Mhambrey & Kulkarni turn the heat on Australia

By Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI, FEB. 23. The Indian selectors may have had a hand in provoking Mumbai to inflict further humiliation on Australia, down 70-4 in the first innings, before Steve Waugh counter- attacked (106 not out, 162 balls, 10 fours, three sixes) to avert a follow-on. Nevertheless, Mumbai remained ahead in this game of oneupmanship, reaching 83 for no loss in the second innings at stumps on an eventful day two of the three-day tour game at the Cricket Club of India. The home team is now ahead by 208 runs, aided by a 125-runs first innings lead.

The exclusion of Mumbai's Test aspirants from the three teams chosen for the Challenger Series was justified by selection committee chairman Chandu Borde on the grounds that the three-day tour game against the Aussies on home turf at the CCI was an opportunity for the players to prove their worth. So after skipper Sameer Dighe's controlled assault on the Australian bowling on the first day, it was the turn of the Mumbai bowlers to turn the heat on the visiting batsmen, reducing them to 203-9 after tea. Mark Waugh did not bat, having hurt his finger during fielding.

Left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni used this opportunity to show the national selectors that he can be a wicket-taking bowler, while right-arm medium-pacer Paras Mhambrey's ability to maintain a decent line and beat the bat with the seaming delivery will have only added to Australia's woes in the run-up to the first Test at Mumbai next week. The two Mumbai bowlers were only cashing in on coach Ashok Mankad's decision to make an overnight declaration at 328-9, a positive move which reflects the home team's frame of mind.

Kulkarni bowled long spells in keeping with the demands of the situation, besides proof of his lasting ability, even while taking the wickets of opener Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Damien Fleming and Colin Miller to return figures of 25- 11-2-59- 4 on a track which saw Shane Warne getting slaughtered the day before. The tall Mumbai spinner began by having Hayden leg before, the ball eluding the left-hander's attempted sweep and striking the pad plumb in front of the wicket. Langer was the next victim, deceived by the flight and driving the ball into the bowler's hands. Fleming too had no clue, adjudged leg before while Miller played over a Kulkarni delivery and was bowled, beaten by the drift.

Mhambrey was at work much earlier, getting rid of Michael Slater, the other opener in the fifth over and then kept pegging away to claim three more wickets-- Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Glenn McGrath. The hard-working Mumbai medium-pacer removed Ponting with a ball pitched on the middle and off-stump which took off, wicket-keeper Dighe completing the regulation catch as the ball flew off the edge. Gilchrist too was good enough to only get a nick to a seaming delivery, this time Dighe pulling off an amazing diving catch, flying across and picking up the ball at the feet of the fielder at first slip. McGrath played the wrong line and got the ball onto his pads as Mhambrey finished with four wickets for 59 off 15.3 overs.

The only Australian batsmen who defied the Mumbai pressure tactics, lively bowling and efficient fielding, was skipper Steve Waugh, whose approach at the crease was a batting lesson none of the Mumbai players would forget, nor would the noisy fans who made the stadium come alive with their shouting and horn-blowing before giving the Australian leader a pronounced round of applause on reaching the three-figure mark. Waugh may have had a lot of problems on his mind, brother Mark's injury, Warne's walloping but in the manner of a true champion, put everything aside and went on to systematically dominate the bowling. His half-century came off a watchful 100 balls, hitting seven fours, all the while waiting for one of the batsmen to keep him company.

McGrath was the only one, coming in at number eight, who lived upto his skipper's expectations. Waugh's confidence in his batting ability was evident from the manner in which he went about averting the follow-on, the Australian first innings total jumping from 169-8 to 175 and 181, both scoring strokes being huge sixes which landed in the stands. He eventually walked off, defiant and unconquered on 106 not out, lasting 199 minutes and playing out 162 balls.

Mumbai coach Mankad declared on the overnight score of 328-9, giving overnight batsmen Ramesh Powar and Nilesh Kulkarni an opportunity to do what they enjoy-- bowling at the Australian batsmen-- instead of hanging around at the crease for a few more runs against a frustrated Aussie attack. Mhambrey, a former India seamer yet to play upto potential, vindicated his coach's decision to apply pressure on openers Slater and Hayden.

The experienced Mumbai seamer removed Slater with a ball which seamed out after pitching, the Aussie opener playing forward but only succeeding in snicking to the slips where Amol Muzumdar completed a waist-high catch. The visitors were looking forward to some batting practice on a CCI track which proved very friendly for the Mumbai lower-order batsmen, but suffered the second blow when Hayden got trapped in front of the wicket by Kulkarni, the batsman missing a sweep and adjudged leg before.

Kulkarni got his second victim of the morning, Justin Langer's attempted drive through the delivery resulting in a tame return catch back to the bowler who accepted it with glee. Australia was really in trouble when Ponting followed Langer on the slow trek back to the pavilion, edging a Mhambrey delivery pitched on the middle and off stump behind, skipper and wicket- keeper Sameer Dighe in position to complete the catch.

Gilchrist walked out to join skipper Steve Waugh at the crease, the signs of a crisis on the horizon with Australia at 70-4. The fact that his top order batsmen succumbed to the seam-spin attack of Mhambrey (7-1-30-2) and Kulkarni (11-6-14-2) would not have been a pleasing thought for the skipper, who put his head down and guided his side to 87 at lunch without further loss.

The scores:

Mumbai- 1st innings: 328 (for nine decl.)

Australia-1st innings: M.Slater c A.Muzumdar b P.Mhambrey 11, M.Hayden lbw N.Kulkarni 11, J.Langer c & b N.Kulkarni 25, R.Ponting c S.Dighe b P.Mhambrey 1, S.Waugh 106 (not out), A.Gilchrist c S.Dighe b P.Mhambrey 22, S.Warne c S.Dighe b S.Bahutule 1, D.Fleming lbw N.Kulkarni 5, C.Miller b N.Kulkarni 0, G.McGrath lbw P.Mhambrey 19, M.Waugh did not bat. Extras 2 (nb-1, lb-1) Total 203 (for nine).

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-25, 3-28, 4-70, 5-103, 6-118, 7-129, 8- 133, 9-203.

Mumbai bowling: P.Mhambrey 15.3-2-59-4, R.Morris 4-1-8-0, N.Kulkarni 25-11-39-4, R.Powar 7-1-42-0, S.Bahutule 13-0-54-1.

Mumbai- 2nd innings : V.Mane (batting) 45, W.Jaffer (batting) 36. Extras 2 (b-1, nb-1). Total 83 (for no loss).

Australia bowling: G.McGrath 6-4-15-0, D.Fleming 6-2-23-0, S.Warne 7-2-18-0, C.Miller 8-1-24-0, M.Hayden 1-0-2-0.

Steve Waugh's second hundred on Indian soil

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