Gambhir - Laxman's double tons put India in command

| Last updated less than one minute ago

Submit :

News Photos Just In Debate Topic Latest News Articles Local News Blog Posts Pictures Reviews Recipes

Shishir Srivastava

31 October, 2008

Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman��s knock of double hundreds have put India in command in the third Test in Delhi. Now Australia can only hope of drawing the game, thus losing all hopes of winning the fourth series against India.

AFTER WINNING the toss and electing to bat, Anil Kumble could not have expected a better performance from the batsmen. VVS Laxman summed it up perfectly by rubbing it in by saying that the Aussies had a defensive approach in this game. You can’t really find Laxman at fault here. For how often have you seen Brett Lee steaming in with just one slip and a sweeper cover on the off side. Rarely in the past have Australia played catch up in a series and gone into a Test match with a defensive mind set. The writing is on the wall, the Australian domination over the world of cricket is about to get over and this is where teams with high caliber like India, South Africa and Sri Lanka should put pressure on the Aussies so that they lose the coveted number one ranking, which they have held for so long.

Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi has been a great hunting ground for the Indian team as they have won most of their Test matches played here. And who can forget Kumble’s magical ten wicket haul against Pakistan, a feat that is almost impossible to replicate in the future by any cricketer. It couldn’t have been a better first innings score for India. Even after the early departure of Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir calmed the nerves.

Tendulkar with a class of his own, reached a quick 50, playing some audacious shots, which only he can muster. On the other hand, Gambhir started off sedately only to hit the gas after the departure of Tendulkar. Laxman joined Gambhir close to the end of the first day’s play and it was little known that the two would form the biggest partnership at this ground against the Aussies. If Gambhir was aggressive, Laxman was the usual relaxed. The both complimented each other and gave India what it wanted, a solid partnership. Laxman was at his best, even trying to play the flick shots on the off side and Gambhir wasn’t held back from stepping down the pitch and taking the attack to the opposition. The partnership of 278 runs was only broken after Gambhir scored his first double 100 in front of his home crowd. Though Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni fell in quick succession in order to get quick runs, Laxman didn’t disappoint as he completed his second double 100against the Aussies and the 13th hundred overall in Test cricket.

The Test match is now poised clearly in favour of the Aussies. The Australian top order will have to bat out of their skins in order to save the Test match from here or else they may be staring at losing the series in the third Test itself. Whatever happens in Kotla Test, India cannot lose the series from here now.