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 Brisbane,
Nov 29: The touring Indians lost three wickets in seven
balls after their bowlers were put on the rack by a
second-grade Queensland side on the opening day of a
three-day side game here today. The ragged Indian bowling
attack once again let a batting reputation grow at their
expense and their batsmen did little better in the seven
possible overs to crumble to 17 for 3 at close against
Queensland Academy of Sports XI. Lee Carseldine, playing
his first game of the season after recovering from a knee
injury, smashed a brilliant century as the home team
cheekily declared at 304 for 6, half an hour before close
of play.
The hosts
backed their decision sensationally, removing the Indian
openers and wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta in the space of
seven balls. Scott Bryant, a left-arm paceman of
Zimbabwe-origin, removed Akash Chopra and Deep Dasgupta
off successive deliveries in his second over though the
Indian stumper appeared to be unlucky as he was fully
forward. India suffered another blow at the other end when
Virender Sehwag (6) edged a flick down the leg side off
Joe Dawes for wicketkeeper Chris Hartley to complete a
good catch.
Earlier,
Carseldine, a regular with Queensland first eleven but one
who has suffered on count of injury lately, made 112 from
four hours and 190 deliveries, hitting 15 fours and a six.
Carseldine, who topped for Queensland last season with 709
runs at 44.31, looked in extremely good touch as he hit
through the line and mostly with the full face of the bat.
He is better known as someone who broke all of Michael
Bevan's fitness record in the Australian Cricket Academy
recently. Dasgupta showed his concentration was still good
at the fag end of a hot day when he made a difficult
stumping look easy against Craig Philipson who at 85 was
looking good to be the second centurion of the day for the
hosts.
Philipson
made 85 in 161 minutes from 138 deliveries with 12 fours
and a towering six off Kumble when he came down the track
and lifted the leg-spinner right to the sightscreen.
Kumble's other two wickets were of home skipper Aaron Nye
(15) and Steve Farrell (9) who were dismissed bowled and
leg-before wicket respectively. The Indians began on a
poor note when VVS Laxman dropped opener Chris Simpson in
the slips in the first over of the match by Ajit Agarkar.
Later Akash Chopra, at silly point, failed to hold on to a
catch off Philipson off Kumble.
Simpson
tore into Indian bowling, Agarkar in particular, whom he
repeatedly punched through the off-side and hooked
whenever the frail medium-pacer pitched it short. Simpson
also once flicked Irfan Pathan over the midwicket fence
for a six to deflate the left-arm paceman who started off
well by claiming a wicket off his very first ball of the
tour, a leg before shout against Daniel Payne (0). Simpson
finally departed when he gave a catch back to Agarkar
after making 43 from 46 balls with eight fours and a six.
So depleted was the Queensland team that the match was not
accorded a first class status.
Both
teams were allowed to rotate their 12 players duns to keep
Rahul Dravid in the twelve even as the Indian vice-captain
was allowed a day off the field due to flu which he seems
to have got from him off with a good feeling, certainly
not Laxmipathy Balaji who was hit for six boundaries in
his first five overs and was given only 11 overs during
the day. (Agencies) Scorecard
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