India restrict Australia to 285/5 in Bangalore Test

BANGALORE - India did well to restrict a defiant Australia to 285 for five wickets at the end of day one in the second and final cricket Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium here Saturday.

When stumps were drawn prior to the schedule time due to bad light and cloudy sky by the two umpires, Australian middle order batsman Marcus North (34) and wicket-keeper Tim Paine (8) were at the crease, having put up a 29-run partnership.

Though Indian bowlers could not breach the defence of openers Shane Watson (57) and Simon Katich (34) in the first session when the pair scored a breezy 95 in 27 overs, spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha succeed in the post-lunch session to snap them and Michael Clarke (14) with 132 runs on the board.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting (77) and southpaw Mike Hussey (34), however, steadied the first innings till tea session with a fourth-wicket partnership of 58 runs to post 189 runs for the loss of three wickets.

Speedster Zaheer Khan then had Hussey caught by Virender Sehwag in the first over of the post-tea session with the score at 198.

With the help of North, Ponting tried to accelerate the score before he was caught plumb by Suresh Raina’s spin, hitting 12 fours after putting up a 66-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Paine, who joined North at the fall of Ponting, played safe till the end of the day.

The visitors scored 95 runs in 27 overs in the first session, 94 in 30 overs during the post-lunch session and 96 in 28.5 overs in the final session.

Earlier, Australia won the toss and elected to bat under an overcast sky and in windy conditions.

Zaheer started the bowling attack with the new ball, followed by Kerala speedstar S.Sreesanth, who came in place of injured pacer Ishant Sharma.

Gujarat youngster Cheteshwar Pujara made his Test debut when he was included in the 11-member India team. He reaplced Mohali hero V.V.S. Laxman, who missed the second Test with a back spasm.

In the Australian line-up, Peter George took the place of seamer Doug Bollinger.