Australia v India, 3rd Test, Perth, 3rd day

Australia demolish India by an innings to go up 3-0

The Report by Daniel Brettig

January 15, 2012

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Australia 369 (Warner 180, Yadav 5-93) beat India 161 (Kohli 44, Hilfenhaus 4-43) and 171 (Kohli 75, Hilfenhaus 4-54) by an innings and 37 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Ben Hilfenhaus claimed four wickets in each innings© Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Australia v India at Perth Series/Tournaments: India tour of Australia Teams: Australia | India

Australia's fast bowlers completed an innings-and-37-run destruction of India minutes after lunch on day three of the third Test, snatching the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the most emphatic style imaginable. Ryan Harris split a stubborn stand between Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid before Peter Siddle nicked out MS Dhoni in the shadows of the interval, and Ben Hilfenhaus razed the tail with three wickets in five balls on resumption.

Siddle found Kohli's outside edge to complete proceedings, heralding the start of rich celebrations for the hosts following victory over opponents who never came to terms with the challenges posed by Australia's bowlers and conditions. The performance of the match was by a home batsman however, and it was a measure of the Man-of-the-Match David Warner's 180 that India's batsmen fell short of his individual tally in each innings.

His efforts gave the pace ensemble a chance to squeeze India, and all the bowlers contributed in another strikingly even performance. Harris will bowl far worse and claim five wickets rather than the one he plucked in the second innings, while Siddle and Hilfenhaus maintained their outstanding marriage of pressure and late movement. Mitchell Starc, of course, had made two critical breaks on the second evening.

Dravid and Kohli provided the staunchest Indian batting resistance of the match in a union of 84, but were never completely in control against Harris, who deservedly found a way past Dravid towards the end of an exacting spell. Siddle's dismissal of Dhoni was a familiar sight, the captain's edge snapped up by Ricky Ponting in the cordon.

Kohli's innings was a beacon of hope for India's future, demonstrating strong technique and a stronger mind to cope with Australia's bowling that did not flag in considerable heat. Following up a similarly composed 44 in the first innings, it may warrant a promotion in the batting order for Adelaide.

Resuming at 4 for 88, still 120 short of going into credit, Dravid and Kohli had plenty of testing moments in the opening overs. Harris' first two deliveries of the day did everything but bowl Dravid, angling in and seaming away, while at the other end Hilfenhaus swung the ball tantalisingly away with the help of a south-westerly breeze.

Kohli was the more assured of the batting duo, collecting his runs quietly with ones and twos, reining in his most aggressive tendencies in a struggle for survival against bowling that offered precious little latitude.

Harris, in particular, posed question after question, taking advantage of a crack on a length at the Lillee-Marsh Stand end to bring the ball sharply back into Kohli and Dravid. Dravid was late to react to some subtle inswing, the ball swerving between bat and pad to send leg stump cartwheeling. Dravid shuffled off, bowled five times in six innings during the series.

Dhoni's technique has been found similarly wanting, and once again he would edge tamely into the cordon. Siddle's delivery was full, fast and swinging, and Ponting's hands at second slip were alert and safe. Nevertheless, the dismissal was another grim reflection on the batting of Dhoni, who has always struggled to replicate his subcontinental run-scoring on foreign shores.

Lunch came and went, Kohli still harbouring the desire to reach a century. But Hilfenhaus was not in a mood to countenance charity. Bashing the ball in short of a length, he had Vinay Kumar and Zaheer Khan fencing to Michael Clarke at slip in consecutive balls, and while Ishant Sharma survived the hat-trick delivery, he fended his third straight to Ed Cowan at short leg.

Umesh Yadav survived one ball to give Kohli the strike, but Siddle probed the perfect line and length once more to coax a touch behind and seal a series that has been more lopsided than anyone can have imagined.

Warner no shooting star

Brydon Coverdale

January 16, 2012

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	David Warner wants more days like this © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Ian Chappell : Warner's Twenty20 Test ininngs Matches: Australia v India at Perth Series/Tournaments: India tour of Australia Teams: Australia | India

David Warner has won two Man of the Match awards from his first five Tests, but he still craves greater consistency as Australia's opener in the long format. Warner's 180 at the WACA was easily the standout performance on a pitch that proved difficult for the batsmen, and more than any other player he was responsible for Australia's innings victory.

In Hobart last month, Warner was a controversial selection as Man of the Match as the award was voted for by Channel Nine viewers, despite the fact that Doug Bracewell had bowled New Zealand to a historic victory and was regarded by most experts as clearly the best afield. There was no question about Warner's award on this occasion, although a case could have been mounted for Ben Hilfenhaus, who took eight wickets.

Two centuries from his first five Tests is a promising start, but Warner is also aware that as Test batsman, the gaps between his best and worst cannot be allowed to grow too much. So far in his Test career, Warner has posted scores of 3, 12 not out, 15, 123 not out, 37, 5, 8 and 180.

"I've always said I'd like to be more consistent in all three forms that I'm playing," Warner said. "You might get runs today and miss out in the next game but that's cricket. I'll keep working hard and backing myself. Hopefully this wasn't a one-off thing. It was my second Test hundred. I showed that I can play maturely as well in difficult situations [in Hobart]. Hopefully I can keep continuing with my form."

