Brett Lee's seemingly unstoppable rise to become one of the greats of Australian bowling reached another milestone here Thursday when he joined the 250 club of Test wickets.
Lee, 31, man-of-the-series against Sri Lanka last month, claimed 4-46 and took his 250th Test wicket to become the sixth all-time leading Australian wicket-taker, overtaking Richie Benaud.
"To think that you're in the 250 club, it's a pretty special moment. I'm a very proud man."
India conceded a 147-run innings deficit on a wearing drop-in pitch with the opening match of the four-Test series seemingly Australia's to lose over the remaining three days.
At stumps, Australia were on track for their 15th consecutive Test win and were cruising at 32 without loss with Matthew Hayden on 22 and Phil Jaques 10, representing an overall lead of 179 runs with 10 wickets intact.
Lee played a major part in helping the Australians seize the momentum with a 179-run lead after the second day's play with 10 wickets and three days left to get a result in the first match of the four-Test series.
The speedster has developed into a model of line and length consistency as he shoulders the responsibility of leading the Australian new-ball attack.
"In our team meetings... we've been talking about being so patient, especially on this MCG (Melbourne) wicket," Lee said.
SCOREBOARD
Australia 1st innings
P. Jaques st Dhoni b Kumble 66
M. Hayden c Dravid b Zaheer 124
R. Ponting b Zaheer 4
M. Hussey lbw b Kumble 2
M. Clarke c Laxman b Singh 20
A. Symonds c sub (Karthik) b Kumble 35
A. Gilchrist c Tendulkar b Kumble 23
B. Hogg c Dravid b Zaheer 17
B. Lee lbw b Kumble 0
M. Johnson not out 15
S. Clark c Harbhajan b Zaheer 21
Extras lb5, w2, nb9 16
Total 343
Fall of wkts 1-135, 2-162, 3-165, 4-225, 5-241, 6-281, 7-288, 8-294, 9-312
Bowling:
Zaheer 23.4-1-94-4 (1w, 8nb)
Singh 20-3-82-1 (1w)
Harbhajan 20-3-61-0
Ganguly 3-1-15-0 (1nb)
Kumble 25-4-84-5
Tendulkar 1-0-2-0
India 1st innings
W. Jaffer c Gilchrist b Lee 4
R. Dravid lbw b Clark 5
V.V.S. Laxman c Ponting b Lee 26
S. Tendulkar b Clark 62
S. Ganguly b Hogg 43
Y. Singh c Gilchrist b Clark 0
M. Dhoni lbw b Clark 0
A. Kumble c Gilchrist b Lee 27
H. Singh c Clarke b Hogg 2
Z. Khan c Gilchrist b Lee 11
R. Singh not out 2
Extras b4, lb3, nb7 14
Total 196
Fall of wkts 1-4, 2-31, 3-55, 4-120, 5-122, 6-122, 7-166, 8-173, 9-193
Bowling:
Lee 19.5-6-46-4 (6nb)
Johnson 13-5-25-0 (1nb)
Symonds 3-1-8-0
Clark 15-4-28-4
Hogg 21-3-82-2
Australia 2nd innings
P. Jaques not out 10
M. Hayden not out 22
Total for no loss 32
Bowling
Zaheer 4-1-17-0
Singh 3-1-15-0
Kumble 1-1-0-0
Showing posts with label Boxing Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boxing Day. Show all posts
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Day 1: Confident India up against the Aussies were 337/9
India's brave showing on the opening day of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was vital to the tourists' quest to win a series in Australia for the first time, skipper Anil Kumble said.
Kumble was India's hero on the first day of the Boxing Day Test taking 5-84 off 25 overs to reduce the world's number one Test team from 135 without loss to 337 for nine at stumps.
Kumble was delighted with the attitude of his team to claw back after a difficult morning session.
"I've always believed that the first innings of the first Test of a series is very important and we've done exceptionally well after being on the back foot at lunch, so I'm very pleased with the way everyone's performed today," Kumble said.
"The wicket is definitely on the slow side, but if you apply yourself there are runs to get, Matt Hayden showed that, and if our batsmen apply themselves then it will happen."
Kumble now has 589 Test wickets and lies third as the all-time wicket-taker behind Muttiah Muralitharan (723) and Shane Warne (708).
Kumble was India's hero on the first day of the Boxing Day Test taking 5-84 off 25 overs to reduce the world's number one Test team from 135 without loss to 337 for nine at stumps.
