Wed, Dec 31, 2003 page19

• Aussia even India series

  CRICKET: Needing 95 runs on the final day, Australia reached 97 for one in 22.2 overs with Mattew Hayden and Ponting unbeaten on 53 and 31 runs respectively

  • AP
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  Matthew Hayden didn't waste any time yesterday.

  The Australian opener hit a quick half century as Australia beat India by nine wickets to level the four-test series 1-1 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

  

  Australian batsmen Mattew Hayden, left, and Ricky Ponting celebrate after hitting the winning runs to defeat India on the final day of the third Test Match being played at the MCGH in Melbourne. Australia leveled the series at 1-1.

  PHOTO: AFP

  Ponting swept legspinner Anil Kumble to the fine leg boundary to seal the victory in front of 29,262 spectators who came to farewell retiring captain Steve Waugh in his final Melbourne appearance.

  

  The Australian team poses after defeating India on the final day of their third test match in Melbourne, yesterday. Australia scored the 95 runs required for victory.

  PHOTO: AFP

  Officials gave free admission to spectators Tuesday because of the expected early finish.

  "It was a gutsy win," said Waugh after Australia took just 95 minutes to complete the victory. "India let a major chance slip away after the first day. It was a tremendous turnaround."

  Waugh said he'll try to balance his emotions and the team's needs in the farewell test in Sydney. He said there were doubts about him playing after taking a painful blow in his elbow while batting at Melbourne.

  "I thought this might be it. I was not sure whether I would make it to Sydney.

  "I want to have a good match as a team, and do a good job as a captain and a batsman, and at the same time take some emotion in as well."

  Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly said his team paid the price for not scoring enough run on the first innings.

  "We didn't capitalize on the good start, and we also lost Zaheer [Khan]," said Ganguly.

  Khan was ruled out of India's tri-series campaign against Australia and Zimbabwe with a pinched nerve.

  "This is the best [performance] by us in Australia," said Ganguly. "We've matured during the series against a tough side, and we've shown we can stand up to pressure."

  The home side made amends for its inept second innings batting performance that cost them the second test in Adelaide and produced a strong effort to outplay the visitors and remain in contention to win the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Sydney.

  The fourth and final test begins Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

  India produced a surprise four-wicket win to take an early lead, but two batting collapses undermined its strong start to the Melbourne test.

  The tourists got off to a bold start in the test and finished the first day on 329 for four. But India collapsed on the second morning to be bowled out for 366 after opener Virender Sehwag hit up 195 with five sixes and 25 fours.

  Then captain-in-waiting Ricky Ponting scored a career-best 257 -- his third double century for the year, and the first batsman since Don Bradman in 1930 to do so -- sharing 234 runs for the second wicket with Matthew Hayden (136) to put Australia in charge.

  Trailing by 192, vice-captain Rahul Dravid (92) and Ganguly (73) helped India to 286 and pushed the match into a fifth day. India lost the last six wickets for 33 runs, in a repeat of its first-innings collapse when it lost six wickets for 16 runs.

  Fast bowler Brad Williams was Australia's bowling ace with 4-53, doing most of the damage with the second new ball late Monday.

  Australia lost opener Justin Langer (2) when the run chase began Tuesday before first-innings batting heroes Hayden and Ponting saw Australia home before lunch during an unfinished 91-run stand.

  Australia remains the No. 1 side in 2003, winning eight of 12 tests.

  New Zealand versus Pakistan

  Pakistan needed only 16 minutes and 24 balls Tuesday to complete a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second cricket test, giving the visitors a 1-0 victory in the two-test series.

  Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq (72) and Yousuf Youhana (88) quickly scored the 28 runs needed to round out an improbable win.

  Rain, which twice delayed the start of play Tuesday, couldn't save New Zealand from an embarrassing match and series defeat, its first test loss in 10 matches.

  New Zealand had seemed in a strong position when it took a 170-run first innings lead, dismissing Pakistan for 196 in reply to its first innings of 366.

  It was still in charge of the match when it led by 245 with seven second-innings wickets in hands at the start of the fourth day.

  But Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar destroyed New Zealand's batting with an impeccable period of reverse-swing bowling Monday, rushing them out for 103 and leaving his team only 274 to win.

  That win was a formality when Pakistan reached 246-3 by the end of the fourth day with its most experienced batsmen, Inzamam and Youhana, on top of the New Zealand attack.
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