Steve Waugh saves Australia
the blushes
Skipper Steve Waugh hit a gritty 106 not out but Australia struggled for the second
successive day in their three-day game against Mumbai on Friday.
Australia were dismissed for 203 in their first innings
soon after tea to concede a 125-run lead with none of the
other batsmen coming good, and prolific scorer Mark
Waugh unable to bat with a hand injury.
Mumbai, who had declared their first innings at the
overnight 328 for nine wickets, rubbed salt into Australian
wounds by raising 83 for none from 28 overs in their
second innings.
Young Vinayak Mane, batting on 45, and Wasim Jaffer
(36) were going strong at stumps as the Australian
attack toiled as it had on Thursday.
Waugh, who is yet to score a Test century in India in
three previous visits, stood firm as wickets fell regularly
before the innings ended at the fall of the ninth wicket.
The Australian skipper struck 10 fours and three huge
sixes in his 162-ball innings lasting 199 minutes and
dominated the ninth wicket stand of 70 runs with Glenn
McGrath (19).
Australia tottering
Australia were left tottering at eight for 133 and in real
danger of being asked to follow-on. But Waugh helped
them add 111 runs in the afternoon after being 87 for four
at lunch.
Paceman Paras Mhambrey took four for 59 while lanky
left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni returned an impressive
analysis of four for 39 with 11 maiden overs in his 25
overs.
Steve Waugh, looking for his first big knock ahead of the
first test starting on Tuesday, hit three sixes late in his
innings after a cautious start.
Two of his sixes were massive hits into the stands over
long-on, off successive balls against off-spinner Ramesh
Powar.
Adam Gilchrist was the first to go after lunch,
wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe completing a diving catch to
his left off Mhambrey. He scored 22.
Shane Warne was caught behind for one run off
leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule before Damien Fleming (5)
and Colin Miller (0) fell to Kulkarni in quick succession.
Early blows
In the morning, Mumbai struck early blows by getting
both the openers Michael Slater and Matthew Hayden
out for identical scores of 11 with the total at 25 for two.
Slater, who managed only five and 11 in Australia's first
warm-up game against an India A side, fell cheaply again
by edging Mhambrey to Amol Mazumdar at second slip.
Left-hander Hayden was trapped leg before by Kulkarni
off his fourth delivery.
Ricky Ponting was the next to go when the score was on
28, caught behind by Dighe for one run.
Australia received another jolt 10 minutes before the
break when Justin Langer gave a tame return catch to
Kulkarni for 25. Langer, who struck a century in the first
three-day game, hit three fours.
Mark Waugh was ruled out from further participation in
the match after he tore the webbing between the ring and
small fingers of his left hand going for a catch on
Thursday.
Scoreboard
:
Mumbai (1st innings): 328 for nine decl.
(Sameer
Dighe 84, Ramesh Powar 65 not out, Sairaj Bahutule 51)
Australia (1st innings):
M.Slater c Muzumdar b Mhambrey 11
M.Hayden lbw b Kulkarni 11
J.Langer c & b Kulkarni 25
R.Ponting c Dighe b Mhambrey 1
S.Waugh not out 106
A.Gilchrist c Dighe b Mhambrey 22
S.Warne c Dighe b Bahutule 1
D.Fleming lbw b Kulkarni 5
C.Miller b Kulkarni 0
G.McGrath lbw b Mhambrey 19
Extras (LB-1, NB-1) 2
Total (64.3 overs) 203
Did not bat: Mark Waugh
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-25, 3-28, 4-70, 5-103, 6-118, 7-129,
8-133, 9-203
Bowling: Paras Mhambrey 15.3-2-59-4, Robin Morris
4-1-8-0 (nb-1), Nilesh Kulkarni 25-11-39-4, Ramesh
Powar 7-1-42-0, Sairaj Bahutule 13-0-54-1.
Bombay (2nd innings):
V.Mane not out 45
W.Jaffer not out 36
Extras (LB-1, NB-1) 2
Total (for no wicket, 28 overs) 83
Bowling: Glenn McGrath 6-4-15-0, Damien
Fleming 6-2-23-0 (nb-1), Shane Warne 7-2-18-0, Colin
Miller 8-1-24-0, Matthew Hayden 1-0-2-0.
Mail Cricket Editor
(C) 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similiar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters Sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.