Kumble was delighted with the attitude of his team to claw back after a difficult morning session.
"I've always believed that the first innings of the first Test of a series is very important and we've done exceptionally well after being on the back foot at lunch, so I'm very pleased with the way everyone's performed today," Kumble said.
"The wicket is definitely on the slow side, but if you apply yourself there are runs to get, Matt Hayden showed that, and if our batsmen apply themselves then it will happen."
Kumble now has 589 Test wickets and lies third as the all-time wicket-taker behind Muttiah Muralitharan (723) and Shane Warne (708).
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Pre Match Stats: Welcome to Boxing Day
Welcome to the traditional Boxing Day 1st Test, 1st Day coverage from the MCG which is hosting its 100th Test in front of a 45,000 strong crowd which is expected to double as the day progresses as people recover from Christmas. It's one of the world's greatest sporting occasions, the sun is shining and the place looks marvellous.
The Toss:
Australia won the toss and Ricky Ponting unsurprisingly elected to bat first as the MCG pitch is expected to have early life and flatten out over the remainder of the Test in forecast hot temperatures. There has been lots of sun on the pitch, but it still contains some moisture. It should increasingly take spin as the match proceeds.
Team India:
India head into the Boxing Day Test with two fast bowlers and two spinners, with offspinner Harbhajan Singh to bowl in tandem with skipper Anil Kumble's legspin.
India’s bowling attack with left-armers Zaheer Khan and RP Singh, while paceman Ishant Sharma was named 12th man.
Having won the man-of-the-series against Pakistan earlier in the month, Sourav Ganguly today joins an elite club of players to have played 100 cricket test matches. He is awarded a special plaque before the match starts.
Squad: W Jaffer, R Dravid, VVS Laxman, SR Tendulkar, SC Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, RP Singh. 12th man - Ishant Sharma.
Team Australia:
The Australians left fast bowler Shaun Tait out of the eleven, going into the first match of the four-Test series with three quicks and wrist-spinner Brad Hogg.
PA Jaques, ML Hayden, RT Ponting (Captain), MEK Hussey, MJ Clarke, A Symonds, AC Gilchrist, GB Hogg, B Lee, MG Johnson, SR Clark. 12th man - Shaun Tait.
The Toss:
Australia won the toss and Ricky Ponting unsurprisingly elected to bat first as the MCG pitch is expected to have early life and flatten out over the remainder of the Test in forecast hot temperatures. There has been lots of sun on the pitch, but it still contains some moisture. It should increasingly take spin as the match proceeds.
Team India:
India head into the Boxing Day Test with two fast bowlers and two spinners, with offspinner Harbhajan Singh to bowl in tandem with skipper Anil Kumble's legspin.
India’s bowling attack with left-armers Zaheer Khan and RP Singh, while paceman Ishant Sharma was named 12th man.
Having won the man-of-the-series against Pakistan earlier in the month, Sourav Ganguly today joins an elite club of players to have played 100 cricket test matches. He is awarded a special plaque before the match starts.
Squad: W Jaffer, R Dravid, VVS Laxman, SR Tendulkar, SC Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, A Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, RP Singh. 12th man - Ishant Sharma.
Team Australia:
The Australians left fast bowler Shaun Tait out of the eleven, going into the first match of the four-Test series with three quicks and wrist-spinner Brad Hogg.
PA Jaques, ML Hayden, RT Ponting (Captain), MEK Hussey, MJ Clarke, A Symonds, AC Gilchrist, GB Hogg, B Lee, MG Johnson, SR Clark. 12th man - Shaun Tait.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Boxing Day Test
Boxing Day is a public holiday celebrated in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and many other Commonwealth countries on December 26, the day after Christmas Day; or alternatively on the next weekday after Christmas.
In common usage, 26 December is continually referred to as Boxing Day whichever day of the week it occurs on. If it falls on a Sunday then in countries where it is a Bank Holiday the Statutory Holiday is moved to Monday 27 December to ensure a day without work. As Christmas Day would therefore be a Saturday, Tuesday 28 December is also declared as a holiday in lieu.
In some Commonwealth countries, fixed-date holidays falling on Saturday or Sunday are often observed on the next weekday, so if Boxing Day falls on a Saturday then Monday 28 December is a public holiday; in the UK and other countries this is accomplished by Royal Proclamation.
