Stuart Clark struck a body blow for Australia with two wickets, including the crucial wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, just before tea to leave India struggling at 122 for five on the second day of the first Test on Thursday.
Tendulkar, who with Saurav Ganguly had been rebuilding India’s innings from 55 for three, chopped a delivery from Clark onto his stumps to be dismissed for 62, less than 10 minutes before the tea break.
Yuvraj Singh was then caught behind for nought in the final over before tea. Ganguly was 21 not out at the break.
Australia had been dismissed for 343 earlier on Thursday.
Brett Lee, who exuded bristling aggression, captured the only other wicket to fall after lunch. Vangipurappu Laxman was struck on the gloves trying to avoid a bouncer and was well caught by a diving Ricky Ponting at second slip for 26.
Lee took two for 24 off 12 overs, while Clark had three for 15 off 10.4 overs as Australia’s bowlers put India’s batsman under immense pressure.
Tendulkar took his time to adjust to the pitch and had to weather a hostile spell from Lee that included an entire over of short-pitched deliveries — one of which crashed into his ribs.
Shackles
But he broke free of the shackles by punching the final ball of the over to the cover-point boundary.
He then began to play with more authority, stroking two boundaries off the next over from Mitchell Johnson.
The 34-year-old also attacked spinner Brad Hogg, dispatching him for a four and six down to long on before a delicate flick off his pads to fine leg in the same over for his eighth boundary brought up his 48th Test half century.
However, just as he looked set for a big innings, he wafted at a wide delivery from Clark and played on.
Wasim Jaffer, caught by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist off Lee for four, and Rahul Dravid, trapped lbw by Clark for five, were the two men dismissed in the morning as the tourists struggled against some tight bowling.
A subdued Dravid, who needed 41 deliveries to get off the mark, never looked comfortable and was dropped by Phil Jaques in the gully and then caught by Matthew Hayden at first slip off a no-ball, both off Johnson’s bowling before being dismissed.
Resuming on 337 for nine, Australia were dismissed shortly after play began when Clark was caught hooking by Harbhajan Singh for 21 off Zaheer Khan, who finished with four wickets. – Reuters