batted for 312 minutes, scoring his runs off 253 balls with 16 fours and a six.
It was Hussey's 16th century in his 68th Test match and followed his fighting 89 in last week's opening Test in Melbourne.
Scorecard at the close on the third day of the second Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.
India 1st innings 191 (M.S. Dhoni 57 not out, S. Tendulkar 41; J. Pattinson 4-43)
Australia 1st innings (overnight 482 for 4)
D. Warner c Tendulkar b Zaheer Khan 8
E. Cowan lbw b Zaheer Khan 16
S. Marsh c Laxman b Zaheer Khan 0
R. Ponting c Tendulkar b Sharma 134
M. Clarke not out 329
M. Hussey not out 150
Extras (b2, lb13, w4, nb3) 22
Total (for 4 wkts declared; 163 overs) 659
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Warner), 2-8 (Marsh), 3-37 (Cowan), 4-325 (Ponting)
Bowling: Zaheer Khan 31-4-122-3, Yadav 24-2-123-0 (2w), Sharma 33-2-144-1 (1nb, 1w), Ashwin 44-5-157-0 (1w), Sehwag 23-1-75-0 (2nb), Kohli 8-0-23-0
India 2nd innings
G. Gambhir not out 68
V. Sehwag c Warner b Hilfenhaus 4
R. Dravid b Hilfenhaus 29
S. Tendulkar not out 8
Extras (lb3, w1, nb1) 5
Total (for 2 wkts; 41 overs) 114
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Sehwag), 2-100 (Dravid)
Bowling: Pattinson 12-1-40-0 (1nb, 1w), Hilfenhaus 16-6-37-2, Siddle 11-7-23-0, Lyon 2-0-11-0
Toss: India
Crowd: 31,644
Umpires: Marais Erasmus (RSA) Ian Gould (ENG)
Video umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)
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