Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly fought grittily, but India faltered at the end, leaving Australia only 95 to win
The Wisden Bulletin by Chandrahas Choudhury29-Dec-2003Close India 366 and 286 (Dravid 92, Ganguly 73, Williams 4-53) lead Australia 558 by 94 runs
Scorecard
Rahul Dravid: one more rescue act
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India’s 71 runs in the first hour after tea turned out to be the vivid sparks of adying flame at the MCG, as they lost their way hopelessly against the second newball, losing their last six wickets for 33 runs in a virtual repeat of the tail endof their first innings. Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly resumed after tea withtheir team still 10 runs in arrears, and they scored so quickly thereafter that atone stage, with India 61 ahead and six wickets still in hand, it seemed that theymight set Australia a challenging target. But then they both fell within five runsof each other, and Australia ran through the tail, with Brad Williams finishing with4 for 53. They now have to score just 95 tomorrow to draw level with India in theseries.India’s problem was that they put together some reasonable-sizedpartnerships, but no big ones: the highest was the 93 put on by Dravid and Gangulyfor the fifth wicket. Their beginning to the day was a good one, as they managed tonullify Australia successfully before lunch. Although Ganguly was hit by a bouncerearly in the day and had to retire hurt, Dravid and Tendulkar applied themselves ona wearing pitch with uneven bounce, and took India to 109 for 2 by lunch.At this stage India were still 83 behind Australia, and their hopes of erasing itand setting Australia a reasonable target rested on at least two of the middle order putting together a big partnership. Tendulkar began in confident fashion after lunch, driving BrettLee down the ground for three, and then cover-driving and cutting BradWilliams for boundaries. But having progressed to his highest score of the series,44, he aimed an ambitious drive at a wide delivery from Williams and was caughtbehind (126 for 3). It was an excellent piece of bowling from Williams, who hadseen Tendulkar get out in similar fashion to Andrew Bichel in the second Test, andknew exactly what he was trying to do.Australia now sensed their chance. They bowled tightly and accurately at VVS Laxmanand did not employ over-attacking fields, knowing all too well how quickly Laxmanwas capable of scoring. Laxman was largely untroubled during his stay at thecrease, but then was perplexingly out in almost exactly the same manner as in thefirst innings, drawn into playing at a legbreak from Stuart MacGill and caught atslip. (160 for 4). MacGill bowled perhaps his most disciplined spell of the seriesin the post-lunch session, spinning the ball sharply away from the bat, andmanaging to keep a check on his full tosses.
India’s only blow of the morning session came when Sourav Ganguly ducked into a Brad Williams snorter
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Ganguly, who had retired hurt on 16 after receiving a ringing blow on the back ofthe neck ducking into a bouncer from Williams, now returned to the crease. Heplayed quietly till tea, and was then helped by Australia’s tactics just after thebreak: with only a few overs to go for the second new ball, Australia bowledMacGill and Simon Katich, and runs came quite freely.Ganguly’s adrenaline was flowing by the time Australia decided to take the secondnew ball as soon as it was due. He had an interesting duel with Brett Lee in thefirst innings, taking him on before getting out to a loose shot, and here he seemedto sense that the initiative was there for the taking, with the new ball sure tocome on to the bat and fly quickly off it. He got to his half-century with a drivepast mid-on off Lee, and then sent the next ball racing past point for four. WhenWilliams dropped short in the next over Ganguly no longer attempted to duck, butstood tall and swung the ball high over square leg for four.Lee came in charging once again the next over, and was pulled and cut again forsuccessive boundaries. It was stirring stuff, and not without an element of risk init, but ironically it was Dravid who then fell to Lee, reaching in uncharacteristicfashion for a ball outside off and edging it to Adam Gilchrist (253 for 5).His 92 was an innings of exemplary patience and concentration, thoughnot as polished as his two innings at Adelaide: he played and missed from time totime, and nicked Katich between the wicketkeeper and first slip shortly before hewas out.Dravid’s dismissal opened the floodgates for Australia. Ganguly was out almostimmediately after, somewhat unlucky to drag Nathan Bracken onto his stumps via hisback foot (258 for 6). He made 73. Williams then cleaned up Ajit Agarkar and AnilKumble within two balls of each other, and although Parthiv Patel made a gutsy andenterprising 27 not out, he could not extend the Indian lead beyond 94.It was a clinical and assured performance from Australia, who have handled the lasttwo days almost perfectly, and should now easily knock off the target on the lastmorning.