Sun, Jan 17, 2021 page11

• Storm cuts Test match short at tea

  • AFP, BRISBANE, Australia
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  The deciding fourth Test between Australia and India in Brisbane yesterday hung in the balance after a massive thunderstorm caused play to be abandoned following the tea break on the second day.

  The Gabba was saturated during the storm, which began during the tea break, and while the ground drained quickly, the umpires decided the outfield was too wet to allow play to continue.

  India would resume today at 62 for two, 307 runs behind Australia’s first innings total of 369, with Cheteshwar Pujara on eight alongside skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who was on two.

  

  India’s Mayank Agarwal drops a catch off the batting of Australia’s Mitchell Starc during day two of their fourth Test Match at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday.

  Photo: EPA-EFE

  Australia had earlier claimed the vital wicket of Rohit Sharma 20 minutes before tea to seize the momentum.

  Sharma had been in full flow, striking 44 stylish runs from 74 deliveries with six boundaries.

  With the score on 60 for the loss of opener Shubman Gill (7), Sharma threw his wicket away when he charged off-spinner Nathan Lyon, only managing to sky a ball to Mitchell Starc at deep mid-on.

  

  India’s Mohammed Siraj bowls on day two of their fourth Test match against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday.

  Photo: AFP

  The Australian off-spinner is playing his 100th Test match and is closing in on 400 wickets — Sharma was his 397th.

  “I had a couple of plans for Rohit,” Lyon said.

  “Obviously he’s a world-class player, so I just wanted to make sure I was bowling my best ball, and not try to worry too much about what the batters are doing,” he added.

  He said the wicket was different from a normal Gabba strip.

  “It is a lot drier than it usually is,” Lyon said.

  “It was probably more like a day three wicket [on day one] and there’s a nice crack outside the off-stump,” he said. “I’m trying to aim at that and hopefully bring in both edges and see how we go.”

  When T. Natarajan bowled Josh Hazlewood to end the innings, the inexperienced Indian attack had completed an impressive comeback on a hot and humid Brisbane morning.

  The Indian attack featured two players making their debut — Natarajan (3-78) and Washington Sundar (3-89) — while their most experienced bowler, Mohammad Siraj, was playing just his third Test following a raft of injures to their first-choice bowlers.

  “I think it was a great effort from both the newcomers,” Sharma said.

  “Obviously playing against Australia in Australia is never going to be that easy. They [the bowlers] showed a lot of character. They were right in the game and understood what is the team expecting from them to do,” he added.

  SRI LANKA, ENGLAND

  Reuters

  A brilliant double century by skipper Joe Root yesterday put England in command of the first test against Sri Lanka, but the hosts stalled thoughts of a victory charge by reaching 90 without loss in their second innings at tea.

  Root’s superb 228 on the third day in Galle, his second highest test score and fourth double-ton, propelled England’s first innings total to 421, and they lead the home side by 196 just past the midway point of the match.

  Skittled for 135 in their first innings, Sri Lanka showed far more application with the bat second time around as openers Kusal Perera (55 not out) and Lahiru Thirimanne (34 not out) were watchful.

  It remained unlikely that Sri Lanka will be able to get into a winning position, but with the potential for rain in Galle ever-present, they would be buoyed in their bid to save the test.

  Root was the last batsman out in England’s innings having also passed 8,000 test runs, the seventh England player to do so.

  He was caught on the mid-on boundary off spinner Dilruwan Perera (4-109), whose excellent performance on the third morning kept England somewhat in check.

  England resumed the third morning on 320 for four as Root and Jos Buttler (30) scored 52 runs in quick time before Sri Lanka received a bit of luck.

  A massive six from Root into the stands left the ball out of shape. When it was replaced, the home side suddenly found movement that had been lacking to that point.

  Seamer Asitha Fernando (2-44) removed Buttler and Sam Curran in successive balls, before Dom Bess was run-out in a mix-up with Root as the visitors lost three wickets for the addition of 10 runs.

  Perera then bagged the final three wickets on what turned out to be a good morning session for the home side as they picked up six for the addition of 101 runs.

  SOUTH AFRICA, PAKISTAN

  AFP, KARACHI

  The South African cricket team yesterday arrived in Karachi to play two Tests and three Twenty20 internationals on their first tour of Pakistan in 14 years.

  The team, led by wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock, was whisked from the airport under state-head level security accorded by the hosts, the Pakistan Cricket Board.

  The 21-member squad had two COVID-19 tests before their departure from Johannesburg, which all came back negative, and they were to be tested again upon their arrival.

  Officials said the squad would stay in individual isolation until the results of the first round of testing are released before they start training in a ground adjacent to their hotel.

  Pakistan and South Africa are to play the first Test in Karachi from Jan. 26.

  The second Test starts in Rawalpindi from Feb. 4, while Lahore is to host all three Twenty20 internationals on Feb. 11, 13 and 14.
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