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How much longer would Australia bat?
Faisal Shariff |
December 13, 2003 07:21 IST
How much longer would Australia bat?On the second morning Australia, who were 400-5 overnight, must have been in a quandary about when to declare.
Ricky Ponting believes Australia's ploy of making India follow-on would be a folly. At first that sounds bizarre since the match is being played on Australian soil and not India.
Maybe Ponting probably knows a thing, most don't.
Last season Australia has forced England to follow-on in Melbourne and lost the following Test at Sydney. In Barbados this year against West Indies, the same pattern repeated and the Aussie bowlers lost the Antigua Test in a world record chase.
Another thing that must be playing on Ponting's mind is the defeat at Eden Gardens two years ago when Australia enforced the follow-on and lost the match after a monumental 281 from VVS Laxman.
But with Adam Gilchrist and Andy Bichel gone, Australia will be happy to declare at 575-600.