Aussie Martyn ton adds insult to India’s injuries
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

NAGPUR (India): Damien Martyn hit a second consecutive century as world champions Australia flayed injury-ravaged India on the opening day of the third cricket Test here.

The tourists, who will secure their first series win on Indian soil in 35 years if they win the match, revelled on a firm Aussie-like pitch to pile up 362-7 by stumps on Tuesday.

Martyn, who hit a match-saving 104 in the drawn second Test at Madras, led the way with a chanceless 114, his ninth century in 47 Tests.

The stylish West Australian put on 148 in 129 minutes for the fourth wicket with Darren Lehmann and 80 for the fifth with Michael Clarke after Australia were tottering at 86-3 before lunch.

Left-handed Lehmann, whose four previous innings in the series fetched him just 62 runs, regained timely form to make 70.

Batting with a runner in the latter part of his innings due to a torn right hamstring, Lehmann was dismissed just before tea when he steered left-arm spinner Murali Kartik for a slip catch.

Australia were sitting pretty at 314-4 when India hit back in the final session with three wickets in the space of 23 runs.

Martyn, who hit 16 fours and a six, holed out in the deep off Anil Kumble after smashing the leg-spinner over the straightfield two balls earlier.

Kartik then dived in front to take a return catch off Australian captain Adam Gilchrist and had Shane Warne stumped by wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel.

But Clarke, who made a century on debut in the first Test at Bangalore which Australia won by 217 runs, frustrated the Indians again with an unbeaten 73 after being let off twice by Patel behind the stumps.

Jason Gillespie was the other batsman at the crease on four.

India’s bid to level the four-match series suffered a serious jolt when captain Sourav Ganguly and prolific off-spinner Harbhajan Singh were ruled out just before the start due to injury and illness.

Ganguly, recovering from a thigh strain, failed a fitness test before the toss despite insisting the previous day he was fit to play.

Vice-captain Rahul Dravid took charge for his fourth Test as captain, including two in Pakistan earlier this year.

Harbhajan, who had lived up to his reputation as Australia’s bugbear with 16 wickets in the first two Tests, was laid low with a viral infection.

With left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan also sidelined due to a rib injury, India were forced to make four changes from the side that drew the second Test.

Sachin Tendulkar, who missed the first two Tests with a tennis elbow injury, returned to the team. Also coming back were opener Akash Chopra, seamer Ajit Agarkar and Kartik.

The tourists went to lunch at 103-3 after Gilchrist won his third successive toss in the series and batted first on the even-paced wicket that provided good bounce to the seamers.

Openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer gave the tourists a flying start by putting on 67 for the first wicket, their fourth 50-plus stand in the series.

Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan, returning for his second spell, broke the partnership when Hayden (23) edged a catch to Patel.

The left-arm seamer then forced Langer (44) to edge an outswinger to first slip where Dravid smartly picked up the catch.

In the next over, Kumble had Simon Katich caught at short-leg by Chopra as the third Australian wicket fell in the space of 19 runs.

Martyn, however, revived the tourists and reached his century by cutting Agarkar to the point fence for his 15th boundary.●