Chennai Test - India vs Australia

Commentary Transcript - Post Lunch Session

Prem > 11 overs were bowled in the Indian innings this morning. 16 overs have been bowled in the Aussie innings, making a total of 27. Add two for the changeover, that is 29 gone. 51 overs more to be bowled today, and a further 90 tomorrow. And somewhere in those 141 overs, Australia have to manage 250, 275 by way of lead and still leave enough to bowl India out in. Going to be fun watching them go for this. And the umpires come out now.

Prem > And out come the Indians, followed by the Aussies. Bajju needs to bowl at one end, and for my money, Sachin to come in early at the other, as the only one who can really turn a new ball.

Prem > Slater will take first strike, to Nilesh Kulkarni staying over th4e wicket, with a slip and a short square leg in place. Ball one, a shane warne line -- a foot and a bit outside leg, slater skips down trying to drive, finds midwicket, no run. In again, Nilesh. Same line, this one slater stays back and plays it through square leg. Single. 70/0

Prem > Nilesh now to Hayden with slip and silly point, outside off, and going through with the arm, hayden lets it go

Prem > Nilesh again. Some flight and loop this time, very little turn though and hayden watches it go

Prem > Nilesh again. Tossed up, fuller, and Hayden off drives, gets one to the man out on the line. 71/0 Aus. Still 39 to go to wipe out the deficit

Prem > Slater content to stay back, and clip off his pads behind square, gets the one, ends the over and aus 72/0

Prem > Bajju, 7-3-25-0, to continue. Slater facing, and defensive to a flighted ball on off

Prem > Good shot. Slater down the track, driving through the covers, going a bit inside the line to drive inside out, Dravid first did well on the slide, then failed to control the pushback, and it's four. 76/0. Bajju in again, to Slater. Still not much sign of turn, but that one kicked and India paying for not having anyone up close, that was the easiest of takes for silly point, but no one there. Bounce taking Slater by surprise. Next ball, the arm ball, Slater down the track, beaten, so is Dighe, and another stumping chance goes to waste as Dighe fails tor ead the bounce, four byes. That is twice in two balls that Slater was left clueless. 76/0. Second over after lunch.

Prem > Slater down the trrack, hitting on the on, two more, Aus 81/0 at the end of the over.

Prem > That was one heck of an over -- two balls that jumped like a snake up at the batsman. Nilesh meanwhile continues, with slip and silly point, to Hayden. And Hayden swings, and that is a brilliant, brilliant catch by ZAhir at midwicket. CAme in, ball dipping on him, he dives forward, headlong, and takes a blinder. Hayden sweeps once too often and is gone, Aus 82/1.

Prem > That one bounced that bit too much, Hayden not picking the higher bounce there, which comes form Nilesh slamming the ball down from a height, when his arm is at full stretch, of almost eight and a half feet.

Prem > Slater almost out twice in the previous over, and now Hayden walking back. Meanwhile, that catch looks even more incredible each time you see it. Nilesh, meanwhile, to Slater who crosse dover, tries to flick, no contact

Prem > 28 still behind Aus, and the big run maker back in the hut. Slater plays out on the on, Gilchrist comes a long way down and very lucky to make it back, that was straight to the fielder and now Indians charged up in the field and the setting is good as well, challenging Slater to try and beat the leg field. End of the over, 82/1.

Prem > 46 not out Slater, Gilchrist now on strike to Bajju. slip, silly point, short square leg in place. bajju around the wicket to the left hander, upped in the order to try and blast some runs. And if he fails -- then Aus will come under sudden pressure. Good first ball -- pushed it through quick and gilchrist had to jump back to defend

Prem > And again. Bajju firing them through and Gilchrist that time didnt even bring his bat down before the ball skimmed through. Again, Bajju. and that was almost out. defensive push, in the air but just wide of short square.

Prem > Bajju again to Gilchrsit, defends on off.

Prem > And again. Bajju with a superb arm ball, Gilchrist unsure what that ball was supposed to do, plays a clumsy little prod as the ball was just an inch away from off. And that is the over, 82/1.

Prem > Nilesh to Slater, outside leg, and a very quick single taken. element of risk but they ran really hard

Prem > Gilchrist to take Nilesh. 83/1 the score. still 27 shy, Aus. They have sent the aus vice captain out to blast away. Which, on the back of scores of 0, 0 and 1 in his last three innings, produces hhuge pressure. In comes Nilesh, quicker ball on off and gilchrist bats it out on the off.

