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AUS win 4 - 0 AUS gains 14 points; IND loses 14 points
Draw 2 - 2 IND gains 16 points; AUS loses 16 points
IND win 4 - 0 IND gains 46 points; AUS loses 46 points
Brisbane
04 - 08 December 2003
India won the toss and elected to field first on a green-topped pitch.� However, despite the green wicket, the Indian quicks were unable to repeatedly crash through the Australian top order.� Rain interrupted play when the score was no wicket for 32 until after lunch.� After only 15 overs, Australia reached 73 runs when Hayden (37) was caught.� The Australians then continued to motor along at four runs per over to be 1 for 143 at tea.� During the evening session, India dismissed Ponting (54) at 2 for 164 before Langer posted his 16th Test century.� When bad light stopped play, Australia was in control at 2 for 262 off 62 overs.
Continual rain allowed only 28 minutes of play before lunch on the second day.� In the space of seven balls and seven runs, India trapped Langer (121) in front of his stumps, ran out Martyn (42) while Waugh (0) hit his own wicket.� At lunch, Australia was far less in control at 5 for 275.� Rain continued to delay play until after tea when play resumed.� India quickly dismissed Gilchrist (0), Bichel (11), Katich (16) and Gillespie (8) as Australia crumbled to 9 for 317.� When bad light stopped play, Australia was still well placed at 9 for 323, however, the Indian's confidence was at an all time high having taken 7 for 61 in just 16 overs.
Rain continued to fall throughout the third day, turned the Test into a farce.� Eventually, well after the scheduled tea interval, play became possible. �Australia, rather than simply declaring with their numbers ten and eleven at the crease, elected to bat on.� On the first ball, MacGill (1) skied the ball to gully and Australia was all out for 323 runs.� Zaheer Kahn was the best of the bowlers with 5 for 95 off 23 overs.� After ten unnecessary minutes for the change of innings, India came out and scored eleven runs before the rain returned to finish the day.
India began the fourth morning strongly and took the total to 61 before Sehwag (45), Dravid (1) and Tendulkar (0) were out with India suddenly set back on their heels at 3 for 62.� India then consolidated and went to lunch at 3 for 126, having passed the follow on target.� Australia began the afternoon session by catching Chopra (36) in the first over.� However, India again began to pile on the runs until Laxman (75) was out at 5 for 273.� Ganguly posted his eleventh Test century before falling for 144.� When bad light stopped play, India was 6 for 362 with a lead of 39 runs.
India resumed on the final morning with little prospect of a result other than a draw.� Australia dismissed Agarkar (12) off the first ball of the morning and then Patel (37), Zaheer Khan (27) and Nehra (0) fell.� India lost their final four wickets for the addition of 47 runs and was all out for 49 runs and a first innings lead of 86 runs.� Gillespie (4 for 65 off 31 overs) and MacGill (4 for 86 off 26.1 overs) shared the bowling honours.� India dismissed Langer (0) in the second over, but was unable to make further inroads before Australia went to lunch at 1 for 59.� Australia flayed the bowling during the afternoon session and added 168 runs for the loss of Ponting (50) and Hayden (99) to be 3 for 227 at tea.� During the evening session, Martyn (66*) and Waugh (56*) took the total to 3 for 284 and a lead of 199 runs before an unexpected declaration was made.� India had been set 199 runs at a required rate of eight runs per over for victory.� The Indians initially looked to be interested, until Sehwag (0) and Chopra (4) were both out in Bracken's first over at 2 for 4.� Thereafter, India batted out the evening session at 4.5 runs per over until the match was declared a draw, India was 2 for 73.
Second Test
Adelaide
12 - 16 December 2003
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first.� India dismissed Hayden (12) at 1 for 22 and then Sehwag dropped Ponting when he was on 17.� The reprieve proved very costly as Australia then grabbed back the initiative.� While India dismissed Langer (58) at 2 for 135 shortly before lunch, Australia had already taken control.� Australia continued to pile on the runs, at one point the innings average was over five runs per over.� India managed to dismiss Martyn (30) during the afternoon session.� However, Ponting posted his 19th Test century while Australia took the score to 3 for 241 at tea.� Straight after tea, Waugh (30) was bowled at 4 for 252 and India had created an opportunity where a couple of quick wickets could have swung the game their way.� Unfortunately, India was unable to break through and Australia took the score to 5 for 400 at stumps, having lost Katich (75) in the second last over before stumps and with Ponting not out on 176 runs.
