Dropped chances cost India by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Scorecard:	India v Australia
Player:	ML Hayden, CL White, BJ Haddin, SR Clark, A Mishra, VVS Laxman, A Kumble, MJ Clarke, I Sharma
Event:	Australia in India 2008/09

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DateLine: 1st November 2008

 

India on the Defensive
First five minutes and the last five minutes pretty much reflected how the Indian team went about their business on the fourth day of the third test here in Kotla against Australia. Ishant unfortunately was the man in the firing line. A dropped catch at the start of the day's play of Michael Clark and to end the day's play fending a delivery of Stuart Clarke as a nightwatchman,the young man who had such a good test in Mohali would have realized how cruel the game can be. Australia were all out for 577 conceding a lead of 36. India finished the day at 43 for 2 with an overall lead of 79.

India let Aussies off the hook
India had a dreadful day on the field. A day they would never want to remember for various reasons. Ishant dropped a catch of Mishra in the first five minutes. Clark then on 21 led a charmed life to get to a hundred. He was dropped couple of times in the ninety's one a dolly by Laxman,then a straightforward chance by Mishra. Laxman wouldn't have been happy on his 34th birthday. Both times the bowler to suffer was Sehwag.

Aussies battle it out
As India had a terrible day on the field,Aussies battled it out against the Indian attack. Starting from their overnight score of 338 for 4, Aussies continued from yesterday's strategy of building partnerships and they continued to do so for every wicket. First it was Watson and Clark before Watson was bowled by Sehwag. Haddin then continued from where Watson left .He made sure that his partnership with Clarke took Australia past the follow on.

A chancy hundred
Clarke got to a chancy hundred.He would have thanked his stars as catches of him were put down as if Diwali was not yet over.He might not consider this hundred his best but the most valuable.It was his 9th test hundred well grafted keeping in mind the situation in which the team found itself in this series.His century partnership with Cameron White post lunch was the turning point of the match.Had White not played the crucial knock, Australia still could have conceded a huge lead.

Huge Disappointment
Australia finally were bowled out for 577 conceding a lead of 36 runs. Kumble finally ended up picking 3 wickets, his first wicket coming after nearly 80 overs. Sehwag was the first player in the history of the game to get 5 wickets and score 300 runs twice. But he would be disappointed at not getting runs in the second innings. India came into bat and ended the day at 43 for 2 with a overall lead of 79. They would be sitting in the dressing room extremely disappointed at letting a great opportunity go of winning a test match because of poor fielding. They would also know at the back of their mind that, they would have to bat well tomorrow so as to make sure that the test match ends in a a draw.