Another Smith century keeps Tridents' playoffs hopes alive

Dwayne Smith’s second century of CPL 2017 kept the playoff hopes afloat for Barbados Tridents as they held off a furious charge from St Lucia Stars to win by 29 runs at Kensington Oval

The Report by Peter Della Penna01-Sep-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDwayne Smith scored a century off 64 balls•Getty Images

Dwayne Smith’s second century of CPL 2017 kept the playoff hopes afloat for Barbados Tridents as they held off a furious charge from St Lucia Stars to win by 29 runs at Kensington Oval. Rahkeem Cornwall’s adventurous 78 off 44 balls made the Tridents bowling unit sweat in defence of 195 for 4 but his curious decision to retire hurt in the 18th over – he had been hit in the stomach by a Kieron Pollard short ball in the 16th over – with 49 needed off the last 17 balls was a symbolic moment for the downtrodden franchise as Stars became the first team in CPL history to record a winless season.Tridents’ top-order reshuffleComing out of their 59 all out debacle against Guyana Amazon Warriors two nights earlier, Tridents made a few strategic changes to the batting order in an effort to right the ship. Most significantly, Nicholas Pooran was promoted to open, with Kane Williamson dropped down to No. 3 to accommodate the feisty wicketkeeper. While it didn’t have the desired effect for Williamson, who was later stumped down the leg side off Cornwall for 2, Pooran wound up making a season-best 32 off 20 balls. The left-hander thumped four fours and two sixes in the Powerplay, including an audacious one-handed tennis backhand over the extra-cover rope. He perished attempting it again, skying a slower ball off Obed McCoy for an easy catch in the region of point for wicketkeeper Andre Fletcher.Strike a pose DwayneSmith played second fiddle to Pooran early in his innings and took 44 balls to reach his half-century, but was drawn out of his shell by Shane Watson in the 14th over, striking him for four, six, four off the last three balls of the over. The last stroke was his most elegant, a marvellous cover drive after which he held his pose for the cameras. He showed he was still in a modeling mood in the 18th over, once again freezing his frame after another sumptuous cover drive off Kyle Mayers. Only a floodlight failure stood in the way of triple figures with a 40-minute delay after the 19th over with Smith stuck on 90. When play resumed, it took him three balls to get on strike but he made his century with a ball to spare, smashing consecutive sixes over extra cover off Watson. His second fifty came in less than half the time as his first, as he moved from 50 to 100 in just 20 deliveries.Supernova chaseDespite losing Fletcher in the first over, Stars raced through the Powerplay behind a belligerent second-wicket partnership between Cornwall and Watson. Even after Watson fell for 22 off 17 in the sixth over, Cornwall continued undaunted, smashing Akeal Hosein’s left-arm spin for a pair of sixes in a 16-run seventh over. Stars were 92 for 2 in nine overs with Cornwall still striking at two runs per ball, though Christopher Barnwell spilled a basic chance five yards inside the long-off rope with Cornwall on 40 in the ninth over.Stars dimmed by PollardA key sequence occurred from overs 10 through 12 as captain Kieron Pollard lassoed Cornwall and Johnson Charles’ scoring. Tridents conceded just eight runs across the three overs with Pollard giving up just five across the 10th and the 12th while snaring Charles at deep midwicket. Cornwall got to his fifty off 26 balls but the required run rate, which had been manageable to that point, jumped from 9.45 to 12.Pollard then returned for his last over in the 16th and conceded just two singles off the first five balls before Cornwall took him for six over deep midwicket, leaving the equation at 51 runs needed off 24 balls. Despite not taking Cornwall’s wicket, Pollard’s fourth delivery more or less served the same purpose when he pinged Cornwall in the midsection.Initially the batsman was okay to continue but Cornwall wound up facing just five more deliveries. A delay ensured he faced one ball in the 18th over before deciding he could no longer continue. Pollard was unimpressed with Cornwall’s inability to fight through the pain, not to mention unsympathetic, and he gave the Stars batsman a verbal spray on his way off the field. Stars’ hopes for a win faded soon after.

