Damien Martyn and Darren Lehmann scored a quickfire century partnership to lead Australia's recovery in the third cricket Test against a severely depleted India yesterday.
The middle order pair put on 148 runs in just 129 minutes, lifting the tourists from an uncertain 86-3 before lunch to 245-4 by tea on the opening day at the Vidarbha Cricket Association ground.
PHOTO: AFP
Martyn, who hit a match-saving 104 in the drawn second Test at Madras, was unbeaten at the break on 80 with 10 boundaries.
Left-handed Lehmann, whose four previous innings in the series fetched him just 62 runs, hit timely form to make 70.
Lehmann, who developed cramps during his innings and needed a runner, was dismissed just before tea when he steered Murali Kartik to slips.
Michael Clarke kept Martyn company at tea on six.
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 yesterday morning. Vice-captain Rahul Dravid took charge for his fourth Test as captain.
Harbhajan, who had taken 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 left-arm spinner Murali Kartik.
Australia retained the same team that won the first Test at Bangalore by 217 runs.
The tourists went to lunch at 103-3 after Adam Gilchrist won his third successive toss in the series and batted first on a firm 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.
Zaheer Khan, returning for his second spell, broke the partnership when he had Hayden (23) edging to wicket-keeper Parthiv 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, Anil Kumble had Simon Katich caught at short-leg by Chopra as the third Australian wicket fell in 19 runs.
New Zealand vs Bangladesh
Stephen Fleming and Scott Styris scored unbeaten half-centuries as New Zealand yesterday looked set to take control of the second Test against Bangladesh.
Captain Fleming struck 87 and Styris 75 as New Zealand reached 234-2 at tea after electing to bat at the M.A. Aziz Stadium.
Fleming, who became the highest scorer in Tests for his country during his stroke-filled knock, struck 10 boundaries off 142 balls and added 173 runs for the unbroken third wicket stand with Styris.
Fleming got past Martin Crowe's aggregate of 5,444 runs with an uppish boundary through cover off Mohammad Rafique when on 78, having completed his 36th half-century earlier in the session.
Styris, dropped by wicket-keeper Khaled Mashud off Enamul Haque (junior) on 24, struck nine fours and a six during his fifth 50.
Earlier, the visiting side got off to a brisk start through openers Mark Richardson (28) and Matthew Sinclair (23) before left-arm spinners Rafique and Haque took a wicket each.
Sinclair was bowled by a delivery from Rafique that turned away nicely, while left-hander Richardson top-edged a sweep to Mushfiqur Rahman at square-leg off Haque.
New Zealand made one change from the side that played in the first Test, bringing in batsman Hamish Marshall for paceman Ian Butler.
changes
Bangladesh made three changes. Batsman Aftab Ahmed made his debut with all-rounder Rahman and Haque the others to come in.
Hannan Sarkar, Alamgir Kabir and Manjural Islam Rana made way for them.
New Zealand have won all their three previous Tests against Bangladesh by innings margins, including the opening match of this series at Dhaka, in which they prevailed by an innings and 99 runs.
The two-Test series will be followed by three one-dayers.
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