Difficult task for India to save match  - Scorecard
Melbourne, Dec 28: Australia tightened its grip over the third cricket Test after yet another double century by Ricky Ponting and cheap dismissals of both the Indian openers at the end of the third day's play here today. Seeking to level the series after its shock defeat at Adelaide, Australia first took a lead of 192 by notching up 558 of which Ponting made 257, his second double century of the series and third of the year. Batting for 11 overs of the day, Virender Sehwag, whose magnificent 195 had propelled India to 366 in the first innings, as well as Aakash Chopra fell early to leave their side vulnerable.

The Indians were precariously placed at 27 for two and face a Herculean task of saving the match with two days left on a Melbourne Cricket Ground track which was expected to deteriorate. Rahul Dravid (6) and captain Sourav Ganguly (6) survived some anxious moments to remain unbeaten at stumps with India still trailing by 165 runs on a day which saw the world champions maintaining their stranglehold. Ponting, who had scored 242 in the second Test at Adelaide, plundered runs at will against the modest Indian bowling attack to join Don Bradman as the only players in the history of Test cricket to score three double centuries in a calendar year.

The Australian vice-captain is also now leading run scorer for 2003 with 1,472 runs from 11 Tests at a staggering average of 98.13. He needs only nine more runs from a possible Australian second innings here to move past Michael Vaughan (1,480 in 2002) in the all-time leading runs scorers in a calendar year. Anil Kumble toiled hard for his six for 176 from a marathon 51 overs. Ajit Agarkar was the other productive bowler for India with three for 115. But the day's other highlight after Ponting's virtuoso knock was Australian captain Steve Waugh coming in twice to bat in the same innings in his final Test at the MCG.

Waugh was struck on the left elbow by Agarkar off the second ball he faced and had to retire for treatment. But he came out again at the fall of Simon Katich (29) to another standing ovation at the venue where he made his Test debut 18 years ago against the same opposition. Waugh's farewell knock in front of a Sunday crowd of the Boxing Day Test though was a scratchy 19. He survived two confident shouts for leg before wicket before umpire David Shepherd ruled him out the third time he padded up to Kumble. Ponting meanwhile showed immaculate concentration in his near ten-hour knock that consumed 458 balls and contained 25 fours. His stay at the crease began in the first session yesterday and finished in the final session today when he was stumped off Kumble.

Ponting shared two crucial partnerships with Damien Martyn (31) and Simon Katich (29) that left the hosts as firm favourites to win the Test. First, the Tasmanian extended his overnight partnership with Martyn to 78 runs before the latter snicked Ajit Agarkar to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel. He then added another 64 with Katich for the fifth wicket. Waugh could have been out to the first ball he faced from Kumble but umpire David Shepherd rejected the shout and the Australian captain stayed for 63 balls more before a similar appeal was withheld. Kumble then had Brett Lee (8) caught at silly point and Ponting stumped long way down after the batsman had given a charge in order to wrest the strike.

Kumble thus had three wickets in the final session which yielded 78 runs. It was his second successive five-wicket haul following his 5 for 154 in the second Test at Adelaide. Sachin Tendulkar tried to make up for his batting failure with the ball and induced a simple return catch from Nathan Bracken. Stuart MacGill was out leg before to Agarkar off the very first ball he faced. Zaheer Khan bowled only eight overs in the morning in two spells but looked clearly in discomfort. But even before their relief at finally bowling out the hosts could sink in, the tourists lost both the openers in the last one hour of play.

Aakash Chopra (4) was unlucky to be given caught out behind the stumps when the ball from Nathan Bracken had brushed his pads while Virender Sehwag (11) was brilliantly caught at square leg by Brad Williams off Brett Lee. Interestingly, captain Sourav Ganguly came in to bat at number four instead of Sachin Tendulkar who was out for first ball in the first innings on Friday. Scorecard (Agencies)

Published: Friday, December 28, 2003

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