Australia’s bowlers made hard work of wrapping up the Indian Board President’s XI tail on the second morning of the four-day match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad.
Resuming at 6-371 today, the locals were eventually bowled out for 455 shortly before lunch, leaving Australian openers Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich to reach 0-15 in two overs before lunch.
Hayden, his new opening partner Katich and especially captain Ricky Ponting, will all be keen for runs in the afternoon.
Wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel (62) and Left-arm quick Irfan Pathan (56) compiled half centuries as Ponting delayed the taking of the second new ball until the 106th over of the innings.
When he did, Stuart Clark (3-68) and Mitchell Johnson (4-74) were able to bring a finish to the innings, Clark having Pathan caught at mid off then finding the shoulder of Pragyan Ojha’s bat for a simple catch in the gully.
Peter Siddle (2-64) gained the first breakthrough of the day by bowling left-hander Patel from around the wicket with a delivery that kept low.
In other news, Bryce McGain’s tour of India is over, with the Victorian wrist spinner to fly home from the subcontinent this weekend.
Having arrived as the Australian Test team’s mooted frontline spinner for the four-match series against India, McGain’s chances unravelled over the weekend when he attempted to bowl at near match pace for the first time since suffering a shoulder strain while playing here for Australia A.
Complaining of pain during and after bowling, he was told by team physio Alex Kountouris that he had re-aggravated the strain and would need several weeks to recover, officially ruling him out of the first Test and probably the series.
From that moment it seemed only a matter of time before McGain would be sent home to recover and ensure he was fit to be considered for the home Tests against New Zealand and South Africa.
Cricket Australia are yet to nominate a replacement, but NSW left-arm chinaman bowler Beau Casson, who made his Test debut in the Caribbean earlier this year, seems the only legitimate candidate.