Australia continued to plunder the Indian attack on the second morning.� Despite India dismissing Gilchrist (29) and Bichel (19) during the session, Ponting passed his double century and extended his highest Test score.� At lunch, Australia was in complete control at 7 for 523.� India eventually dismissed Ponting (242) during the afternoon session and then Williams (0) and MacGill (0) fell in the same Kumble over to see Australia all out for 556.� Kumble was the best of the bowlers with 5 for 154 off 43 overs.� India began their reply confidently and took the score to 66 before Chopra (27) was dismissed.� Sehwag (47) fell just before India went to tea at 2 for 81.� India made a poor start to the evening session after losing Tendulkar (1) and then running out Ganguly (2) to be 4 for 85.� However, Dravid and Laxman then batted through to stumps to finish the day at 4 for 180, still 177 runs short of the follow on target.
Laxman and Dravid continued to frustrate the Australians on the third morning and brought back memories of their 2000-01 home series defeat of the Australians.� After an early spilled slips catch, the pair batted through the morning session and took the score to 4 for 252.� Australia was kept at bay while each batsman posted a century before the final ball of the session dismissed Laxman (148) at 5 for 388.� Australia managed to dismiss Patel (31) and Agarkar (11) during the evening session.� However, at stumps, India was only 79 runs in arrears at 7 for 477 with Dravid not out on 199.� Any advantage the home side had was quickly evaporating.�
India continued to close down Australia's first innings lead on the fourth morning.� However, after almost ninety minutes, India was all out for 523 after Kumble (12), Pathan (1) and Dravid (233) were dismissed.� Bichel was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 118 off 28 overs.� Australia began adding to their 33 run first innings lead, however, India struck quickly and dismissed Langer (10) and Ponting (0).� At lunch, the match was in the balance with Australia 2 for 21 holding a slender lead of 54 runs, but not having to bat last.� India dismissed Hayden (17) at 3 for 44, which bought Stephen Waugh to the crease for the last time in Adelaide in conditions within which he defined his career - three down for bugger all.� India dismissed Martyn (38) mid way through the session and then Waugh (42) was unable to perform another miracle when, on the stroke of tea, he was caught with the score 5 for 112 and an overall lead of 145 runs.� Australia was bowled out during the evening session for a total of 196 runs after Gilchrist (43), Bichel (1), Katich (31), Gillespie (3) and MacGill (1) were dismissed in the space of 13 runs.� Agarkar recorded career best figures of 6 for 41 off 16.2 overs to claim the bowling honours.� India, having been set a target of 230 runs from 100 overs, finished the day with the match there for the taking at no wicket for 37.
Australia struck early on the final morning to dismiss Chopra (20) at 1 for 48 before dropping Dravid when he had accumulated nine runs.� Australia then struggled to apply the pressure on India as Gillespie left the field with a muscle strain.� Australia only managed to dismiss Sehwag (47) before India went to lunch at 2 for 108, still 122 runs short of victory.� During the key afternoon session, Australia was only able to wheedle out Tendulkar (37) and Ganguly (12) when in reality the home side needed to crash through to the tail end batsmen.� By tea, India was 4 for 217, with only 13 runs required to secure victory.� Australia was able to dismiss Laxman (32) and Patel (3) before India hit the winning runs leaving Dravid (72*) and Agarkar (0*) the not out batsmen while MacGill (2 for 101 off 24.4 overs) and Katich (2 for 22 off 8 overs) shared the bowling honours.� The final result was a win for India by four wickets.
Third Test
Melbourne
26 - 30 December 2003
India won the toss and elected to bat first.� After a missing a simple run out opportunity and a dropped catch, India weathered the first hour and then accelerated to be 89 without loss at lunch.� Two more dropped catches by Australia did nothing to slow the tourists as they added another 130 runs for the loss of Chopra (48) to be 1 for 219 at tea.� Australia hit back in the final session to win their first session of the match.� After India had reached 1 for 278, Australia dismissed Dravid (49), Tendulkar (0) and Sehwag (195) in the space of 33 runs.� At stumps, India was comfortably placed at 4 for 329 and looking to set an imposing first innings total.
Australia carried their form from the final session into the second morning and destroyed the Indian innings.� In barely more than an hours play, India lost Ganguly (37), Patel (0), Agarkar (0), Kumble (3), Laxman (19) and Nehra (0) to be all out for 366.� MacGill was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 70 off 15 overs.� Australia began their reply and lost Langer (14) before going to lunch at 1 for 35.� India failed to make any further break throughs during the afternoon session and at tea, Australia was 1 for 149.� Australia zoomed past the follow on target and took the total to 264 before Hayden (136) was trapped in front.� Ponting posted his 20th Test century before Gilchrist (14), who was unsuccessfully elevated up the order, fell at 3 for 295.� At stumps, Australia was 3 for 317, only 49 runs in arrears and looking to set a substantial first innings lead.
