Monday, Aug 26, 2002
Monday, Aug 26, 2002 |
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Cricket
By G. Viswanath
England captain Nasser Hussain sends Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble to the boundary in the second innings on the fourth day of the third cricket Test at Headingley on Sunday. — Photo: N. Sridharan
A victory that appeared near at hand for India at teatime on the fourth day might not have totally disappeared from the horizon yet and the odds must be still in favour of the visitors But during the absorbing contest between the bat and ball, England's captain, Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart, who has played more Tests than any one has for England, brought to the fore the rudiments that makes Test match cricket a treat to watch. India saw the fourth day peter out without any gains in the last two hours, during which Hussain, though a little lucky, mustered enough strength and emerged with a captain's knock of 90 and Stewart, who stood like a rock, parried the Indian bowlers. The wonderful partnership that was constructed diversely — like scoring five singles off 45 balls and followed by seven fours off 21 balls — reduced the overall lead of 355 to 116. A tired Indian team — it has been on the field for nearly 12 hours and bowled 174 overs — trooped back a trifle disappointed on Sunday evening. Having taken five more wickets in the first two sessions of play, the visitors had covered considerable distance in the pursuit of squaring the npower Test series, but it now appears its seamers and spinners have a lot more hard work to do to take the team to the winning post. On Sunday, the ball spun out of the hands of the finger-spinner sharply so as to get appreciable turn of the pitch and the three seamers stuck to their task. The England batsman had to bring out all their skills and expertise to deal with the unpredictable, nay, dangerous bounce from the seamers, including Sanjay Banger who struck the big blows in the fourth hour. The perfect balance between seam and spin attack that Ganguly was able to bring about by teatime reflected his dependence on a variety of bowlers. But as it transpired it was the bowlers who managed to get greater purchase of the pitch, mainly through bounce and sideways movement that saw India better placed before the break for tea. The Indians have not been far removed from the intensity of the Test match because of many reasons, the foremost being the need to draw level. They have also not allowed the off the field happenings with regard to the ICC Champions Trophy distract them. Ganguly, who had led the team to wins in Dhaka, Bulawayo, Kandy and Port of Spain in the last twenty months, did not at any stage let the stranglehold slip out of his hands. After removing the last England batsman on Sunday morning, with umpire Dave Orchard declaring Matthew Hoggard snapped up at short leg off Kumble, India as expected enforced the follow-on thanks to a 355-runs first innings lead. It took just about thirteen minutes for India to crush the resistance of the tail-ender although there must have been some doubt of Hoggard having played the ball while trying to turn Kumble. It was the fourth decision Orchard was asked to give in the England first innings. Within half an hour, England's opening pair was in the middle and for a change Michael Vaughan did not stay long enough to continue with his glorious form that began with a century against Sri Lanka in the third Test at Old Trafford. In what ought to be his best first spell in a Test match, Agarkar trapped Vaughan plumb in front, the decision being given by the Sri Lankan umpire Ashoka De Silva. The second wicket pair in Robert Key and Mark Butcher showed lot of determination and patience after Agarkar's fine first spell of six overs. Though he made four good hits to the fence, Key, under pressure to retain his place for the fourth Test, was generally circumspect. Kumble, who was unwavering in his first spell of nine overs, pushed Key to the back foot and won an appeal for leg before from Orchard. It was not until the arrival of Hussain did the scoring rate begin to pick up. He took some nasty blows on his chest and hands, but thereafter showed adequate competency and did not pull his punches. He even stepped out to lift Harbhajan over the straight field for a six. When it appeared that the pair of Hussain and Butcher would turn out to be a stumbling block, Bangar, who had bowled a very economical first spell of five overs, broke the partnership and went on to send one more England batsman to the pavilion. Hussian's charmed life continued and he had many `let-offs' including the edge of the last ball before tea off the bowling of Kumble that did not stick into the gloves off Parthiv Patel. Hussain has done all the hard work, but England probably will have to bat the whole of Monday to deny India its first in England in 16 years.
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