Australia scored 288 runs and lost 4 wickets in 90 overs. Remarkable, really, that at the end of the day, they are still looking down some serious gun barrels. Australia trail by 275 runs on a pitch that is getting better for bowling by the session.
The umpires appear more in tune with things other than adjudging batsmen out. Matthew Hayden was given out to one that would not have raised eyebrows if the opposite decision had been given, while Shane Watson was as plumb as a batsman can be in Amit Mishra's last over of the day, but that was denied.
The day's play was, however, defined by one glorious session just before the new ball was taken. With a ball about 70 overs old, conventional wisdom (i.e. talking heads on TV) suggested that the spinners continue for another 10 overs before relinquishing to the pace bowlers. But at that time, it was clear that Mishra and Sehwag needed a break. Anil Kumble had hurt himself earlier in the day and in his absence MS Dhoni took over reins. For a while Dhoni continued with Kumble's policies but as the shadows lengthened, the real Dhoni began to emerge. In Kumble's absence, Sehwag bowled 22 brilliant overs, and at the stage mentioned at the start of this paragraph Dhoni gave the ball to Isant Sharma and Zaheer Khan. Facing them were Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey. Every ball looked like it could get a wicket. Ponting will have nightmares about Ishant Sharma for a long time, and yesterday just added to the drama. Sharma hurried Ponting, beat his bat, cut him in half, and did everything excpet get the captain out. Zaheer Khan was no less impressive. This was Test cricket at its very best.
This breathtaking stuff went on for almost an hour and Ponting and Hussey survived undefeated, but definitely not unscathed. The two balls that Sehwag bowled to dismiss the duo a little later were ones that Harbhajan Singh would willingly wash his mouth with soap a 100 times in order to be able to duplicate.
The 4th day's play should be riveting. Can the Aussies whittle the lead to less than 100 or even surpass India's total? Based upon how the innings has been going, I think that a lead between 150 to 200 will be obtained by India and then the commentators can indulge in their second favorite exercise - trying to predict when the batting team captain will declare. And no matter when he declares, it is always "half an hour too late".
Coming back to the big event of the day - if Anil Kumble had not injured himself, Sehwag would not have bowled more than 5 or 6 overs and a trick would have been missed. I hope Kumble was watching the proceedings on a TV somewhere.
I do not believe in telling people to retire. It is not my place to do so. People can retire as and when they want. They have earned that privilege. However, I do reserve the right to demand that a player be dropped from a team if he is underachieving. Kumble does not remotely look like he will run through the batting order. It is time for him to rest his shoulder, let it heal completely, and then make a return to the side. However, I fear this will never be possible in the current climate of distrust between selectors, players, and the media.
Indeed, uneasy rests the head that wears the crown.
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