Pain and no gain
Plays of the day for the fifth day of the first Test between India and Australia
Cricinfo staff
13-Oct-2008
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Painful start of the day
Brad Haddin attempted to drive the first ball of the day straight down the ground. He mistimed the shot and hit it in the air back at Anil Kumble, who got his hands to it but couldn't hold on to the catch. He hurt his left hand in the process and received treatment from the physio. It was his last over of the match. As far as final Tests on home grounds go, Kumble's experience in Bangalore 2008 must rank among the worst. Despite bowling 51 overs, he went wicketless for only the third match in his career and for the first time in India. He also suffered from a shoulder injury and dropped two catches before getting hit on the finger.
Brad Haddin attempted to drive the first ball of the day straight down the ground. He mistimed the shot and hit it in the air back at Anil Kumble, who got his hands to it but couldn't hold on to the catch. He hurt his left hand in the process and received treatment from the physio. It was his last over of the match. As far as final Tests on home grounds go, Kumble's experience in Bangalore 2008 must rank among the worst. Despite bowling 51 overs, he went wicketless for only the third match in his career and for the first time in India. He also suffered from a shoulder injury and dropped two catches before getting hit on the finger.
Party-pooper of the day
The anticipation was building up in the crowd as Sachin Tendulkar approached his half-century and got closer to breaking Brian Lara's world record. However, he got bogged down on 48, playing 11 dot balls before scoring his next run. As the clouds gathered over Bangalore, he seemed to be thinking about bad light and had a word with the umpires. Soon after, he chipped a drive straight to Michael Clarke at cover to give Cameron White his first Test wicket, departing 15 runs short of becoming the leading run-scorer in Test cricket.
The anticipation was building up in the crowd as Sachin Tendulkar approached his half-century and got closer to breaking Brian Lara's world record. However, he got bogged down on 48, playing 11 dot balls before scoring his next run. As the clouds gathered over Bangalore, he seemed to be thinking about bad light and had a word with the umpires. Soon after, he chipped a drive straight to Michael Clarke at cover to give Cameron White his first Test wicket, departing 15 runs short of becoming the leading run-scorer in Test cricket.
Clever adjustment of the day
The Australians came out this morning looking to score quickly. In the first over, Shane Watson attempted to paddle sweep Kumble but the ball was too far outside off. So he made a late adjustment, opened the face of the bat and cut the ball past slip for four.
The Australians came out this morning looking to score quickly. In the first over, Shane Watson attempted to paddle sweep Kumble but the ball was too far outside off. So he made a late adjustment, opened the face of the bat and cut the ball past slip for four.
Airborne moment of the day
Ishant Sharma's first ball raced towards the long-on boundary after Watson met it with a perfectly straight bat. He tried to drive the second delivery through the off side but the ball thudded into the stumps off the inside edge. The impact was so hard that one of the bails flew three quarters of the distance towards the third-man boundary.
Ishant Sharma's first ball raced towards the long-on boundary after Watson met it with a perfectly straight bat. He tried to drive the second delivery through the off side but the ball thudded into the stumps off the inside edge. The impact was so hard that one of the bails flew three quarters of the distance towards the third-man boundary.
Well-timed decision of the day
Ricky Ponting decided he had a large enough target early on the final day. Australia batted only five overs, scored 35 runs, and extended their lead from 263 to 298 before Ponting declared, giving his bowlers a possible 83 overs at the Indian batsmen.. The decision was in stark contrast to the one Kumble took last year, when he waited an hour after lunch before setting Pakistan a target of 374, and it made the rest of the day riveting to watch.
Ricky Ponting decided he had a large enough target early on the final day. Australia batted only five overs, scored 35 runs, and extended their lead from 263 to 298 before Ponting declared, giving his bowlers a possible 83 overs at the Indian batsmen.. The decision was in stark contrast to the one Kumble took last year, when he waited an hour after lunch before setting Pakistan a target of 374, and it made the rest of the day riveting to watch.
Drop of the day
Four overs had passed before Brett Lee had a go at Virender Sehwag. His first ball was accurate and induced an edge as Sehwag pushed away from his body. Haddin, who conceded 23 byes in the first innings, dived to his right but the ball bounced off his gloves across Matthew Hayden's waist at first slip. The miss, however, cost Australia only one run as Hayden took a low catch in the next over to give Stuart Clark his first wicket of the match.
Four overs had passed before Brett Lee had a go at Virender Sehwag. His first ball was accurate and induced an edge as Sehwag pushed away from his body. Haddin, who conceded 23 byes in the first innings, dived to his right but the ball bounced off his gloves across Matthew Hayden's waist at first slip. The miss, however, cost Australia only one run as Hayden took a low catch in the next over to give Stuart Clark his first wicket of the match.
Alert throw of the day
Despite the byes and the drop, Haddin remained alert enough to nearly run out Gautam Gambhir while the rest of the Australians were screaming for an lbw. Gambhir had offered no shot to a delivery from Clark which nipped back in and hit the pad. Gambhir remained out of his crease for reasons known to him and was extremely slow in grounding his bat. The Australians were rushing to congratulate Haddin, whose under-arm throw had hit the stumps, but replays indicated the bat had landed the instant the bails came off.
Despite the byes and the drop, Haddin remained alert enough to nearly run out Gautam Gambhir while the rest of the Australians were screaming for an lbw. Gambhir had offered no shot to a delivery from Clark which nipped back in and hit the pad. Gambhir remained out of his crease for reasons known to him and was extremely slow in grounding his bat. The Australians were rushing to congratulate Haddin, whose under-arm throw had hit the stumps, but replays indicated the bat had landed the instant the bails came off.
Lucky runs of the day
Cameron White was still looking for his maiden Test wicket when, in his first over, he hit a crack on the pitch and got the ball to turn and bounce sharply, beating Sachin Tendulkar's cover drive. The ball bounced so high - it went over the fielder at slip - that Asad Rauf thought Tendulkar had edged it and gave him four runs.
Cameron White was still looking for his maiden Test wicket when, in his first over, he hit a crack on the pitch and got the ball to turn and bounce sharply, beating Sachin Tendulkar's cover drive. The ball bounced so high - it went over the fielder at slip - that Asad Rauf thought Tendulkar had edged it and gave him four runs.