Prem > nilesh, to gilchrst, a ddefensive push, single through the slip region. 84/1.

Prem > nilesh to slater. left arm over, out on the leg side, slater pushes and finds midwicket. batting 47 wiuth 56 dot balls and 19 singles besides four fours and two sixes. plays on the on again, and no run. end of the over, 84/1.

Prem > Bajju to resume, and Gilchrist this time on strike. right arm, round the wicket, three round the bat and again, the defensive push down the wrong line. gets it on the pad. batting 1. bajju in again, and he's gone -- arm ball, bajju has been firing them down, gilchrist pushes the wrong line, bang in front of middle stump on the pad and he's walking back. 84/2.

Prem > Bajju celebrates, both arms raised to the skies, and why not? The Aussies played their trump, and Bajju just aced it in style.

Prem > Justin Langer the new man in. Anotehr left hander, also under pressure for lack of runs. And facing Bajju. And again, this one floated up, on the pad Langer, but outside line of off.

Prem > Bajju, and Langer drives, that is very very bad fielding, ball going right through point and four. 88/2.

Prem > I wonder if Ganguly has some congenital problem with silly point? This is the third time Slater has pushed in the air to that position and still no one there. Nilesh Kulkarni, Slater goes down, drives, and finds the bowler

Prem > Flighted. Outside leg, turning in. Slater flicks, and misses, and looks very very fidgetty. Another dance down the wicket, drives, just beats the bowler, single. 89/2.

Prem > Nilesh, now to Langer. Left arm over to the left hander, with two close in on the off and one on the on. Outside off, quick ball that and langer watches it go

Prem > nilesh, and langer onto the front foot, chips a drive out on the on, and a single taken. Not a particularly impressive bit of fielding there by midwicket, letting that run go. 90/2 at the end of the over

Prem > Bajju resumes. Langer on strike. and clips, out on the on side and two more. 92/2.

Prem > Now that is bad. Point in place, langer cuts straight to him, fielder stays in place without attacking the ball and they take one more. pressure needs to be kept up, and this is not the way to do it, it actually makes the bowler loss his sting. Meanwhile, Slater gone. The perfect delivery, flight, loop, the top spin rushing through off the deck, Slater pushes, gets the edge, and out caught at slip by Laxman. 92/3 now Australia.

Prem > And that has sliced Australia wide open. Bajju now with two wickets to his name, and bowling on song. That was intelligent work -- two balls lifted in the previous over, Slater was edgy, Bajju tossed it right up, kept Slater on the back foot, the batsman pushed without knowing what the ball would do. 26 wickets now to Harbajan.

Prem > Mark Waugh, first ball, goes back and defends. End of the over, 93/3.

Prem > Nilesh, with Aus trailing by 17, to Langer, who comes forward, pushing his pad at it.

Prem > Nilesh now holds one back, Langer shaped to drive, lots of turn on that one, edge onto pad and just short of short leg, Das. Nilesh again, and Langer forced back and defending. 93/3.

Prem > NIlesh now bang on target. to the left hander, concentrating on using height, and a bit of flight, around line of off and just enough turn to force the defensive pushes around line of off. End of the over, 93/3.

Prem > Mark Waugh now faces Bajju. Slip, leg slip, short square and a shortish cover. And Mark Waugh misreads the arm ball, plays for the off break, manages to defend in the end.

Prem > Bajju again, and that was the off break and again, mark waugh misreads, plays for the arm ball this time. thick edge to point, fielded there. Bajju again, and a front foot pad push by Waugh

Prem > Bajju, flighted, on off and mark waugh forward, in defence

Prem > Bajju, and that one goes through mark waugh. Defends down the wrong line, and in this over, hasn't played confidently even once. Beaten outside off to end the over, 93/3 the score.

Prem > Nilesh to Langer. Now slipping into the role of containing bowler at one end with Bajju attacking at the other. The left hander to the left hander, Langer goes on the back foot and cuts, finds point. NO run

Prem > Three round the bat, two of them on off. NIlesh, and Langer drives, finds cover, still no run

Prem > 17 runs short, Aus. Three down already. And Nilesh in again. Draws langer forward, defending.