Adair, Terry called up to Ireland squad

Mark Adair, the right-arm pacer, and Sean Terry, the top-order batsman, have earned call-ups to the Ireland squad to face Afghanistan in a five-match ODI series next month

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2016The uncapped pair of Mark Adair, a right-arm seamer, and Sean Terry, the top-order batsman, have earned call-ups to the Ireland squad to face Afghanistan in a five-match ODI series next month.George Dockrell and Max Sorensen have been dropped while Boyd Rankin has Warwickshire commitments. Peter Chase, the seamer with one ODI cap, and allrounder Tyrone Kane have earned recalls.Adair, 20, has played only one first-class match in which he took a solitary wicket alongside four T20 games in which he has two wickets. Terry, the son of former England batsman Paul Terry, is relatively more experienced, with 11 first-class matches under his belt, in which he has scored 440 runs at 29.33 including five half-centuries. In eight List A games, Terry has 161 runs at 32.20.

Ireland squad

William Porterfield (capt), Mark Adair, John Anderson, Peter Chase, Ed Joyce, Tyrone Kane, Tim Murtagh, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Stuart Poynter, Paul Stirling, Sean Terry, Gary Wilson.

“Mark Adair has impressed me with his skills in the limited opportunities I have seen him, and the series is ideal to get him involved with our international programme,” John Bracewell, Ireland’s head coach, said.Bracewell added that Terry’s recent unbeaten double century against Scotland A boded well for him. “Naming 14 players – as opposed to 13 for the Sri Lanka series – gives us an opportunity to bring in batting cover and we believe that Sean Terry covers all the positions required,” he said. “He showed his qualities with his recent unbeaten 251 against Scotland A. Tyrone Kane gives us allrounder cover in the squad as we look to increase our depth in this area with the retirement of John Mooney.”Explaining the omission of Rankin, Bracewell said that it had been known that this series would potentially clash with his county duties and they had come to an agreement with Warwickshire.”When we re-signed Boyd back into the Ireland squad at the end of last year, the Afghanistan series was possible but unconfirmed. The likely series dates fell at a crucial time for Warwickshire, so we agreed he would not be available for the series if it was confirmed, but would be for all other major commitments in one of our busiest-ever years.”On balance, we felt a partially-available Boyd was better than not at all. He’ll be 32 next week and there is a lot of cricket coming up between now and the end of the summer. Both parties will continue to carefully monitor and manage his workload in his best interests and longevity in the game. Of course, succession planning is vital, so it’s an ideal opportunity for us to look at other options – Peter Chase is the logical replacement for Boyd and is currently bowling very well.”Regarding left-arm spinner Dockrell, who has played 52 ODIs but did not appear in the two matches against Sri Lanka, Bracewell said that Ireland’s spin stocks were reasonably healthy. “With Andy McBrine bowling so well at present and Paul Stirling an experienced back-up, we feel in the early stages of the series, an extra spinner is a luxury we don’t need. We will of course look at our spin options as the series progresses, and if necessary, strengthen that area.”Ireland will take on Afghanistan in the first ODI on July 10. All five matches are scheduled to take place at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast.

Holder sets up crushing Tridents win

Jason Holder claimed figures of 3 for 11 in four overs, including a maiden, to set up Barbados Tridents’ third win in a row

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJason Holder was the key performer in Barbados Tridents’ third straight win•Caribbean Premier League

