Sydney, January 5
A hapless India faced the prospect of another humiliating defeat as Australia rode on skipper Michael Clarke's maiden triple hundred and Michael Hussey's 150 to score a mammoth first innings total of 659/4 declared and take complete command of the second Test on Thursday.

Clarke slams unbeaten 329 Hussey scores 150 not out India 114/2 in second innings Tough task ahead for India

At stumps on the third day, India were trailing by 354 runs after losing a couple of wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India face the daunting task of batting out two full days, which raises the possibility of an innings defeat in the match.

Opener Virender Sehwag (4) and an uncertain Rahul Dravid (29) were cooling their heels in the pavilion, leaving Gautam Gambhir (68) and Sachin Tendulkar (8) to fight. The visitors were 114/2 in their second dig in the 41 overs and nearly half the day of batting they got.

Gambhir has so far batted for three hours and struck nine fours off 124 balls. Tendulkar's grim 8 was made in over an hour's batting and he faced 42 balls.

Earlier, Australia continued their firm grip on the match by stretching their overnight score of 482/4 to 659 an hour after lunch without losing a single wicket.

Michael Hussey, overnight 55, remained unbeaten on 150 but the glory of the day belonged to Clarke who was left unconquered on 329, the highest score ever made at the SCG, which is hosting its 100th Test.

Hussey reached his century before lunch but Clarke had to wait till resumption to get to his triple century. The Australian captain, overnight 251, was slow to get off the blocks and had added only 42 runs by lunch as only 13 runs came off his bat in the first hour.

Still, Australia were past 500 runs in the first hour, a feat they had done nearly 22 months and 17 Tests ago -- against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton in March 2010.

All along, landmarks kept falling like nine pins against Clarke's name. When he had added seven runs to his overnight total, he overtook Ricky Ponting as the highest scorer ever against India. Ponting had made 257 in the 1999-2000 Test at Melbourne.

Clarke swept off-spinner Ashwin to square leg fence through a packed onside field to move to 280 which took him past 277 that West Indian legend Brian Lara made at this venue in a 1992-93 series.

Clarke stroked Ishant Sharma through the covers to become the highest scorer at the SCG, going past the 287 which R E Foster of England made in a 1903-04 series just a few minutes before the lunch interval.

Clarke cut another four in the same over, dangerously close to VVS Laxman at slips, to move to within seven runs of his triple century.

Hussey had reached his own hundred, his 16th in his 68th Test, and was unbeaten on 111 at lunch.

The pair raised the 200 for the stand when Hussey back cut Umesh Yadav crisply past the point boundary. It took 206 minutes and 307 balls for the 200-run stand.

By lunch, the two had put on 258 runs for the fifth wicket and the score read 583/4. On resumption, Clarke reached the all-important landmark when he clipped Ishant Sharma to midwicket fence. — PTI

Scoreboard
India (Ist Innings) 191
Australia (Ist Innings)
Warner c Sachin b Zaheer 8
Cowan lbw b Zaheer 16
Marsh c Laxman b Zaheer 0
Ponting c Sachin b Ishant 134
Clarke batting 329
Hussey batting 150
Extras (b2, lb13, w 4, nb 3) 22
Total (4 wkts decl) 659
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-8, 3-37, 4-325
Bowling: Zaheer 31-4-122-3, Yadav 24-2-123-0, Ishant 33-2-144-1, Ashwin 44-5-157-0, Sehwag 23-1-75-0, Kohli 8-0-23-0.

India 2nd Innings
Gambhir batting 68
Sehwag c Warner b Ben 4
Dravid b Hilfenhaus 29
Tendulkar batting 8
Extras: (lb 3, w 1, nb 1) 5
Total: (2 wkts; 41 overs) 114
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-100
Bowling: Pattinson 12-1-40-0, Hilfenhaus 16-6-37-2, Siddle 11-7-23-0, Lyon 2-0-11-0.

Only a few months ago, not too many Australians wanted Michael Clarke as the captain of their nation's cricket team. He was thought of being a little too posh, someone who was more a fashion-conscious type, who dated beautiful (subjective of course) models and poster girls.