Prem > Nilesh, and Langer pushes his pad at it, no run, good tight over and Aus 93/3 at the end of it

Prem > Bajju now to Mark Waugh. Down the track, chipping on the on, pierces the field on the on side and Nilesh Kulkarni on the line shows that whatever else he can do, he can't play football. Four, as Nilesh fails to get his foot properly down to stop. Bajju flights the next one, turns it a bit, and waugh defends. 97/3.

Prem > 97/3. Bajju to Mark Waugh, again the chipped drive to the on, finds mid on, single.

Prem > At this point, Bajju ahs singlehandedly dismissed 60.4 per cent of the Australian team. Amazing performance this. 98/3 and now Bajju to Langer. Around the wicket, noticeable that now he is around immeidately to left handers. Outside off, slight turn, quick through the air and langer lets it go. Bajju again, and that was on middle, langer shaped to push, bajju looking to pitch middle and turn to off, the push misses, no run, 98/3 at the end of the over

Prem > Nilesh to continue. Mark Waugh facing, and should be able to handle Nilesh better. Lands one outside leg and turns it in, Mark shaped to pull, the turn beat him.

Prem > Another stat 0-- Bajju has 26 wickets. The next highest is Sachin with 3, and Zahir with 3. An incredible one man show, this, by the offie on the comeback.

Prem > Lovely drive, that, as waugh winds up and hits it back down the track. for the second time, Nilesh not really bending low enough, that should ahve been stopped,but goes through for four. 102/3. And the next ball, waugh allows it to hit him on the pad outside line of leg

Prem > Nilesh again to Waugh. The slower one down leg, Waugh flicks, misses, and very lucky not to edge. End of the over. 102/3 the score

Prem > Bajju now to Mark Waugh. That one surprised Waugh for bounce, as it turns in outside off, he cuts and into the ground very lucky not to find slip with that shot.

Prem > 103/3. and bajju again to mark waugh. slip, leg slip, short square. and again, mark waugh hesitant outside off, defends very very late.

Prem > bajju to mark waugh. quicker through the air this time and waugh defends. the problem for the aussies is trying to keep one eye on what the spinner is doing, and one eye on what the pitch might do. end of the over, 103/3 the score

Prem > Nilesh kulkarni resumes to justin langer. three round the bat plus point, cover and mid off in close as well to stop those singles, good work that by ganguly. Langer forced to try paddling, misses. Outside off the third ball, and a defensiive push.

Prem > Nilesh, and langer shapes to drive, yorker length, cant get it away, yet another maiden. 103/3.

Prem > Bajju continues. Lovely flight and loop there outside off. Mark Waugh lets it go. Next one, fired down, but he loses his line, down the leg side, Dighe muffs the take, and four more byes. 107/3.

Prem > Was trying the quick arm ball on off stump for the lbw, there, and it got away from him. In again, Bajju, to Mark Waugh. On off and a defensive push

Prem > Nice ball again pushing waugh back on the back foot. bajju, and that is the one he was looking for, the arm ball quick on line of off, mark waugh prods at it and gets bat to it at the last moment. 107/3 and that is the end of an eventful first hour of the second session. Drinks coming on and taking a break here.

Prem > Langer 8 off 31, Wugh 9 off 28, 32 overs gone and Bajju bowling 2/47, Nilesh with the other wicket to his name, for 33, and nilesh to resume to Langer

Prem > Nilesh to the left hander, focussing on curvving the ball in just a bit, hitting a line around just outside off, and turning it just enough inside. Every now and again, he thumps one down from his height and makes it kick to raise the element of doubt in the batsman. Langer studiously defensive here, and the more the Aussies defend, the less chance they have to force a win, and the more chance that one good ball will come along and get the wicket. That's better, Langer comes down thet rack and has a huge hit, over long on, six. 113/3 and now Aus ahead by 3.

Prem > NIlesh again. And langer this time, drives on the up througth cover, four more. 117/3 the score

Prem > That ends the over, and it is Bajju again to Mark Waugh.Mark Waugh living dangerously here. That was floated just outside off, mark wuagh pushed his pad at it as it came back in to the off stump. lucky he was hit just outside line of the stumps. Next ball, goes down the track and lifts, over midwicket. four. 121/3. And the Aussies trying again to break the grip.