If Christmas Day falls on a Sunday itself then the Boxing Day holiday is automatically on Monday 26 December, and no Royal Proclamation is required. In such a circumstance, a 'substitute bank holiday in lieu of Christmas Day' is declared for Tuesday 27 December, this being the next available working day - thus the Boxing Day holiday occurs before the substitute Christmas holiday.
Boxing Day Test:
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, involving Australian cricket team and the opposition national team touring Australia that summer. It begins annually on Boxing Day (December 26), and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
History:
In 1950 the first ever Australian Boxing Day Test was hosted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. No Boxing Day Tests were played in Melbourne between 1953 and 1967, and periodically the Australian Cricket Team played on Boxing Day in other nations. However in 1980 the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Australian cricket team secured the rights to play the match annually.
Other Boxing Day Tests:
In New Zealand an annual Boxing Day Test Match was played at Basin Reserve in Wellington, involving the New Zealand cricket team as one of the competing sides. Over the past few years the Boxing day Test has been phased out for a One Day International and Twenty20 matches involving New Zealand and the touring opposition national team.
In South Africa a Boxing Day Test is often played if another national team is touring to play the South African cricket team.
In common usage, 26 December is continually referred to as Boxing Day whichever day of the week it occurs on. If it falls on a Sunday then in countries where it is a Bank Holiday the Statutory Holiday is moved to Monday 27 December to ensure a day without work. As Christmas Day would therefore be a Saturday, Tuesday 28 December is also declared as a holiday in lieu.
In some Commonwealth countries, fixed-date holidays falling on Saturday or Sunday are often observed on the next weekday, so if Boxing Day falls on a Saturday then Monday 28 December is a public holiday; in the UK and other countries this is accomplished by Royal Proclamation.
If Christmas Day falls on a Sunday itself then the Boxing Day holiday is automatically on Monday 26 December, and no Royal Proclamation is required. In such a circumstance, a 'substitute bank holiday in lieu of Christmas Day' is declared for Tuesday 27 December, this being the next available working day - thus the Boxing Day holiday occurs before the substitute Christmas holiday.
Boxing Day Test:
The Boxing Day Test match is a cricket Test match hosted in Melbourne, Victoria, involving Australian cricket team and the opposition national team touring Australia that summer. It begins annually on Boxing Day (December 26), and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
History:
In 1950 the first ever Australian Boxing Day Test was hosted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. No Boxing Day Tests were played in Melbourne between 1953 and 1967, and periodically the Australian Cricket Team played on Boxing Day in other nations. However in 1980 the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Australian cricket team secured the rights to play the match annually.
Other Boxing Day Tests:
In New Zealand an annual Boxing Day Test Match was played at Basin Reserve in Wellington, involving the New Zealand cricket team as one of the competing sides. Over the past few years the Boxing day Test has been phased out for a One Day International and Twenty20 matches involving New Zealand and the touring opposition national team.
In South Africa a Boxing Day Test is often played if another national team is touring to play the South African cricket team.
AUS vs IND: Australian squad for first India Test
Cricket Australia named a 12-man squad to take on India in the first Test of the summer series on Tuesday, with spinner Brad Hogg replacing an injured Stuart MacGill.
Fast bowler Shaun Tait has recovered from injury to return to the team which will play India in the first of four Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting December 26 "The Boxing Day".
Cricket Australia chairman Andrew Hilditch said the final side would be decided once the conditions at the MCG were inspected.
India's team arrived in Australia on Tuesday for the four Test series.
Australian Squad for first test:
Ricky Ponting (captain)
Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain)
Phil Jaques
Matthew Hayden
Michael Hussey
Andrew Symonds
Mitchell Johnson
Stuart Clark
Brett Lee
Shaun Tait
Brad Hogg
Michael Clarke.
Fast bowler Shaun Tait has recovered from injury to return to the team which will play India in the first of four Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting December 26 "The Boxing Day".
Cricket Australia chairman Andrew Hilditch said the final side would be decided once the conditions at the MCG were inspected.
India's team arrived in Australia on Tuesday for the four Test series.
Australian Squad for first test:
Ricky Ponting (captain)
Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain)
Phil Jaques
Matthew Hayden
Michael Hussey
Andrew Symonds
Mitchell Johnson
Stuart Clark
Brett Lee
Shaun Tait
Brad Hogg
Michael Clarke.
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