Cricket: 1st Test. End of 5th Day's Play.

Category: Misc. Cricket.

Australia's Tour of India. 2004-05.
1st Test. 5th and Final Day's Play. Sunday, the 10th of October 2004. Bangalore.

Australia defeated India by 217 runs in the first test. India were all out for 239 an hour after lunch on the fifth and final day, to give Australia a comprehensive win.

Rahul Dravid and Irfan started the day's play with the score on 105 for 6. Rahul Dravid was out leg before to Kasprowicz after scoring 60. He was back in the pavilion after about half an hour of play on the final day, and there went India's hopes or wahtever little they had of saving the test.

Anil Kumble didn't last long, playing on and chopping a Kasprowicz delivery onto his off and middle stumps. Irfan at the other end was going strong, defending well, playing the ball on merit. Harbhajan gave good support to Irfan.

Well-played Irfan.
Irfan batted solidly, playing Warne confidently and defending with ease and even stepping out to hit Warne for a couple of fours and one huge six over deep mid-wicket. Irfan is a gutsy cricket. A fighter, doesn't give up. He didn't throw away his wicket. Irfan played the fast bowlers and Warne with ease and looked comfortable against both attacks. Harbhajan and Irfan took the score past 175. Irfan hit Warne for three fours in one over and then followed it up with a smashing hit for six over deep mid-wicket of the bowling of Lehmann. Irfan completed a well-deserved 50 with 7 fours and two sixes. Well-played Irfan. India are 197-8 at lunch on the final day of the 1st test. Irfan and Harbhajan have played entertaining and fighting cricket.

Our top order should adopt an attacking approach versus Warne. What is there to fear him for? Go ahead and smash him to all corners of the ground like we've done in the earlier tours of 1998 and 2001. Come on India, fight!

Laxman should play his natural game that is not to play too defensively. Laxman's defensive stroke itself goes to the boundary. He is that kind of a graceful player. Go ahead and show your class Laxman. Sehwag play your natural game.

Irfan was out early after lunch, edging a Gillespie delivery to Gilchrist, after he had taken the second new ball.
Irfan scored a well-made 55 and shared a big partnership for the 9th wicket with Harbhajan.

Harbhajan carried on batting in an attacking way and hit Glenn McGrath straight down the ground over long-off for a boundary and follwed that up with a four to third-man. Zaheer also scored a couple of boundaries off the new ball and India crossed 225. Harbhajan's attemped pull was picked up by Glenn McGrath at deep fine-leg off the bowling of Gillespie and India were all-out for 239 in their 2nd innings.

Australia had convincingly won the first test match by 217 runs.

Michael Clarke was declared the man-of-the-match for his century on debut knock of 151 runs in the first innings. That knock alongwith Gilchrist's 104 and Katich's 81 helped Australia to score 474 runs in the first innings and take the upper hand.

The 2nd test is going to be played in Chennai (Madras) from the 14th to the 18th of this month.
The team winning the toss will bat first. India needs to put up good totals on board. It's time for Sehwag and Laxman to fire. Kaif should be given a chance insted of Yuvraj and Agarkar should be brought in for Zaheer.

Scores:
1st Test. 6-10 October 2004. Bangalore.
Toss: Australia
Captains: Australia: Adam Gilchrist. India: Saurav Ganguly.

Australia 1st innings.........474 all out
India 1st innings..............246 all out
Australia 2nd innings.......228 all out
India 2nd innings............239 all out

Result: Australia win by 217 runs.

Link:
Complete Scorecard