Prem > The spinners shouldn't mind this, actually. an arm ball, and waugh on the back foot, defending

Prem > bajju again, and again, mark waugh pushes with his pad. the thing is, the aussies when they are confident, work a lot of singles. here, they are pushing at the ball, then now and again risking the big hit. mark wuagh there, spots the top spinner, plays it out on the on behind square and gets one more. 122/3. leading by 12, so effectively, 12 for three at this point Aus

Prem > Bajju this time stays over the wicke3t, and langer actually sticks his butt out at that ball, landing on line of leg and turning in. ends the over, 122/3 aus

Prem > Sachin Tendulkar now takes over from Nilesh Kulkarni. Mark Waugh on strike.And leg breaks here, with a slip and silly point in place and sahcin hitting that length, and line just around off. In again, to Waugh, who goes back and forces on the off, through point, gets two for it, 124/3.

Prem > quick flipper to end the over, mark waugh defends in haste, 126/3 the score.

Prem > Bajju continues. staying over the wicket now, to langer who is content to let his pad do all the work on line of leg.

Prem > Bajju has Langer padding up to him, rather hard to get a dismissal on that angle though. He needs to slant it a bit more, to hit middle and have the off break turning across the left hander. End of a maiden, 124/3 aus

Prem > SAchin to continue, with Mark Waugh on strike. Flipper down the leg side, Dighe does well to collect as waugh flicks and misses. Next up, the leg break and a very nicely delayed late cut, impeccably played, four to backward point. 128/3.

Prem > Just an aide memoire -- 11 overs were bowled to the indians this morning, two for the change in innings added to that makes 13, which meant that at the start of the Aus innings, there was 77 overs to be bowled today. 36 of those now bowled, sachin bowling the 37th. 128/3 the score, aus leading 18. Sachin to Mark Waugh has him driving, reaching for it. to cover, no run. And again, same line, same result.

Prem > sachin to mark waugh, leg break, patted to point, no run.

Prem > single off the last ball as sachin pushes that through faster, mark waugh going back to guide through point taking aus to 129/3 and mark wuagh now to face harbajan

Prem > Bajju to bowl his 18th over. To mark wuagh. Single taken and brings Langer on strike, langer still content to pad everything that is thrown at him. Aus now bent on holding thefort. 130/3 the score. That one again, off the pad, goes high for short square leg to hold but no bat there. Bajju again. makes that one dart in, played to short fine leg, no run, 130/3, just one in the over

Prem > 18/47 langer, 22/48 mark waugh, 38 overs gone, 130/3 the score.

Prem > Sachin and Saurav in discussion about the field, Mark waugh the man facing. 20/3 effectively, Aus.

Prem > 18-8-53-2 bajju so far this innings, and Sachin to Mark waugh, going round the wicket. driven, finds mid on, single and langer comes on strike

Prem > That's good play by Langer, waited for the ball to turn in to him then played it gnetly on the on, took the single, 132/3. 22 ahead, aus.

Prem > mark waugh on strike, sachin round the wicket, angles one on leg stump, waugh flicks and one more. 133/3.

Prem > 133/3 the score at the end of the over, langer defending to the last ball. The Indians needing to stay patient here, wait for their wickets. Do too much, and you end up with a few loose balls giving away runs. 39 overs gone, 133/3 the score

Prem > Bajju over the wicket, mark waugh being drawn forward, the offie tossing it up and looping it in the air, pitching that back of length bringing mark wuagh right forward. no silly point, however, though when a right hander plays like that the bat pad option is always on.

Prem > Just that bit short this time, last ball of the over, and Mark Waugh has room to rock back and square drive. Good shot, picking the length well, four. 137/3 in 40 overs. 27 ahead aus

Prem > And now another change. Sairaj being brought on for Sachin. Starts with a short ball to Langer and is pulled around, single behind square, 138/3 aus

Prem > Sairaj again, to Mark Waugh this time with slip and silly point and that is the leg break nicely pitched on middle, thick edge off mark waugh'd defensive push to point, the fielder there sleeping, they take one

Prem > Single to Langer, brings Waugh back on strike, leg break hitting middle and waugh plays against the turn and gets one more on the on side. 141/3.

Prem > And that is a brilliant catch. Sairaj tosses one outside off, Langer has a drive, Laxman at slip dives and takes a blinder! 141/4 the score.

Prem > Tony Greig has a problem -- anything that gets an Aussie out,he thinks is not out. "My initial reaction was that hit the ground", he says here. Funny -- that hit the edge, was nowhere near the ground, and Laxman grabbed a brilliant one.

