Indian bowlers put the side in control of the third Test
 India's captain Anil Kumble shows the ball after taking his 600th wicket of Australia's Andrew Symonds during day two of the third Test in Perth. © Getty Images |
Perth: India skittled Australia's vaunted batting line-up for just 212 runs on Thursday to imperil the home team's long unbeaten home record and quest for a world record 17th straight Test victory.
Left-arm seamer R.P.Singh took four wickets and Anil Kumble claimed his 600th Test scalp as India claimed a 118-run first innings lead, and the tourists consolidated that with a solid start to the second innings.
At stumps it was 52-1, an overall lead of 170 runs after just two days of an eventful third Test.
On a day when 15 wickets fell, India opener Virender Sehwag held on to be 29 not out at stumps, and he will resume Friday with nightwatchman Irfan Pathan who is 2 not out.
India resumed day two with six wickets down in its first innings. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan Pathan extended their partnership to 44 runs before Dhoni was trapped lbw. That triggered a quick collapse as four wickets fell for just two runs to end the innings.
Mitchell Johnson finished with 4-68 and Brett Lee had 3-71 to be the best of Australia's all-pace attack.
 © Getty Images |
Australia's reply began horribly, as it slumped to 14-3 when Irfan dismissed inexperienced openers Phil Jacques (8) and debutant Chris Rogers (4) in the space of three balls in the fourth over. Soon after, Singh forced an edge to dismiss Hussey for his first duck in test cricket.
After lunch, Sharma surprised skipper Ricky Ponting (20) and Michael Clarke (23) with bounce and swing to dismiss the pair in his first three overs and reduced the home side to a humiliating 61-5.
Andrew Symonds (66) and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist (55) provided some much-needed steel as they combined for a century stand for the sixth wicket.
Dropped on three by first slip Sachin Tendulkar, Symonds hit eight fours and a six in his 70-ball knock before edging a catch to Rahul Dravid at slip via wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's glove.
Gilchrist made a timely return to form with his first half century of the series, and after hitting Singh for three successive boundaries, edged the next ball to Dhoni, as the delivery bounced disconcertingly. Gilchrist hit none fours in his near two-hour knock.
There was little resistance from the tail once Symonds and Gilchrist departed, and India bowled out Australia for its lowest first innings total in 41 home Tests dating back to 2004.
Kumble dismissed the dangerous Symonds to become the third bowler behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (723 wickets in 118 tests) and Australia's Shane Warne (708 in 145) to take 600 test wickets in his 145th apperance.
Singh finished with 4-68 to be the pick of the India bowlers.
India opener Wasim Jaffer failed again in the second innings, managed 11 before hitting a catch to Hussey at gully off Stuart Clark.