Jason Holder claimed figures of 3 for 11 in four overs, including a double-wicket maiden, to set up Barbados Tridents’ third win in a row. The support cast was also impressive as Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel were kept to 95 for 9. Dwayne Smith and Dilshan Munaweera then launched the chase with a flurry of boundaries as Tridents sealed the win in 13.1 overs with eight wickets to spare.After having opted to bat, Red Steel’s top order was blown away by Holder and Ravi Rampaul. Cameron Delport perished for a two-ball duck before Jacques Kallis pulled a short one straight to long leg. From 2 for 2, Red Steel stumbled to 4 for 3 next over; Holder striking twice in two balls to remove Kamran Akmal and Darren Bravo. The other Bravo, Dwayne, however, offered semblance of a fight through 30 off 28 balls, adding 46 for the sixth wicket with Jason Mohammaed.However, Bravo’s wicket triggered another collapse as they went from 66 for 5 to 93 for 9. While Holder was the best bowler for the hosts, Rampaul, Robin Peterson, Kieron Pollard and Jeevan Mendis pitched in with a wicket each, before ceding the stage to Smith and Munaweera.The openers got into their groove quickly, sending Tridents racing to 51 in six overs. Munweera who was reprieved on 25 by Kallis added 14 more before holing out to deep cover off Sulieman Benn. Smith was out for 33 next ball but Shoaib Malik, aided by Jonathan Carter, finished the chase with a pulled four.

Rain forces a draw at Seddon Park

Persistent rain on the fourth day robbed Northern Districts of a chance to push for their first win in the Plunket Shield as they drew the match against Canterbury at Seddon Park in Hamilton

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2012
ScorecardPersistent rain on the fourth day robbed Northern Districts of a chance to push for their first win in the Plunket Shield as they drew the match against Canterbury at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Only 27 overs were possible on the last day as rains washed out almost two sessions. Northern Districts, who had set a target of 425 runs for Canterbury, managed to pick up two wickets in the time possible, with Peter Fulton staying unbeaten on 68.Northern Districts had put themselves in a strong position after a dominant second-innings performance that helped the team declare on 410 for 5, with opening batsman Joseph Yovich scoring 128 and four other batsmen following up with half-centuries. Yovich shared two century partnerships, with James Marshall for the second wicket and Daryl Mitchell for the fourth. After Yovich’s dismissal, BJ Watling and Corey Anderson scored two more half-centuries and pushed the score over 400, giving the team just over a day to bowl Canterbury out.The batsmen struggled in the first two innings. Canterbury had put Northern Districts in and struck early. But Yovich and Marshall strung an 86-run stand to help Northern Districts made gradual progress. But Ryan McCone triggered a collapse when he had Marshall out for 47. McCone picked up three more wickets and received support from Gareth Andrew who picked up three as Northern Districts were bowled out for 200.Canterbury’s response was disastrous to start with – they lost their first six wickets for only 35 – but a 97-run stand between Todd Astle, who scored 53, and Andrew, who scored a 69-ball 89, brought the innings score to a comparable 186. Graeme Aldridge was the most successful bowler with 5 for 45.

Dwayne Bravo suffers ankle injury

Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies allrounder, has picked up an ankle injury and will miss West Indies A’s two four-day matches against Bangladesh A this month

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2011Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies allrounder, has injured his ankle and will miss West Indies A’s two four-day matches against Bangladesh A this month. Bravo, who was named captain of the A side for the series, picked up the injury during the team’s warm-up session the day before the first four-day game, which is scheduled to start in Antigua on November 5, and has travelled back to Trinidad & Tobago. Veerasammy Permaul will take over the captaincy of the West Indies A team, while a replacement player has not yet been named.Bravo’s career has been blighted by injury in the past few years, since he suffered a serious ankle injury in 2008 which kept him out of the game for eight months. He suffered a big blow this year when his World Cup ended due to a knee injury he sustained in West Indies’ first game of the tournament. He returned for the home one-day series against Pakistan but asked for a break after the first two ODIs against India in June to work on his game.Since then Bravo has turned out for Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League T20 and for Trinidad & Tobago in the Regional Super50 tournament. The matches against Bangladesh A were to be his first first-class matches since the Tests in Sri Lanka last year but his return to the longer format has now been delayed further.