Prem > Tony Greig has a problem -- anything that gets an Aussie out,he thinks is not out. "My initial reaction was that hit the ground", he says here. Funny -- that hit the edge, was nowhere near the ground, and Laxman grabbed a brilliant one.

Prem > In fact, this really is silly stuff from TG. When Indians appeal, they are appealing too much, when Aussies appeal, "That is a good shout, but bball pitching outside leg". And so on. Someone nees to tell him to get a life, really. 141/4 and now the two Waughs togetehr

Prem > bajju continues. And now Mark Waugh blindly pushes at one, that one kicked, waugh completely blinded, it hits his body and the batsman looking around to try and spot it. next ball, driven on the on, finds mid on, no run. Aus now 31 ahead, and four wickets down with Ponting to the plate next

Prem > 26 oves bowled, 72 runs scored, 4 wickets lost this session after lunch, and Sairaj continues

Prem > another 18 minutes or so for tea, and india now fully in command here.

Prem > Sairaj resumes. Steve Waugh on strike. Thjree round the bat and WAugh clips off his toes, finds the single out ojn the on. Meanwhile, a point worth noting -- Laxman at slip, and Das at short square, suddenly giving teeth to the bowling. He's taken some great slip catches, while Das has been outstanding under the helmet.

Prem > Superb shot -- waugh rocks back, cuts very late, very much in control as that one spun away from him, the leg break, three more, aus 145/4 and aus 35 ahead now. steve waugh on strike

Prem > Defensive push to that last ball ends the over, 145/4 aus.

Prem > Bajju in again, to mark waugh. That one kicked, a dangerous flick on the on by Waugh, in the air, but wide of leg slip, single, 146/4. Steve Waugh on strike now

Prem > Four round the bat, slip, leg slip, silly point, short square. Steve Waugh defending, from the edge of the crease, neither fully forward a nor back and that one, a push, the edge as that one goes through with the arm, but just an inch wide of the diving laxman at slip, and to his left as well. That was superbly bowled, the straighter one that had waugh playing for the off break. single, and another single to the next ball as mark waugh plays to mid on with the spin.

Prem > Bajju again to waugh, brings him forward in defense, end of the over, 148/4 aus

Prem > 38 ahead australia, four wickets down, and only Ponting to follow with Gilchrist having gone in at number three.

Prem > Sairaj to Mark Waugh, slip and silly point placed, mark waugh takes it on the full, clips it out on the on, gets one more. 149/4.

Prem > Sairaj, lovely curve and drift on that one, starts around leg, curves in, hits middle turning away to off, steve defensive

Prem > identical ball, steve next up on the back foot, tries to push on the on, cant clear the close fielder, nor un

Prem > No ball, too full as well and steve waugh quickly onto that,drives through midwicket four. 154/4 the score. sairaj again, the leg break, quicker through the air and hitting line outside off, waugh lets it go

Prem > 44 ahead aus. sairaj again, and waugh defends on line of middle, end of the over, 154/4 the score

Prem > Sachin Tendulkar taking over from Bajju. with the waughs on strike, i think I'll stick with steve and mark. single to mark to point, and a leg break has steve pushing his pad at it

Prem > the next one turned and bounced. sachin flighting more when steve wuagh is there, had steve in all kinds of trouble in the first innings. that one, forced through point, single, 156/4.

Prem > 46 ahead, australia. Harbajan back, switching ends to the one where he got wickets from last innings. mark waugh 37, steve 7. four men round the bat for waugh, the slip, leg slip, silly point, short square. bajju to waugh. last over before team, fires one down leg, flicked, two for it. 158/4.

Prem > bajju again and the arm ball outside off, steve lets it through

Prem > bajju, and the off break has steve jumping back and playing defensivbely back down the track. in again, the offie, and an off break played with the spin, on the on, single square on the on and aus 159/4.

Prem > still four round the bat, this time to mark waugh. nope, now the leg slip goes away to point. mark waugh flicks, and das fields at short square

Prem > bajju again, to mark,, the big turning off break, mark wauhg flicks and misses. Aus 159/4, 31 overs, 909 runs, 4 wickets this session, Aus leading 49. And with that, that is tea, with mark waugh 37 off 76 balls and Waugh 10 off 20. End of commentary for the session, back in 10 minutes.

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