He wasn’t the archetypal Aussie who liked his beer and his mates more than anything else and so wasn’t thought of as one of the boys. With his bold declaration when he could have well gone on to a world record score of 400 plus he will definitely change many a perception about him.

There was still an hour to go for the tea interval when he decided that Australia had enough and went into the dressing room to a standing ovation from the crowd. There were still three hours and two days’ play left when he declared the innings closed.

Whether he has done the right thing or whether he could have batted longer, time only will tell but by showing that a personal milestone did not matter he has definitely won a few fans now.

In 1982-83 Imran Khan declared when Javed Miandad was batting on 280 and had announced his intentions of getting to the world record score of 365 held then by Sir Gary Sobers.

Pakistan were already 2-0 up in the series by then and that was the fourth Test of the series, so India had no chance of making a comeback in the series. Yet Imran declared and then helped shoot India out again in the second innings so that Pakistan won with a day to spare which made Miandad even more furious.

His argument was that opportunities to get a world record don’t come every day and since Pakistan was already up in the series, Imran could have delayed the declaration till Miandad got his record is what was felt by the batsman.

Unfortunately whenever a player, especially a batsman, gets a mark there are many who accuse him of playing for self and not for team. Clarke obviously did not want that and so he called halt even when he looked fit enough to carry on.

The manner in which India replied in the second innings does indicate that the pitch is getting better for batting and if the batsmen show some discipline and determination then they could well do the impossible and save an innings defeat.

Gambhir is batting beautifully and is looking very determined to make up for his earlier failures. Again, only yesterday people were asking for his head but now after his effort they will understand that one cannot write off a proven player after a couple of failures.

Tendulkar has come in to bat in a much better situation than in the first three innings and with the pitch playing easy, the stage could well be set for the mark that Indian cricket lovers are waiting for.

Hopefully he will then carry on and play a Clarke-like innings and save the embarrassment of an innings defeat. — PMG

Sydney, January 5
With India heading towards their sixth consecutive overseas Test defeat, veteran batsman Rahul Dravid on Thursday said his team has quality batsmen but they need some inspiration to fight back and save the second Test.

"The key for us is to keep them on the field for a long period of time. If we can keep their bowlers and fielders on the field for more than 100 overs. Then we can put them under pressure and some of their bowlers will wilt", said Dravid after the third day's play during which Australia declared for 659 for 4 in the first innings before reducing India to 114 for two in their second essay.

"Sadly in the three innings we have played so far, we haven't been able to do that. They kept up on the field for a long time today. We need to try and do that.

"We have probably been in the field much longer. They put us under the pump. The real key for us is to keep them in the field for that long.

They are coming in hard, running in hard. The last spell they bowled really well. After drinks the last 15 overs they came in really hard. That's one of the challenges," he added.

Hoping that India would be able to bat after tea on Friday, Dravid said, "That's where the real challenge is. If we can hang in there, play out time, and have them on the field for a long time."

Dravid refused to predict whether India would save the Test by batting out the next two days. "I don't know we can think about saving the game right now. We need to go out there and show some fight. And bat as long as we can. Who knows what can happen? We have got quality batsmen who can bat long periods. I am sure the guys will go out and fight and do the best they can," he insisted.

India were revived in 2001 home series when Dravid and VVS Laxman batted the length of a full day's play at Eden Gardens and turned the series around and Dravid hoped for a similar inspiration for his team.

"I would hope so. We need a lift. We need to perform better than we have.” — PTI

Cape Town, January 5
South Africa need only six more wickets to clinch their three-test series against Sri Lanka after forcing the visitors to follow on on the third day of the third test at Newlands on Thursday.

At the close Sri Lanka were 138 for four in their second innings, still trailing by 203 runs. South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who declared his team's innings closed at 580 for four on Wednesday, enforced the follow-on after Sri Lanka lost their last three wickets for 20 runs in the half hour after lunch.

Dale Steyn bowled with great intensity and control before the interval to give his team a firm grip on the test, adhering to a wonderful line just outside off stump and moving the ball away at high pace. — Reuters

Hyderabad, January 5
Rajasthan had a long day in the field but the splendid first innings batting paid in the end as they advanced to the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy after playing out a draw against Hyderabad, here today.

