Aus in complete command at tea
Australia went to tea at 248 for five, 395 runs ahead and firmly in control of the Test match on Day 3 of the Boxing Day test. Michael Clarke scored his fifty and was unbeaten on 52 on the break, while wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was on 1.
Just as it seemed Australia were upping the ante, Andrew Symonds departed leg before to Zaheer Khan for 44. Symonds took the attack to the Indian bowling, smashing them all around the MCG. Zaheer bowled it full from round the stumps and the ball hurried onto Symonds. There was heavy incoming reverse swing and the batsman got his pad in the way before the bat came down. Incidentally, Zaheer cleaned up Symonds when he was early in the innings, but it came off a no-ball. Australia were 243 for 5 when Symonds fell.
India picked up their fourth wicket of the morning when RP Singh removed the set batsman, Michael Hussey. Singh bowled it full and outside the off-stump, across the left-hander. There was a hint of reverse swing and Hussey flashed hard at the ball without getting behind the line, thereby taking a thick edge, which Tendulkar pouched smartly at first slip. Hussey went for 36, with Australia at 161/4.
Phil Jaques was the third wicket to fall to a soft dismissal, immediately after lunch as he tried to force a drive to one that was tossed up and had a subtle change in pace. Jaques was dismissed immediately after reaching his fifty. Australia were 139/3 when Jaques went.
Australia finished the morning session of Day 3 in the Boxing Day Test, in complete command of proceedings, at 135 for two gaining a lead of 282 runs over India. Phil Jaques was unbeaten on 49, while his partner Michael Hussey was on 29.
Jaques continued from where he left off in the first innings, keeping it simple and busy. He had an ideal partner in Hussey who rotated the strike at every opportunity. He looked tentative against spin, but once he graduated into his innings – the confidence was getting better and the fluency flowing back.
India’s mission on Day 3 was clear – take wickets and restrict Australia to a bare minimum. It didn’t look like happening for a long time, till about the 11th over of the innings when Harbhajan Singh picked up opener Matthew Hayden for 47. Hayden came down the track going for an audacious shot, only to hole out to Sourav Ganguly at long-off.
And then one brought two, when they yet again removed Ricky Ponting for cheap. Harbhajan turned one into the right hander from outside the off-stump, and Ponting obliged the bowler by opening the face of the bat to guide it down into the hands of the waiting Dravid at slip. Australia were 89/2 at that stage, having lost Hayden just six runs earlier.