Martin five sparks stunning turnaround

New Zealand ended the fourth day dreaming of a famous win in Ahmedabad after India’s vaunted batting proved no match to an inspired Chris Martin

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran07-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Chris Martin bowled Sachin Tendulkar, turning in one of his finest performances•AFP

New Zealand ended the fourth day dreaming of a famous win in Ahmedabad after India’s vaunted batting proved no match against an inspired Chris Martin, whose ninth five-wicket haul left the home side effectively at 110 for 6. The mayhem in Motera in the second half of the day was in complete contrast to the morning session when Kane Williamson’s debut Test century steered New Zealand past 400 and the match looked set to meander towards a dull draw. Instead, India are looking to their chief firefighter, VVS Laxman, to put in a third consecutive match-turning second-innings effort.India seemed to have wrested a slim advantage after prising out the final five New Zealand wickets for 42. With Hamish Bennett injured and Jesse Ryder nursing a calf strain, New Zealand’s man-for-all-occasions Daniel Vettori would have to share the new ball with Martin. The possibility of Virender Sehwag cashing in to help India force a result was very much alive.What unfolded couldn’t have been more different. Gautam Gambhir made his third successive second-innings duck, inside-edging Martin to the keeper. On a pitch which had till then seemed comatose, Martin got the ball to jag in appreciably, forcing the batsmen to play cautiously.New Zealand’s fielding had been abysmal in the first innings, with several dropped catches, but substitute Martin Guptill’s sublime bit of fielding sent back dangerman Sehwag. Rahul Dravid punched the ball towards mid-off, where Guptill threw himself to his left to cut it off, causing confusion among the batsmen. Dravid stopped and sent Sehwag back after taking several paces down the track, and Guptill’s reverse-flick while still on his knees was accurate enough for the bowler to run out the stranded Sehwag.It got even better for New Zealand as a tentative Dravid poked at a ball outside off from Martin that held its line to feather it to the keeper. India went in to tea at 2 for 3, but were comforted on seeing the man in form, Sachin Tendulkar, pick off ten runs off a Martin over soon after the break.

Smart Stats

  • Kane Williamson’s 131 is the highest score by a New Zealand batsman against India on debut. It is also the second-highest score by a New Zealand batsman on debut behind Matthew Sinclair’s 214 against West Indies.

  • Chris Martin’s spell of five for 25 is the fifth-best bowling performance by New Zealand bowler in India and at present, the second best by a visiting bowler at Ahmedabad behind Dale Steyn’s 5 for 23.

  • India’s score of 15 for 5 is their worst score at the fall of the fifth wicket against New Zealand and their second lowest overall. Three of the six worst scores at the fall of the fifth wicket have come against New Zealand.

  • Daniel Vettori became the fifth New Zealand batsman to reach 4000 runs in his 101st Test. He has 3995 runs for New Zealand and 8 for the ICC World XI.

  • Gautam Gambhir has now made three ducks in his last five innings and just 86 runs in his last nine innings. During that period, his average has fallen from 57.50 to 49.92.