Hyderabad while following-on, began the day at 138 for no loss and went on to make 431 for two declared in their second essay, setting Rajasthan a target of 155 in 20 overs.

New Delhi, January 5
The line-up for the women’s preparatory camp for the 2012 Olympic qualifiers was completed today as 18 players who had recently participated in the four-nation tournaments in Argentina, joined the other 30 core probables undergoing training at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here.

India will play a four-match Test series against Azerbaijan at the National Stadium between January 15 and 19, as trials for the qualifiers to be conducted at the same venue from February 18-25, a Hockey India release said here today. Spectator entry is free for the Test series.

The probables: Goalkeepers: Yogita Bali, Savita, Rajani Etimarpu, Sanarik Chanu Ningombam, Sukhmani Virk; Defenders: Joydeep Kaur, Jaspreet Kaur, Th. Pinky Devi, Preety Sunila Kiro, Basanti Kachhap, Reena Rathaur, Sandeep Kaur (Haryana), Subhadra Pradhan, Apoorva Vishwakarma; Midfielders: Ritu Rani, Asunta Lakra, Kirandeep Kaur, Mukta Prava Barla, Deepika, Kiran Dahiya, M.N. Ponnamma, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Deep Grace Ekka, Sandeep Kaur (Punjab), Monika Malik, Namita Toppo, Anju Dhiman, Balwinder Kaur Mehra; Forwards: Jasjeet Kaur Handa, Poonam Rani, Vandana Katariya, Saba Anjum, Rani, Anuradha Devi Thokchom, Soundarya Yendala, Rosalin Dungdung, Lilima Minz, Rashmi Singh, M. Lily Chanu, Preeti Singh, Kavita Vidyarthi, Ramandeep Kaur, Anupa Barla, Kulsumbi, Chanchan Devi, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Neha Goel.

New Delhi, January 5
Though German soccer giants Bayern Munich would be taking on a low-key Indian team, presently hovering around the 150-plus slot in the FIFA rankings, in an exhibition match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on January 10, they are not taking the tie lightly, as they have been working out in all earnest at a training camp in Qatar.

The Germans are already aware of the contribution that Bhaichung Bhutia has made to Indian football. At an interaction here after training, Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said, “At FC Bayern, we would like to contribute to the growth of Indian football. It is a great idea to play in Delhi.” French international and star winger in the Bayern outfit, Franck Ribery, is looking forward to his maiden trip to India. The 28-year-old Ribery said, “Football has taken me to places which I would not have gone otherwise. I look forward to add India to that list.”

Star striker Thomas Muller, is the ‘official’ guide for the trip as he has been to India earlier. This will be Muller’s first tour to the country after he shot into the limelight in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The winner of the 2010 World Cup ‘Golden boot’ award said, “A lot has happened since I visited India with the FCB second team in January 2009. I look forward to renew my ties with your country.”

The Bayern camp is also upbeat about the return of star midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger after his lay-off due to a collar bone injury. The Bayern vice-captain is raring to be in action.

Chennai, January 5
Top seeded Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna survived a scare from unseeded duo of Swiss Stanislaus Wawrinka and Andreas Beck of Germany to storm into the doubles semifinal of the Chennai Open here tonight.

The Indian pair clinched the match with a 6-4, 7-6 (3)scoreline in only 74 minutes. The pair combined well and co-ordinated with an improved approach compared to their yesterday's match against Xavier Malisse and Ken Skupski.

Despite their top seed billing, the Indian pair was under pressure in the beginning of the match. Southpaw Beck and Wawrinka, the defending singles champion, who booked his singles quarterfinal berth were constantly attacking Bhupathi. — PTI

New Delhi, January 5
Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal sailed into the Korea Open Super Series quarterfinals after notching up a straight-game victory over Shao Chieh Cheng of Chinese Taipei in the second round in Seoul on Thursday.

Fourth seed Saina registered a 21-14, 21-10 win over Cheng in a 36-minute battle in women's singles. The Indian will next take on the winner of the match between China's Yanjiao Jiang and Inthanon Ratchanok of Thailand.

Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, however, were defeated by the formidable combo of top seed Xiaoli Wang and Yang Yu of China 10-21 17-21 in 34 minutes. — PTI