Match evenly poised
published:
Thursday | December 27, 2007
Australia's Matthew Hayden celebrates reaching his century against India during the first day of the first Test at the MCG yesterday. - Reuters
MELBOURNE (Reuters):
AUSTRALIA OPENER Matthew Hayden scored his 28th Test century, while India captain Anil Kumble took five wickets to leave the first Test evenly poised after the first day's play yesterday.
Hayden, who shared a 135-run opening partnership with Phil Jaques, was dismissed for 124 as the home side reached stumps on 337 for nine. Mitchell Johnson was on 10 and Stuart Clark on 21.
Kumble finished with figures of five for 84, while left-arm pace bowler Zaheer Khan grabbed three wickets including captain Ricky Ponting and Hayden.
"We perhaps lost a few too many wickets ... (but) all those little partnerships along the way contributed to a good team total," Hayden said. "It was a difficult wicket and I think that will be borne out over the next four days."
Pleased
Kumble was pleased his side refused to buckle under Australian pressure and captured wickets at crucial times after breaking the opening stand.
"I think the intensity was good after lunch, we kept at it and kept coming hard at Australia and I'm really happy with the way all of the bowlers bowled," he said.
"To get nine wickets on the first day after losing the toss was a brilliant effort," he said.
Australia made a tentative start after winning the toss and choosing to bat on a pitch that had signs of grass and moisture in the outfield, before Hayden and Jaques guided them through to lunch at 111 for no wicket.
However, the home side's momentum stalled after Kumble drew Jaques down the wicket with a topspinner that was neatly taken by wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni, who whipped the bails off to dismiss him for 66.
Trapped in front
Ponting was bowled by Zaheer for four with a delivery that seamed away to knock over off stump before Mike Hussey was trapped in front by Kumble off another delivery that failed to spin, for two, leaving the home side at 165 for three.
Hayden, who reached his century with a cover drive off Rudra Pratap Singh for his eighth boundary, consolidated the innings with Michael Clarke before they both fell in quick succession.
Clarke was well caught by Vangipurappu Laxman at second slip for 20, chasing a full, wide delivery from R.P. Singh, before Hayden spooned a catch to Saurav Ganguly at mid-on shortly after.
Symonds, who had ominously moved to 35 off 42 balls, was then caught by substitute fielder Dinesh Karthik to give Kumble his third wicket.
The Indian captain then had Gilchrist mistiming a sweep to be caught by Sachin Tendulkar for 23, then trapped Lee in front for a duck to give him his 35th five-wicket haul in Tests.
Khan then had Brad Hogg caught in the slips for 17 with the first delivery with the new ball before Clark, who produced two cover drives for boundaries in the final over that belied his number 11 status, and Johnson saw the home side through to stumps.
Bowling: Z. Khan 22-1-93-3 (w-1, nb-8), R.P. Singh 19-3-77-1, H. Singh 20-3-61-0, S. Ganguly 3-1-15-0 (nb-1), A. Kumble 25-4-84-5, S. Tendulkar 1-0-2-0.