That proved only a temporary relief as another Martin indipper took Tendulkar’s inside-edge on its way to the leg stump. Martin greeted new man Suresh Raina with a surprise bouncer, and then slipped in a fuller delivery the next over; Raina was caught on the crease and nicked a drive to slip. India were 15 for 5 – India’s second-worst score at five down in their Test history – and there could have been further trouble when Dhoni was struck high on the pads three balls later by yet another incutter.Laxman and Dhoni set about reviving the Indian innings, though there were no easy runs on offer from the accurate New Zealand spin pair of Vettori and Jeetan Patel. They eased the ball around for singles, and threw in the odd boundary, and when they had blunted the bowling for 24 overs, New Zealand’s hopes started to recede. Martin wasn’t done for the day, though, and an effort-ball from him produced some extra bounce and Dhoni chopped the ball onto the stumps. Harbhajan came out and attempted the big shots, pulling some off and missing others, but manage to remain unbeaten with Laxman at stumps.New Zealand will fancy their chances of winning this Test, a position India would have expected themselves to be in after their first innings. First, they hadn’t anticipated New Zealand’s spirited batting performance. Williamson, supported by his captain Vettori, who played a characteristically gritty innings, added 86 in the morning before Williamson fell in the final over before lunch with New Zealand well past 400.India’s chances in the session before that late breakthrough came in the first four overs: a couple of lbw appeals against Vettori and a Williamson nick just short of third slip. For the next 100 minutes, it was all New Zealand. Williamson hit a couple of boundaries off Zaheer Khan – a pull behind square and a glance to fine leg three balls later – to move from 93 to 101 and become the eighth New Zealander to make a hundred in his first Test. There were no extravagant theatrics that you might expect from a 20-year-old who had played a fine innings to rescue his team from a tight spot; just a big grin and a wave of the bat towards the dressing room.Vettori settled down after his initial jitters, and went past 4000 Test runs, again showcasing how much his batting has developed in the last few years. India’s bowlers were flat in the morning and it didn’t help that Zaheer, who has been Dhoni’s go-to bowler, didn’t appear to be 100% fit, rarely hitting even 130kmh. India wheedled out the last four New Zealand wickets in the hour-and-a-half after lunch but could scarcely have imagined the nightmare to follow.

Geeves called as Siddle's standby

Australia remain confident that Peter Siddle will be fit for the third Test despite the selectors calling for the Tasmania fast bowler Brett Geeves as a backup

Brydon Coverdale in Perth14-Dec-2009Australia remain confident that Peter Siddle will be fit for the third Test despite the selectors calling for the Tasmania fast bowler Brett Geeves as a backup. Siddle bowled at full speed in the WACA nets on Monday and did not show any signs of the hamstring strain that troubled him in Adelaide, but much will depend on how he recovers after training.Following his bowling session, Siddle walked laps of the WACA with the team physio Alex Kountouris, who has spent much of the week working with Siddle in an effort to ensure he is fit for the Test starting on Wednesday. The wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said while Siddle was not yet a certain starter, the signs were positive.”There’s still a little bit of doubt around Peter,” Haddin said. “He bowled today, by all accounts he’s pulled up pretty well but with all these sort of injuries it’s not so much the first day, it’s how you pull up the next day. So he will have to be reassessed tomorrow but by all reports he pulled up pretty well after his spell today.”If Siddle does not prove his fitness before the Test, it would mean a likely debut for his Victorian team-mate Clint McKay, who was the 12th man in Adelaide and stayed with the squad for the Perth Test. The chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said that while Siddle was expected to be cleared, they were covering their bases by calling for Geeves, who was due to join the team in Perth on Monday night ahead of the series-deciding third game.”In order to ensure there is sufficient cover, a decision has been made to have Brett Geeves available as a standby player in Perth,” Hilditch said. “Brett gets his opportunity on the back of his recent strong performances in Sheffield Shield cricket and because the panel feels he will be well-suited to the conditions at the WACA should an opportunity present itself.”Geeves, a 27-year-old right armer, toured with the limited-overs team to South Africa earlier in the year, and has appeared in two ODIs and a Twenty20 international. However, his prospects seemed to suffer when he was not called up for the injury-hit visit to India in October and November.Five wickets in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield win over Western Australia last week helped remind the selectors of his worth. In 39 first-class games he has taken 134 wickets at 34.41 and is well-known in Australian cricket circles for his lively blog. The country’s fast-bowling stocks are being tested with the contract holders Ben Hilfenhaus, Brett Lee and Stuart Clark on the injured list.

Ex-Everton star drops Lukaku verdict after £288.8m reveal

Former Everton striker Marcus Bent insists that Romelu Lukaku’s goalscoring record simply does not warrant the fees paid for him throughout his career.

