Story Australian Int Season - RETIREMENT

[MWaugh]

The Toss

Australian Captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and unsuprisingly elected to field on a wicket that should provide plenty early on for the pace bowlers. The captains had this to say after the toss of the coin landed in the home sides favour.



"Yeah we will have a bowl on this one. At the moment it looks like the perfect time to field, there is plenty of cloud cover and the pitch will move around a bit. Hopefully the pitch may even firm up a little as play goes on which will make batting easier for us."

Ricky Ponting
(Australian Captain)

"Unfortunatly we lost what may be a crucial toss here but thats cricket. Obviously we would have liked to have made first use of the ball here but I still have alot of faith in my batting lineup and im sure that we can produce the goods. We know that we have to win this test to take back the series from Australia so that will be incentive enough."

Rahul Dravid
(Indian Captain)



(Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid after the toss of the coin)

 

[MWaugh]

Teams Take To The Field



(Teams for the two sides for the deciding test)

Ricky Ponting lead his Australian side onto the field to begin the third and final 3 test at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. Since the completion of the Adelaide test, the Hobart test has quick become a sell out for this deciding game. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag were the opening batsman preparing to face the music from McGrath and Lee with the new ball.



(Teams take to the field ahead of battle)

 

[Cricket_60]

India should stuggle on this kind of pitch

 

[MWaugh]

Gambhir Falls Early - India 1/19

Glenn McGrath claimed the early wicket of Gautam Gambhir as India stumbled to be 1/19 in the opening our of play. Gambhir appeared to struggle on the seaming wicket as he was caught at a wide 3rd slip by 2nd test hero Michael Clarke for only 8.

McGrath did enough with the ball to catch the outside edge of the openers bat which flew comfortably to Clarke.

 

[MWaugh]

Dravid Falls To Pace - India 2/45

Indian captain Rahul Dravid found the pace of Brett Lee too hot to handle as he fell for 11 while he side was on 45. After looking positive early in his innings, Dravid spooned a catch to a diving Andrew Symonds at cover, who came in quickly from his position to take a great catch.

Lee brought Dravid on the front foot to a ball that held up slightly off the wicket, this resulted in the captain being only able to get the toe of the bat onto the ball, which brought the ball into the air.

 

[MWaugh]

Sehwags Survives Till Lunch - India 2/77

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar survived a tough first session of play in the 3rd test at Hobart. Facing a tough pitch and an even tougher bowling duo of McGrath and Lee, Sehwag (34*) and Tendulkar (17*) battled on to be 2/77 at lunch.

The pair look to be in good form playing a variety of attacking shots to counter the pace of Lee, McGrath and Clark.

 

[MWaugh]

Lee Gets His Second - India 3/107

Brett Lee claimed the prized scalp of Sachin Tendulkar for 31 as India slipped to be 3/107 in the 2nd session play at Hobart. A miss timed pull shot was the downfall of the maestro, who looked in his best form early before falling within sight of his first half century of the tour.

Tendulkar took especially to test debuton Stuart Clark as he and Virender Sehwag began to take control of the match for the tourists. This wicket will be a crucial blow.

 

[Short Leg]

On ya bike Tendulkar and take ya tennis elbow with ya!

 

[tsyrmas]

how many tests are in this series??

 

[MWaugh]

how many tests are in this series??

its a 3 test series mate then we go into a vb triangular series with pakistan and india. more info can be found on the first page of the thread

 

[MWaugh]

Sehwag Reaches 50 - India 3/133

Indian opener Virender Sehwag finally found form after reaching his half century from a sizzling 85 balls to lead India to 3/133. Sehwag appeared to have found the touch that has been lacking from one of the most attacking batsmen in the world as he crunched 2 sixes and 6 boundaries.

 

[Cricket_60]

Maybe I was wrong, good start for the Indian's here...

 

[MWaugh]

Sehwag Fails To Capitalise On Start - India 4/113

Virender Sehwag was unable to continue on his impressive start to the innings when he was dismissed for 50. Glenn McGrath claimed the prized scalp of the opener but it was the sensational outfield catch that will long live in the memory of all of those involved.

Brett Lee covered sensational ground to reach the ball, at which point he dived to his left to take a screamer to send Sehwag back to the pavilion. It was a dissapointing end to Sehwag as he looked in good form, however his miss-timed pull shot will bring V.V.S Laxman to the crease against his traditional rivals.

 

[MWaugh]

Laxman Falls After Start - India 5/176

V.V.S Laxman was unable to continue on a solid start after becoming Glenn McGraths 3rd wicket of the innings as India slipped at 5/176. After looking the goods early, Laxman could not continue on his bright start as he fell to a great Matthew Hayden catch while on 22.

McGrath tempted Laxman into a flairy straight drive, however Laxman could only manage the outside edge of his Brittania bat which then flew quickly to Hayden at Gully.

Sourav Ganguly, who currently looks the most solid of all the Batsmen so far, will now team up with new comer Mahendra Dhoni to continue the Indians push for a 300+ competitive score.

 

[mehkar]

Great stories mate