Michael Clarke hit the highest score by an Australian at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Ricky Ponting struck his first Test century in two years as the hosts pounded India in the second Test Wednesday.Captain Clarke scored an unbeaten double-century and Ponting broke through for his first hundred in 34 Test innings in dramatic style to put Australia a commanding 291 runs in front with six wickets left and three days to go.The pair shared the biggest partnership 288 runs for any wicket against India to leave the dispirited tourists with a mountain to climb to save the four-Test series after going down by 122 runs in last week’s opening Test in Melbourne.At the close on the second day, Australia were 482 for four with Clarke unconquered on 251 off 342 balls and Mike Hussey on 55. The pair had put on an unfinished 157 for the fifth wicket.Ponting, 37, gave the perfect riposte to those calling for his retirement with a dogged 134, while Clarke basked in the adulation of his home crowd by surpassing Doug Walters’ previous highest SCG score by an Australian of 242 set in 1969.The Australians, trailing by 75 at the start of the day, lost only one wicket in a dominant day’s cricket after the helter-skelter of 13 wickets tumbling on Tuesday.While the first day’s play was all about wickets, Wednesday’s action was purely about runs as Australia set about building a massive lead to go after a 2-0 series lead.Clarke brought up his 18th Test century and fourth against India with a glorious cover drive off Ishant Sharma in the last.
No comments:
Post a Comment