Lukaku sealed a £97.5m move to Chelsea earlier this month, becoming the player with the most accumulated transfer fees throughout his career.

According to ESPN, the Belgium international has cost clubs a total of £288.8m throughout his career.

When he moved from Anderlecht to Chelsea, the Blues paid £13.5m, before he went to Everton for an initial £3.15m loan fee and an eventual transfer fee of £31.82m. Manchester United then bought Lukaku for £76.23m, and he later went to Inter Milan for £66.6m.

At Everton, Lukaku scored 87 goals in 166 games, while he scored 42 goals in 96 games for United; at Inter, he scored 64 times in 95 games, and Bent simply does not think he has the scoring record to be the most expensive player ever.

The second and third most expensive players, by comparison, are Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Bent said: “And let’s look at his stats. Does that live up to it? I don’t feel like it does. But there you go, that’s football, and that’s how it happens and good luck to him.

“He probably will do well because Chelsea are doing well, they’ve got a good manager, they’ve got good players, as long as they feed him the ball and he gets in the right positions, I’m sure he will be one of the top players.”

أبطال العالم في الاسكواش يستعدون للبطولة العربية بمعسكر مغلق

يشارك نجوم وأبطال العالم لمنتخبات الاسكواش في المعسكر العالمي، الذي يقام للعام التاني علي التوالي تحت إشراف وزارة الشباب والرياضة وبتنظيم نادي بالم هيلز، وذلك دعمًا للسياحة، وذلك على هامش انطلاق البطولة العربية الدولية التي تنطلق في مصر يوم 21 يوليو الجاري.

ويشارك في هذا الحدث العالمي عشر منتخبات في مقدمتهم السعودية وقطر والأردن وأمريكا واليونان وكندا والبحرين والهند.

وأكد المهندس محمد الباجوري مدير عام النادي أن نادي بالم هيلز يتمتع ببنية تحتية على أعلى مستوى ومؤهل لاستضافة كل الأحداث والبطولات الدولية بفضل التجهيزات التي راعتها ادارة النادي للمساهمة فيً الارتقاء بالرياضة المصرية.

طالع | علي فرج يفوز على الشوربجي في بطولة العظماء الثمانية للإسكواش

وأوضح: “إدارة النادي حريصة علي استكمال مسيرة النجاحات في تنظيم معسكر عالمي لمنتخبات الاسكواش بعد النجاح المتميز الذي تحقق العام الماضي”.

ووصل عدد مشاركة الأبطال إلى أكثر من 540 لاعبًا ولاعبة من مختلف الدول، وساهم هذا العام في إقبال أغلب المنتخبات الكبرى على المشاركة في هذ التجمع الرياضي العالمي.

وكما تحدث محمد وجيه رئيس الشركة المنظمة انه سعيد بهذه المشاركة الكبيرة وبحرص المنتخبات الكبري على الاستفادة من البرنامج الإعدادي الذي يتضمنه هذا المعسكر الشامل، مؤكدًا أن هذا الأمر ينطلق في إطار التوجهات نحو استضافة مصر للاحداث العالمية لدعم السياحة موجها الشكر إلى وزارة الشباب والرياضة برئاسة الدكتور أشرف صبحي لدعمه الكبير ومساندته لكل الفعاليات الرياضية.