Warner has come a long way from the man who burst on to the international scene as a Twenty20 specialist with a brutal 89 against South Africa three years ago, before he had even made his first-class debut. By the end of last summer, Warner had played only seven Sheffield Shield matches and found it hard to force his way into the New South Wales line-up.

"The frustration was always there, with New South Wales not giving me an opportunity," he said. "But at the end of the day there were blokes ahead of me and I had to go out and score runs in grade cricket and 2nd XI cricket and make my way into the team.

"The only way to do that was weight of runs. Fortunately I did that and now I'm in a good headspace. I'm really enjoying my cricket at the moment. Being part of the Test team, we're going fantastic at the moment and I couldn't be any happier."

His progression has impressed the Test captain Michael Clarke, who is also one of the selectors who gave Warner a chance in the baggy green. Clarke believes Warner's career should highlight to every young cricketer that Twenty20 is not the only option.

"To see a kid who everybody thought was just a Twenty20 player 12 months ago walk out and bat exactly the same, but wearing the baggy green, playing in his whites ... I've said to Davey for a long time now there's no reason he can't have success in any form of the game, with the amount of talent he's got," Clarke said. "It shows young kids out there today that whether it's Twenty20 cricket, one-day cricket or Test cricket, if you can play one form, you can play all three forms. That's really exciting for the game."

Over the past three Tests, Warner has been partnered at the top of the order by a much more understated opener, Ed Cowan. Their styles complement each other and at the WACA, that paid off as they put on 214 for the first wicket, just the second double-century opening stand for Australia since the end of the Hayden-Langer era.

Warner's 180 and Cowan's 74 were both their best Test scores, the first time since the Trent Bridge Ashes Test of 1989 that both Australian openers had bettered their highest Test scores in the same innings. Warner said working with Cowan was a pleasure.

"I think it's great," he said. "We're gelling together. As people have said, we're an odd couple. But when we're out there, we keep each other going. We're always talking to each other every ball. I know Ed's game, I know where his release shots are to get off strike when difficult periods are happening.

"It's the same with me. When he thinks I'm playing too loose, he'll come down to me and keep a check and say you've got to keep playing straight. I respect that. I'll always listen to my partner. Hopefully we can keep continuing this."

Australia v India / India Test Squad -Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2011/12

Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2011/12

December 9, 2011

MS Dhoni captain/keeper Age: 30 years 155 days Playing role: Wicketkeeper batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium	Virender Sehwag vice-captain Age: 33 years 50 days Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm offbreak
Ravichandran Ashwin Age: 25 years 83 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm offbreak	Rahul Dravid Age: 38 years 332 days Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm offbreak
Gautam Gambhir Age: 30 years 56 days Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Legbreak	Zaheer Khan Age: 33 years 63 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Left-arm fast-medium Notes: Subject to fitness
Virat Kohli Age: 23 years 34 days Playing role: Middle-order batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium	VVS Laxman Age: 37 years 38 days Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm offbreak
Abhimanyu Mithun Age: 22 years 45 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium	Pragyan Ojha Age: 25 years 95 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Slow left-arm orthodox
Ajinkya Rahane Age: 23 years 187 days Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium	Wriddhiman Saha wicketkeeper Age: 27 years 46 days Playing role: Wicketkeeper Batting: Right-hand bat
Ishant Sharma Age: 23 years 98 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium	Rohit Sharma Age: 24 years 223 days Playing role: Batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm offbreak
Sachin Tendulkar Age: 38 years 229 days Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm offbreak	Vinay Kumar Age: 27 years 300 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium
Umesh Yadav Age: 24 years 45 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium	Varun Aaron withdrawn player Age: 22 years 41 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium-fast
Praveen Kumar withdrawn player Age: 25 years 68 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium

Australia v India / Australia Squad - 1st Test -2011/12

1st Test: Australia v India at Melbourne, Dec 26-30, 2011

December 21, 2011

Michael Clarke captain Age: 30 years 263 days Playing role: Middle-order batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Slow left-arm orthodox	Brad Haddin vice-captain/keeper Age: 34 years 59 days Playing role: Wicketkeeper batsman Batting: Right-hand bat
Daniel Christian Age: 28 years 231 days Playing role: Allrounder Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium	Ed Cowan Age: 29 years 188 days Playing role: Opening batsman Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Legbreak
Ben Hilfenhaus Age: 28 years 281 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium	Michael Hussey Age: 36 years 208 days Playing role: Middle-order batsman Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium
Nathan Lyon Age: 24 years 31 days Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm offbreak	Shaun Marsh Age: 28 years 165 days Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Slow left-arm orthodox
James Pattinson Age: 21 years 232 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium	Ricky Ponting Age: 37 years 2 days Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm medium
Peter Siddle Age: 27 years 26 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium	Mitchell Starc Age: 21 years 325 days Playing role: Bowler Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Left-arm fast-medium
David Warner Age: 25 years 55 days Playing role: Opening batsman Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Legbreak