MELBOURNE: India’s famed batting line-up produced yet another spineless display to crash to an embarrassing 122-run defeat in the first cricket Test and hand Australia a 1—0 lead in the four-match Test series here on Thursday.
Chasing a target of 292 in the second innings, India’s top-order collapsed like a proverbial house of cards against the pace trio of James Pattinson (4/53), Peter Siddle (3/42) and Ben Hilfenhaus (2/39) to be bundled out for a paltry 169 in 47.5 overs on the final session of the penultimate day.
India were always up against history as no side since 1963 has made more than 250 runs in the fourth innings at MCG to win a Test match.
Sachin Tendulkar promised some ray of hope during his little cameo of 32 runs, but the rest of the top—order batsmen cut a sorry figure against the Australian quicks and at one stage the tourists had lost four wickets for just 22 runs.
Openers Virender Sehwag (7) and Gautam Gambhir (13) and the senior trio of Rahul Dravid (10), Tendulkar and VVS Laxman (1) all failed to save the day for India and departed inside the 90—run mark.
Young Virat Kohli (0) suffered his second failure of the match and made matters worse by showing his displeasure at a plumb leg before decision.
Ravichandran Ashwin (30) rode his luck for a while and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (23) was street—smart during his stay, but the task proved to be too tall for them to achieve once the top—order departed early.
Sehwag and Gambhir fell on either side of lunch. The dangerous right—hander was caught by Michael Hussey at gully as he went for ferocious cut off Ben Hilfenhaus, while his left—handed partner jabbed at a lifting Peter Siddle delivery to be caught in the second slip by Ricky Ponting.
But the biggest blow came soon thereafter when Tendulkar drove a swinging delivery from Siddle straight to Hussey at gully. (PTI)