FIRST TEST, Bangalore (day five):
Australia gamble on spin rookies ...
Champions Trophy postponed by ICC ... />Australia 193-5, 430 all out (149.5 overs), India 360 all out (119 overs)
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By Pranav Soneji
e-mail tms@bbc.co.uk (with 'For Pranav Soneji' in the subject), text 81111 (with "CRICKET" as the first word) or use 606 (Not all contributions can be used)
0500: Australia 193-5 Drama first ball! Anil Kumble, opening the bowling, gets a return catch drilled straight towards his bread basket from Brad Haddin, but he can't get his fingers around the well-struck red thing hurtling towards his chest at some speed.
And to make matters worse for the leg-spinner, he has done some sort of damage to his left thumb and the physio is on for treatment.
0459: If Tony Greig ever put his keys down one of these cracks, it's safe to say he would never see those bad boys again. They are huge. The Indians are out in the field - that explains Ponting's decision then.
"This is a golden opportunity to go 1-0 up and he should declare inside the first hour of play tomorrow. On this pitch, 300 is impossible but a collapse is highly probable. Punter should know by now that once they get Sehwag out, the rest of the Indian batting line up will go negative and most likely fold meekly. It's an opportunity he can't afford to miss."
80mph on 606 606: Join the debate (after 0900)
0450: "WWRD" - what would Ricky do? Give Shane Watson and Brad Haddin licence for the long handle for the first hour of the morning, push the total past 300 and set India an impossible target, guaranteeing either a win or a draw in the first of a four-Test series. OR declare this morning, put your faith in your bowlers on a pitch with more cracks than the Tottenham defence and bowl the Indians out for under a hundred? Hmmm, probably self-explanatory.
0445: I'd better have a darn good explanation as to why I'm up before the roosters on an autumnal Monday morning...why it's the fifth day of a thoroughly riveting first Test match between India and Australia of course.
(BBC)
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