As it happened: Australia crush India by 122 runs

1108 IST: India 169 after 47.5 overs U Yadav c Warner b Lyon 21 (25b, 2x4, 1x6) The rout is complete. India started the day with a good chance but they gave it away with some really poor, careless cricket. Yes, the Aussies bowled well but India never gave themlselves a chance. As always, Sehwag’s dismissal delfates the Indians in a chase. Not the way to play Test cricket. They generally come in better for the second Test, so that’s all we can hope for. Australia win the Test by 122 runs. On twitter, @bhogleharsha: so yet another first test loss. is it in the dna? 1039 IST: India 142-9 after 42.2 overs MS Dhoni b Pattinson 23 (44b, 1x6) It’s really over now. Let’s see how quickly this gets wrapped up. Another inside edge does the trick as Dhoni goes for a big shot. What a way to end this first Test. Dhoni and the others have a lot of thinking to do now. Pattinson has got 4 and the young Australian attack has been superb. [caption id=“attachment_168074” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The Australian team celebrates after winning the first Test by 122 runs. Hamish Blair/Getty Images”]  [/caption] 1030 IST: India 141-8 after 40.4 overs Z Khan c Cowan b Pattinson 13 (22b, 1x4, 1x6) Zaheer had been given a working over by Pattinson, three short balls… as close to the perfume balls as possible. But then the batsman had enough. He decided to slog – a four and a six followed. Off the third ball, he was walking back. Once again, Zaheer has given it away. Not good from the veteran. 1006 IST: India 117-7 after 34.5 overs R Ashwin c Cowan b Siddle 30 (35b, 5x4) Short. Short. Short. Wicket. That’s how easy it was. Ashwin played well before the break but Siddle knew what he wanted to do to a lower-order batsman. It’s over. No century for him. It popped up and Cowan from short-leg took an easy catch. The partnership with Dhoni was 36 runs. On twitter, @ESPNcricinfo: Australia’s final two wickets batted 22.3 overs. India were 69 for 5 after batting 23.3 overs 0937 IST: India 117-6 after 33 overs M Dhoni 14 (21), R Ashwin 30 (29) It’s tea. Some fight being shown by the Indians. Thank god for that. The runs are flowing, and at least the Australians can’t take it easy. Dhoni is still there and Ashwin is making a run for it. There’s no real chance for a win but the Indians are at least going for their shots. Some entertainment for the crowd and everyone watching on TV. But this is the way to play. Go for the shots and if you string enough of them together, Australia will be forced to spread the field. India need 175 to win. 0908 IST: India 81-6 after 26.1 overs S Tendulkar c Hussey b Siddle 32 (46b, 4x4) Aila! All over now. Tendulkar gone… took the invitation to drive, got the edge, another catch for Hussey in the gully. This is so sad. This is like a rewind to 1998-99. The pitch isn’t really difficult to bat on, it’s doing just enough but the manner in which the famed Indian batting has capitulated is sad. Very sad. Siddle and all of Australia is overjoyed. On twitter, @HomerTweets: So, India’s pop gun attack responsible for this debacle no? If only we had better bowlers, no collapse then! 0850 IST: India 68-5 after 23.3 overs V Kohli lbw b Hilfenhaus 0 (1b) Kohli didn’t look happy. There were two noises but there is no DRS and he is walking back with a duck for company after being trapped lbw. Now, India are down in the dumps and need a miracle. Tendulkar stands alone with Dhoni walking in. This is almost over now. Sadly. On Twitter, @AltCricket: Lawry: “Kohli’s not happy for some reason.” Perhaps because he’s been dismissed for a golden duck? Also, @RicFinlay informs us: Highest 4th inns score ever made in Tests after being 5-69 or worse is only 253. Go out and put house on Oz win. [caption id=“attachment_167950” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Australia’s Pattinson gestures while waiting for the third umpire’s decision awarding him the wicket of India’s Laxman during the first cricket test match in Melbourne. Reuters”]  [/caption] 0849 IST: India 68-4 after 23 overs VVS Laxman c Cowan b Pattinson 1 (14b) Laxman