Stephen Lamb
|
2nd Test: India v England at Ahmedabad, 11-15 Dec 2001 Stephen Lamb |
|
|
England 1st innings:
|
England suffered a fourth blow immediately after tea when Trescothick, 99 not out at the interval, was undone by a brilliant over from Kumble, eventually edging to Dasgupta to fall one short of his hundred.
England subsided to 185 for 5 when Flintoff, pushing defensively at Kumble, was caught off bat and pad without scoring by Laxman at silly point. Ramprakash relieved some of the pressure with an on-driven boundary off Srinath, following up fortuitously with an inside edge through fine leg. When Srinath dropped short Ramprakash made it three in an over through the covers.
A misfield by Kumble gave White three runs off Harbhajan, and Ramprakash showed his determination not to be bogged down with a pull for six over midwicket off Kumble. After 62 overs England were 208 for 5.
Kumble accounted for Butcher, just after the Surrey left-hander had reached his half century. Butcher got a thin edge to a ball that was angled across him outside the off stump, giving wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta a straightforward catch.
Hussain entered with England on 126 for 1. Trescothick moved to 70 flashing Harbhajan hard past slip, kept the strike with a swept single and promptly took two fours in three balls from Kumble, both driven through the covers.
Hussain had made just one when he was given out lbw to Kumble, playing round a googly which looked as though it might be going down the legside. Michael Vaughan, playing in place of Graham Thorpe, got away with a glance to fine leg for four. The Yorkshireman enjoyed some early good fortune against Kumble, as Sehwag couldn't hold on to a firm push to short leg, and an inside edge went for a single.
The batsmen exchanged singles as seam was re-introduced in the form of Yohannan, and Trescothick was hit on the back of the helmet as he pulled out of a hook. After early introspection Vaughan unfurled a cover drive for three and another single took Trescothick to 96. Vaughan then looked desperately unfotunate to be given out by umpire Ian Robinson, caught at short leg off Kumble as the ball appeared to go straight off his pad. At tea England had reached 176 for 3 with Trescothick unbeaten on 99.
Signs that the Motera pitch was already slowing down were apparent as Srinath bowled the first over of the afternoon session.
The hapless Shiv Sunder Das had to leave the field after being struck painfully on the shoulder at short leg as Trescothick swept Kumble right off the meat. But the Somerset left-hander reaped full reward when Srinath dropped short again, with a fierce pull to the midwicket boundary, following up with a superb drive through the covers.
Srinath was unfortunate to see an edge from Butcher elude VVS Laxman at second slip, resulting in another boundary. Trescothick reached an excellent 50, and brought up England's 100, by advancing down the wicket and clipping Kumble through midwicket for his seventh boundary. It was an expensive over for Kumble as Butcher cut delicately for four more.
Trescothick welcomed Harbhajan back into the attack by swinging him for six over midwicket, following up with another legside single as the off-spinner overpitched. Sharp footwork brought Trescothick another midwicket boundary in Harbhajan's next over. Butcher copleted his own 50 coming down the pitch to Harbhajan and taking four through mid-on.
England's run rate slipped after the drinks break as Tinu Yohannan changed ends to replace Javagal Srinath, and Harbhajan Singh switched his line of attack to round the wicket. After Harbhajan had tied Butcher down with a maiden, Trescothick was lured into an indiscretion by Yohannan, playing and missing outside the off stump. A flashing cut to the third man boundary was more productive later in the over.
Anil Kumble replaced Harbhajan in the 22nd over, Butcher responding with a sharply-called single to mid-on. Another off-side boundary followed for the Surrey left-hander as Yohannan dropped short. Trescothick made full use of a little width from Kumble, driving him through extra cover.
Sachin Tendulkar bowled a solitary over ten minutes before lunch, and was played comfortably enough after an air shot from Trescothick off his first ball. Harbhajan returned as India rang the changes in pursuit of a pre-lunch breakthrough, but although Trescothick was perilously close to lbw sweeping at Kumble, England were equal to the task in hand.
India opened with the recalled Javagal Srinath and Tinu Yohannan on a sluggish Motera wicket. Butcher, with more of the strike, was initially the freer-scoring of the two England batsmen with drives straight and square of the wicket, while Trescothick cashed in on a short, wide delivery from Yohannan.
Sourav Ganguly introduced spin as early as the 10th over, in the form of Harbhajan Singh. Trescothick was fortunate to see a mistimed pull off Srinath land safely, and Butcher found the cover boundary with a flowing drive. Despite early signs of turn on a slower wicket than the surface for the Mohali Test, both left-handers remained in positive vein, with Trescothick sweeping Harbhajan through midwicket and Butcher taking four more from Srinath through the covers.
After an hour's play England were 50 without loss.
India also make two changes, with Virender Sehwag replacing the injured Sanjay Bangar and fit-again Javagal Srinath coming in for Iqbal Siddiqui.
Nasser Hussain chose to bat after winning the toss, and the game got under way half an hour late due to early morning dew.
Teams
India: SS Das, +D Dasgupta, SR Tendulkar, R Dravid, *SC Ganguly, VVS Laxman, V Sehwag, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, T Yohannan, J Srinath.
England: MA Butcher, ME Trescothick, *N Hussain, MP Vaughan, MR Ramprakash, C White, A Flintoff, +JS Foster, AF Giles, RKJ Dawson, MJ Hoggard.
Umpires: A V Jayaprakash and I D Robinson
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 11 Dec2001 - 14:25