India tighten stranglehold on match


Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Harbhajan Singh removed the openers after Australia were set 516 to chase © AFP
 

India’s top order set the table, and two of Australia’s familiar tormenters tucked in to leave the home side five wickets away from a crushing win, and the series lead, against the No. 1 side in the world. Gautam Gambhir scored his second century – and first at home – while Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni raced to half-centuries to set Australia a mammoth 516 in a little over four sessions.To drive home their advantage, India dismissed Australia’s openers in the last over before tea, tore the heart out of their middle order, and had them haemorrhaging at 141 for 5 . Harbhajan Singh, who took 3 for 23, and Ishant Sharma had once again turned on the heat when India needed it most.Australia had launched a spirited chase for seven overs, racing to 49, but Harbhajan’s double-wicket over before tea stunned them. Matthew Hayden, who had begun in one-day mode, tried to sweep and was lbw for 29. Three balls later Simon Katich, losing his composure, threw his bat at a flighted delivery and was superbly caught by Sachin Tendulkar, who had to dive forward to take the catch inches off the grass. The wickets had come in Harbhajan’s first over, an inspired bowling change by Dhoni after the new-ball bowlers had been expensive.Harbhajan tossed it up more than usual but a shooter brought him his third wicket soon after tea. The length was short and the ball skidded through to Michael Hussey who suffered from poor shot selection: he tried to pull but was hit plumb in front. The wicket sparked manic celebrations in Mohali for it was Harbhajan’s 299th.The decisive blow came in the next over. Ricky Ponting was new to the crease and his feet hadn’t even started moving when his off stump was flattened by Ishant Sharma who found the bat-pad gap with a full ball. It was the third time that Sharma had dismissed Ponting in the series, and the fifth overall.Shane Watson was the next to go, hit in front by one that nipped into him from Ishant, and was the fifth wicket to fall in the space of nine runs. Ishant achieved significant movement both in the air and off the pitch and had 2 for 29 to show for his efforts.

Smart Stats
  • Australia have lost each time they’ve been set a target of 500 or above. Their heaviest defeat came against England in 1928, when they lost by 675 runs.
  • Gautam Gambhir’s century was his second, and his first in India. Gambhir got starts in his previous nine innings, which included four fifties, and averaged 47.45, but failed to convert them into hundreds.
  • Ishant Sharma dismissed Ricky Ponting for the fifth time in as many Tests. Ponting averages 18.80 against Ishant in eight innings.
  • Harbhajan Singh dismissed Matthew Hayden for the eighth time in as many Tests, more than any other bowler. It was the first time he trapped Hayden lbw.
  • Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir’s stand of 182 fell just ten runs short of equalling India’s record for the first wicket partnership against Australia – Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan had added 192 in Mumbai in 1979. (Click here for the full list.) The stand is also India’s highest opening partnership in the second innings of a home Test, and the fourth-highest in all second innings.

A dogged 83-run partnership in 29.3 overs between Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin denied India any more success, but there was no denying who’s day it was.Unlike the Indians, Australia’s bowlers could find no assistance in the pitch and struggled to contain the batsmen as they pursued quick runs. When play began, Gambhir and Sehwag made sure the platform built over three days was not wasted. Both openers found the gaps in the field with ease because Ponting had several men on the boundary.Gambhir was fortunate to survive a thick edge off Cameron White, which brushed the wicketkeeper’s pads and was spilled by Hayden at slip, but there was nothing fortuitous about a twinkle-toed six off the legspinner which sailed over long-on. The ball didn’t always come onto Sehwag’s bat but he repeatedly tried to whip it between midwicket and mid-on. Apart from the powerful shots, Sehwag and Gambhir also dropped the ball with soft hands and ran swiftly between the wickets. Sehwag fell with a rare second-innings hundred in his sights, edging Peter Siddle to Haddin on 90.India held Rahul Dravid back and Dhoni walked in at No 3 to continue the morning’s aggression. He ran hard and hit the ball even harder. His unbeaten 68 was his second half-century of the match.Gambhir’s previous best in India was 96 against South Africa in 2004, and the wait for a hundred ended with a lavish clip past mid-on for four. However, he chipped White to mid-off soon after reaching his hundred but had ensured India’s advantage. Dhoni added 66 with Sourav Ganguly, who was last out for 27, after the lead passed 500.Australia have been set a target of 500 or more on six occasions and they’ve lost each time. With only five wickets in hand, the odds are in favour of a seventh.