misses out again at the MCG. He was looking tentative and this shows why they need to play more tour matches. Not just nets, hard competitive cricket before the start of the Test. Pattinson was brilliant again. Kohli walks in next. On twitter: @cricketwallah: Tumble, crumble…my optimism wanes rapidly as VVS goes too. The Oz players have regrouped as a pack baying for blood again 0824 IST: India 58-3 after 19 overs R Dravid b Pattinson 10 (29b, 1x4) Big wicket. For the second time in the match, Dravid has been cleaned bowled. This time by Pattinson. And it’s not a no-ball. Dravid was leaden footed and this one will hurt the India. The Aussies are now completely on top. On Channel 9, Slater says: “He’s added a door to the wall.” Classic. It is only the 4th time in his Test career that Dravid has been bowled in both innings of a Test. On twitter, @cricketwallah sums it up: Terrific ball breaches the Wall…trouble now big and deep… And @rameshsrivats adds a touch of sarcasm: Tchah. Earlier he used to let his bat do the talking. Then this Bradman Oration happened. 0815 IST: India 54-2 after 17 overs R Dravid 10 (25), S Tendulkar 14 (19) These two batsmen needed to lay the foundation if India are going to win this. If India are three down for not too much on the board, they will struggle. Even VVS will. But on the whole, Tendulkar has come in and almost immediately looked good. A brilliant four off the pads to begin things off. But it’s not all been in the favour of the batsmen, both batsmen have been beaten at least a couple of times in the last 5 overs. Can’t afford to relax on this wicket for even a minute. India need 238 more to win. 0753 IST: India 39-2 after 12.1 overs G Gambhir c Ponting b Siddle 13 (46b, 1x4) Gambhir’s bad run as opener continues. Once again, the ball was in the channel just on and around off-stump, forcing Gambhir to play at it. The resulting edge taken by Ponting in the slips. Big wicket. Tendulkar in. This is not about the 100th ton. This is only about the win. Go Sachin! India need 253 to win. 0741 IST: India 35-1 after 11 overs G Gambhir 9 (39), R Dravid 9 (9) Players are back on and don’t need to say it but this session will be vital for both teams. If India get through it without losing too many wickets, then we have a match on. As things stand, a good start after lunch, 11 runs in the first over. This is good going, India cannot afford to get bogged down because it will kill the momentum. 0700 IST: India 24-1 after 9 overs G Gambhir 6 (36), R Dravid 5 (6) And that’s lunch. Interesting first session. Dhoni’s field placement was once again very defensive… allowed Australia to push the lead to 291. Pattinson was good for the Aussies, scoring a vital 37. On the other hand, the fall of Sehwag’s wicket means that India will need to do it the hard way. For now, Australia have their noses in front. But one good session can change all that. Let’s hope the post-lunch session belongs to India, who need 268 to win with 9 wickets in hand. [caption id=“attachment_167894” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Australia’s Hilfenhaus celebrates taking the wicket of India’s Sehwag during the first cricket test match in Melbourne. Reuters”]  [/caption] 0645 IST: India 17-1 after 6 overs V Sehwag c Hussey b Hilfenhaus 7 (12b, 1x4) India will now have to win this game playing normal cricket. That’s never easy. Sehwag cut that really hard, it was travelling at the rate of knots and Hussey timed his jump at gully perfectly to take a brilliant catch. Come again, is Hussey really 37? But this is the big wicket and Australia have got it before he did any real damage. India need another 275 to win. 0637 IST: India 14-0 after 5 overs V Sehwag 6 (9), G Gambhir 3 (21) One streaky four for Sehwag but other than that little happening. Gambhir has fished outside the off-stump once too many times though. But he has also had the majority of the strike. It keeps Sehwag safe for now. Aussies have bowled well but when Sehwag falls, that’s when the real match will begin. On twitter, @rajeshstats gives us hope: Ind have successfully chased 200-plus in the 4th innings 5 times since 2008, more than any other side 0610 IST: Australia 240 all out after 76.3 overs B Hilfenhaus c Laxman b Sharma 14 (29b, 2x4) And that’s it. India finally get the last wicket. It took India 74 minutes to go through the last two Aussie wickets. Ishant’s length did the trick, Hilfie went for the drive, edged it to Laxman, who made it lose easy. But Australia have managed to push the lead to 291 runs – with the last pair adding 43 runs. Pattinson scored 37, his highest first-class score. This will be anything but easy. Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Gambhir – each wicket will be key. Keep the fingers crossed. 0608 IST: Australia 239-9 after 76 overs Pattinson 36 (80), Hilfenhaus 14 (27) With India, there are no knockout punches. We hammer them in the first few rounds and then expect to win with jabs! But then the opponent gets a second wind and the tail wags. The 10th wicket has already put on 42 runs in 9.1 overs. Zaheer’s drop is hurting India now. The lead for Australia is now 290 runs. And Chappell in commentary goes: ‘This is an absolute blueprint of how to lose a Test match.’ Somehow, inclined to agree. Dhoni’s field settings are absolutely mental. 0546 IST: Australia 214-9 after 71 overs Pattinson 25 (68), Hilfenhaus 1 (8) Once again, India’s fielding comes into question. Zaheer dropped Pattinson on 15 – he came in from the boundary… did all the hard yards, got both hands to it but the impact of hitting the ground saw the ball spill out. If India had taken their chances in this innings, they would have been on top. Remember even Hussey was dropped by Dravid at first slip yesterday. Australia are ahead by 265 runs. [caption id=“attachment_167844” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“India’s Khan celebrates taking the wicket of Australia’s Hussey during the first cricket test match in Melbourne. Reuters”]  [/caption] 0525 IST: Australia 197-9 after 66.5 overs MEK Hussey c Dhoni b Khan 89 (151b, 9x4) India have made the first breakthrough of the morning. Superb ball from Zaheer, in the perfect channel outside the offstump, Hussey pushed at it, got the edge and Dhoni did the rest. Big, big wicket for India, because it means the visitors have a good chance of restricting the lead to less than 300. As things stand, Australia lead by 248 runs with 1 wicket remaining. On twitter, @the_topspin: Great stuff from Zaheer. You do wonder how the series in England might have panned out had he been fit… 0515 IST: Australia 187-8 after 65 overs M Hussey 80 (142), Pattinson 9 (48) This promises to be quite the day for Test cricket but India haven’t got off to the best start… singles are still on offer and the field is still a little spread out. Virender Sehwag would have us believe that 300 is gettable but after 1960, no one has successfully chased more than 200 at this ground. That however is history and India will be hoping for a better future. [caption id=“attachment_167821” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Hussey has continued to stand firm. Getty Images”]  [/caption] Day 3 At close of play: Australia 179-8 after 60 overs M Hussey 79 (134), Pattinson 3 (26) That’s close of play. What a day of Test cricket. This is probably as good as it gets. India started the day comfortably in charge, lost 7 for 68 in the morning session, then Australia lost four wickets in a hurry before Hussey and Ponting fought back. Zaheer got into the act after that to bring India back into the match and we are still not done. 89.1 overs, 247 runs, 15 wickets — that’s the sum total for the day. Australia are ahead by 230 runs. Numbers to remember: Highest total ever successfully chased at MCG is 332 in 1928-29. Highest total ever is 417 by England in 1977 but they lost the match. In recent years, Pakistan scored 336 in 1990 but they too lost the match. On twitter, @sidvee says it best: Have more such days of Test cricket and you’ll have people flocking to it like junkies to pot. Magic, magic… India 282 all out after 94.1 overs Day 2 At close of play: India 214-3 after 65 overs Australia: 333 all out after 110 overs Day 1 Australia 277-6 after 89 overs