What a disappointing day for Team India. After all the hard work done by the bowlers in the first innings, the batsmen really let them down. Even though the conditions were not for stroke playing, but considering the final scoreline, it just doesn’t do justice to this talented and experienced batting lineup.

Australia started the day at 337/9 and could only add another 6 runs before Zaheer Khan got the wicket of Stuart Clark to wrap up the first innings. The unthinkable had happened. The Aussies had been bundled out for a measly 343 runs in their first innings. Here was a perfect opportunity for the Indian batsmen to bat Australia out of this match.

What followed, however, justifies exactly why Australia is No 1 and India are just wannabes. Dravid and Jaffer opened the innings. It took Dravid forever to open his innings. After wasting 66 possible, he could manage only 5 runs and was out. India got a pathetic 31 runs for the fall of 2 wickets from 21.4 overs. After lunch Tendulkar and Laxman started to be more positive and the runs started coming in. However, just when the two were trying to wrest the initiative back, Lee struck with an absolute snorter and Laxman could only glove it to slips where Ponting took a good catch.

In comes Saurav Ganguly in his 100th match. A situation that he would have not preferred, yet a job needed to be done. Sachin, on the other hand, decided the best way forward was to counter-attack. He launched into Brad Hogg as he got his 50 from only 57 balls. His aggression was also his downfall as he inside-edged a delivery from Stuart Clark back onto his stumps. India never recovered from their. The two young guns – Yuvraj and Dhoni – went back without scoring. Ganguly was left stranded with the tailenders. Kumble did will to support him.

Ganguly, however, could not last long and fell after a well compiled 43 from 79 balls. The skipper then tried to launch another counter-attack as he got 27 runs from 76 balls. But the damage had been done. The Indian batting lineup had crumbled leaving an impossible task for the tail. India’s innings was wrapped up for a measly 196 from 71.5 overs with Stuart Clark and Brett Lee sharing the honors for Australia. Both bowlers picked up  4 wickets each.

Australia then ended the day with 32/0 from 8 overs only. India had lost the initiative and only a miracle can bring them back into this match.

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Day 2 Highlights




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