Brilliant Australia blow India away in Melbourne

The most gripping day of the Melbourne Test ended in an anti-climax with Australia crushing India by 122 runs.

Australia had their backs to the wall at the start of Day 4, but their positive intent and perfect execution of bowling plans laid low their opponents. India were bizarrely defensive with the ball and showed no stomach for a fight with the bat chasing a stiff 292.

One of Australia’s finds of the season, James Pattinson, and Peter Siddle made the most of India’s trigger-happiness with the bat. They bowled in the right areas — Pattinson’s high pace in particular troubled every batsman — and India obliged them with outside edges.

This was the sort of wicket were the home team also made the same mistakes with the bat. But the key to winning this game was building partnerships. Australia had several; India, none.

India let momentum slip

In the morning session, Mike Hussey, Pattinson and Ben Hilfenhaus thrived with MS Dhoni’s conservative field settings that allowed them to pick easy singles and score the occasional boundary.

India, 230 runs behind at the start of the day, let the momentum drift. No team has chased more than 250 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1961.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir fell cheaply. The contest practically ended when Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli fell within a few overs of each other in the noon session. What came to hurt India bad was their conservative tactics against the Australia lower order.

Their last four wickets added 119 runs in the first innings and 92 in the second. In a low-scoring game such as this, 211 runs were a lot to give away to the tail-end. To Australia’s credit, they fought tooth and nail and the 60 runs they added this morning caused a seismic momentum shift.

Pattinson took seven wickets in the game, and batting at No. 10, was unbeaten in both innings in making 18 and 37. But this wouldn’t have been possible had Dhoni applied greater pressure on him his partners.

Former Australia captain and commentator Ian Chappell in particular was critical of Dhoni’s methods. Today, he described them as “... ridiculous... an absolute blue print on how to lose a Test match.” India proved him right.

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1:59 AM

India takes place against Australia - Test cricket

Indifferent batting from India and an abject response by the Australian top order left the first Test tantalisingly poised after a helter skelter third day on which 15 wickets fell at the MCG.

The visitors and the hosts traded collapses on a track still offering a modicum of help to the bowlers, India slipping from 2 for 214 to 282 all out before Australia slumped to 4 for 27 thanks to Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma. It was a hole plugged only partially by the staunch efforts of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, who was undefeated on 79 when the close arrived at 8 for 179, the lead standing at 230.

Rahul Dravid, bowled off second ball of the morning by the recalled and renewed Ben Hilfenhaus, completed his unhappy day by shelling the sort of slips catch he would expect to claim when Hussey advanced to R Ashwin on 69. Though Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon departed thereafter, it may yet prove a crucial drop.

Hussey and Ponting were both under enormous pressure for runs coming into this match, given their poor recent returns, but younger team-mates were grateful for their calming presence in a partnership of 115 after the tumult that marked the start of the second innings. Hussey's innings was particularly strong, counter-punching from the start to build some sort of lead.

India had earlier surrendered 8 for 68 to be halted 51 runs short of Australia's 333. Hilfenhaus followed up Dravid's defeat with the wickets of Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and the dogged nightwatchman Ishant Sharma, while Siddle neutralised the threat of VVS Laxman and rounded things off by disposing of Ashwin for a useful 31.

The continuing flood of wickets was attributable to smart, full bowling but also poor batting, with David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shaun Marsh all guilty of vast misjudgements. Michael Clarke was less culpable, out to a corking delivery from Ishant. Ponting's dismissal was followed by another flighty innings from keeper Brad Haddin, who must be under severe scrutiny for his spot despite claiming five catches.

Starting out with a 51-run advantage, Warner and Cowan were unable to get themselves going in the manner of the first innings. Warner looked uncomfortable, tugging at the ball rather than timing it, and it was no great surprise when he dragged Yadav onto the stumps with an angled bat. Cowan had left the ball with great skill on Boxing Day, but two balls after Warner he would die by the sheathed sword, padding up to a Yadav delivery that straightened and as such having scant cause to complain about the lbw verdict.

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8:57 AM

Sachin disappointment but India ahead

The 50,000 odd fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, many of them Indians, were hoping on Tuesday that the Master Blaster will finally end the wait to get his 100th international ton.

Sachin Tendulkar was in sublime touch but the landmark was not to be as he fell to Peter Siddle for 73, three deliveries before stumps on the second day.

The wicket sent groans around the MCG but the Indians weren't complaining.

Tendulkar's century partnership with Rahul Dravid(68 not out) laid the platform for the visitors to seize the advantage on Day 3.

"It's going to eventually happen," team-mate R Ashwin said afterwards.

point in bothering about it. We're very happy to be in this position."

"Probably one wicket less would have been nice. Tendulkar played well but eventually he got a good ball," he said

But it was Sehwag who set the tone for India. The Nawab of Najafgarh produced an aggressive innings as the visitors started their response to Australia's 333 before he was removed just before the tea interval.

The opener raced to 67 from 83 balls - passing 8,000 Test runs in the process and surviving two lives - before James Pattinson knocked over his middle stump.

Australia's pent up frustration showed after Pattinson and Sehwag clashed briefly but the hosts will have much to worry as India look to turn the screws with a third good day on the trot.

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8:47 AM

Sixteen teams from World for ICC World T20 Qualifiers

Sixteen teams from across the world, including United States and Uganda, will compete in March next year to claim the last two available spots for the ICC World Twenty20, to be held in Sri Lanka. The ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers will be held in the UAE from March 13 to 24.

The 12-day qualifying tournament will be played at five venues -- Dubai International Cricket Stadium and ICC Global Cricket Academy grounds number one and number two in Dubai, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The 16 teams have been divided into two groups with Afghanistan, Netherlands, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Denmark and Nepal forming Group A. Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, Namibia, Uganda, Oman, Italy and the USA form Group B.

The tournament winner will join Australia and the West Indies in Group B of the ICC World Twenty20 in September 2012 while the losing finalist will complete Group A which also includes defending champion England and 2007 winner India.

"This final qualifier is the last step of a pathway that comprised 13 ICC regional tournaments during 2010 and 2011 and saw the involvement of over 90 ICC Associate and Affiliate members. The 72-match format has been designed to give the best sides every chance of making the final," ICC Global Development Manager Tim Anderson said.

According to the tournament format, the sides that top the two groups will feature in the 1st Qualifying Final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on March 22 with the winner sealing a place in the ICC World Twenty20, to be staged from September 18 to October 7.

Meanwhile, the sides that finish second and third in the two groups will play cross-over matches. The two winners of those matches will progress to the Preliminary Final to be played on March 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The 2nd Qualifying Final -- for the second spot in the ICC World Twenty20 -- will take place on March 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium between the loser of the 1st Qualifying Final and the winner of the Preliminary Final.

The winners of the two Qualifying Finals will play in the tournament final on March 24 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

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11:12 PM

Sportsperson of the Year: Sachin Tendulkar from India

Is there any surprise here? Sachin might well be the sportsperson of the decade, if not the last two decades and indeed, for a better part of this millennium for India. As compatriot and starry-eyed fellow player Virat Kohli put it, for the better part of 20 years, Sachin has carried the burden of a nation's expectation on his shoulders alone.

For having inspired a nation to put aside its religious, linguistic and other like divides aside every time he picks up the willow and takes centrestage on the cricket ground, Sachin Tendulkar, teen prodigy turned the player who defines the 'gentleman' part of the gentleman's game, is this year's sportsperson of the year, his elusive 100th ton aside.

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7:15 AM