Stephen Lamb
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1st Test: India v England at Mohali, 3-7 Dec 2001 Stephen Lamb |
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India 1st innings:
England 2nd innings: |
India continued to make steady progress after tea, with VVS Laxman clipping Richard Dawson high over the infield for four through midwicket, and then showing perfect placement as he split the legside field with another boundary. But Dawson got his man when Laxman, cutting slightly casually, was smartly picked up by Nasser Hussain at backward point. Laxman had made 28 and India were 430 for 7.
Flintoff was bowling with real hostility hereabouts, harrying the batsmen and giving precious little away. Although Bangar managed to swing Dawson away over midwicket, the local hero Harbhajan Singh was soon on his way for just one, plumb lbw to Dawson as he lost his balance trying to sweep a ball that was too full for the shot.
The lead passed the 200 mark as Bangar clipped Flintoff to the fine leg boundary, but Dawson once again reaped the reward for bowling a full length when Bangar, trying to hit him over midwicket, skied a return catch. Iqbal Siddiqui provided some late-innings entertainment with six over midwicket off Dawson, followed by four in the same direction off the recalled Hoggard. The Yorkshireman got his third wicket by bowling Siddiqui off the inside edge for 24, and India were all out for 469.
VVS Laxman extended India's lead beyond the 150 mark, driving a full-length delivery from Hoggard with impeccable timing to the midwicket boundary. Sanjay Bangar, batting with a runner, cashed in on a rare loose delivery from Dawson, dispatching it to the cover boundary. As Hoggard took a well-deserved rest, Craig White and Richard Dawson kept India in check with a maiden apiece.
England let another chance go begging (the fourth of the innings) when Graham Thorpe, of all people, dropped a straightforward catch at cover point. Bangar, on eight at the time, was the fortunate batsman; Dawson yet again the suffering bowler. Two more to third man from Bangar brought up India's 400 as India progressed at snail's pace against accurate bowling that deserved more adhesive support in the field.
Laxman briefly broke the stranglehold with a straight-driven boundary off White; Bangar responding by stepping outside his off stump to drive Dawson with a similar result. White made way for Flintoff as Hussain probed for a further breakthrough, and the Lancastrian managed two consecutive maidens. On the verge of tea Bangar made the most of a rare short ball from Dawson with a boundary backward of point, and at the interval India were 419 for 6, 181 runs in front.
Tendulkar signalled his afternoon intentions very clearly, pulling the first ball after the interval from Richard Dawson for four, and taking three more from the second. A combination of overhead jets and movement behind the sightscreen then upset Tendulkar's concentration as he twice played and missed at Hoggard.
The bowlers stuck to their task well, and Ganguly should have been dismissed on 41 as he tried to break loose. Having just hit Dawson for four over mid-on, Ganguly charged down the wicket in an attempt to repeat the stroke. James Foster fumbled to miss a relatively straightforward stumping chance after Ganguly was beaten in the flight.
To the England wicket-keeper's relief he made no mistake three overs later, when the persevering Hoggard induced an outside edge from Tendulkar with late movement to give Foster a regulation catch and the Yorkshireman a well-deserved first wicket of the innings. Tendulkar had made a delightful 88, and left a largely silent stadium with India on 370 for 5.
Hoggard made it a double strike in his next over as Ganguly, apparently keener on playing Dawson than Hoggard, mistimed a cut off a short delivery, enabling Graham Thorpe to pouch the catch at backward point. Sanjay Bangar joined VVS Laxman, getting off the mark with a boundary through the slips as India moved to 384 for 6.
Sourav Ganguly accelerated with consecutive offside boundaries off Ormond to take India to 316 for 4, prompting Hussain to introduce Craig White into the attack alongside Andy Flintoff. After each bowled a maiden, White paid the penalty for dropping short as Ganguly cut him to the third man boundary. As Tendulkar went uncharacteristically into his shell, the Indian captain drove Flintoff for three through mid-off and White for three more through midwicket.
Tendulkar took the lead to over a hundred from Richard Dawson's first ball of the day, with a canny sweep down to fine leg, and then got into position early to cut Dawson behind square for four. Another sweep and Tendulkar had taken eight off the over - 345 for 4.
With Flintoff keen to lock horns with his former Lancashire teammate, Ganguly responded with consecutive boundaries, behind and in front of square. Flintoff ended the session with a lifting ball which troubled Ganguly, following up with some verbal comment. Nonetheless India remained well placed at lunch, 115 runs ahead on 353 for 4.
Nasser Hussain initially looked to James Ormond and Matthew Hoggard to provide him with a breakthrough. India began cautiously, but Tendulkar, once beaten outside the off stump by Hoggard, got going with a fiercely hooked boundary off Ormond before driving Hoggard imperiously through mid-on. He reached his 50 fortuitously off the same bowler, with an inside edge to the fine leg boundary as he tried to withdraw his bat. After ending up in the Mohali moat the ball was twice replaced.
The second replacement did the trick for England as Dravid, having cut Ormond for his first boundary of the morning, was trapped lbw playing from the crease. Enter the left-handed Ganguly at 290 for 4, and the Indian skipper opened his account with three from a sweetly-struck cover drive before pulling Hoggard uppishly for two.
Tendulkar then set the crowd alight, first bringing up the 300 with a scintillating on-drive off Hoggard, then clipping him through midwicket and pulling him through square leg in the same over to take India to 308 for 4.
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Date-stamped : 06 Dec2001 - 07:33