Australia strolled past the Indian total and began amassing a lead on the third morning.� India managed to dismiss Martyn (31) and injure Waugh on his second delivery such that he retired hurt.� At lunch, Australia was 4 for 396.� India dismissed Katich (29) at 5 for 437 before Australia went to tea at 5 for 480.� Waugh (19) was out at 6 for 502 while Ponting pasted his second successive double century and his third for 2003.� Lee (8), Bracken (1), Ponting (257) and MacGill (0) fell during the evening session and Australia was all out for 558.� Kumble was the best of the bowlers with 6 for 176 off 51 overs.� India began to erase the 192 runs first innings deficit, however, they lost openers Chopra (4) and Sehwag (11) before ending the day in some trouble at 2 for 27.
Australia knew that a couple of quick wickets on the fourth morning would see the match over by the end of the fourth day.� However, India managed to hold out the home side and took the score to 2 for 109 at lunch.� India's resistance continued during the afternoon.� However, Tendulkar (44) and Laxman (18) fell early in the afternoon session to open the door for Australia.� India then firmly closed that door by batting through to be 4 for 182 at tea with only ten runs remaining before they could set a final innings target.� The evening session proved crucial and a repeat of the Indian first innings.� India lost their final six wickets in the space of only 33 runs after Dravid (92), Ganguly (73), Agarkar (1), Kumble (0), Zaheer Kahn (1) and Nehra (0) were all dismissed.� India was all out for 286 at stumps leaving Australia a final innings target of 95 runs on the final day to win the match and level the series.� Williams was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 53 off 22 overs.�
India dismissed Langer (2) at 1 for 9 to send a shiver up the spine of the Australian dressing room. However, Hayden (53*) and Ponting (31*) went about scoring the 95 runs required to claim victory by a nine wickets, 30 minutes before the scheduled lunch interval.
Fourth Test
Sydney
02 - 06 January 2004
For all India, the fourth Test was all about a chance to defeat Australia on its own turf.� For all of Australia, the fourth Test was all about farewelling Stephen Rodger Waugh.� Waugh has been a faithful servant of Australian cricket since 1985-86 and has led the nation's team to unprecedented highs in Test cricket since 1999.� For Australia, Waugh is the last link back to a decade most would prefer to forget before the ashes tour of 1989.� Newer followers of test cricket will not recall the regular devastation Sir Vivian Richards' West Indians wreaked upon Australia, regular losses to England, an almost complete inability to win anything outside of Australia and a win rate of 24 per cent over 85 tests from 1980 to mid 1989.� Waugh's captaincy to date has yielded a 75 per cent win rate over 55 Tests.� For Australia, Waugh is a national icon, hero and legend.� From our perspective, Waugh has led the Australians to the highest rating in Test cricket history.
Leaving all of that aside, India won the toss and elected to bat first.� Australia again missed their chances in the first session with a wicket off a no ball followed immediately by a dropped catch.� By the end of the session, India had weathered the storm to go to lunch at no wicket for 98.� Australia fought back to win the afternoon session after dismissing both openers Sehwag (72) and Chopra (45) while India only added 53 runs to be 2 for 151 at tea.� A hard fought evening session saw Australia dismiss Dravid (38). However, India then batted through to stumps to be 3 for 284 and well positioned to make a very large first innings total.
Australia began the second morning hoping someone had passed the script for Waugh's farewell party to the Indians - ie, collapse first thing and let the home side send him out a winner.� Apparently, the script must have been put under the wrong door as Tendulkar, who posted his 34th Test century, and Laxman just kept batting and batting through to lunch when the score was 3 for 387.� Australia failed to take a wicket during the afternoon session either while Laxman went on to post his seventh Test century and at tea, India was 3 for 495.� A full 24 hours and five minutes elapsed, and 353 runs added, from the fall off the third wicket to Laxman (178) being bowled at 4 for 547.� Ganguly (16) followed at 5 for 650.� Tendulkar, who had added his third double century and Patel then batted through to the end of the day to be 5 for 650 to put India into a seemingly unbeatable position from which they could chase a victory - assuming India actually declare sometime soon.� However, with rain forecast on days four and five, the chance of a draw could rise.
India continued batting on the third morning and Patel posted his first Test half-century before being caught behind on 62 while Tendulkar past his highest Test total.� Australia dismissed Agarkar (2) before India declared at 7 for 705 with Tendulkar not out on 241.� The 705 run total was India's all time highest total and the highest ever on the SCG.� Lee was the most successful bowler with 4 for 201 off 39.3 while Gillespie was the best of the bowlers with 3 for 135 off 45 overs.� Australia began the daunting task of avoiding the follow on and faced 16 overs before going to lunch at no wicket for 49.� Australia powered through the afternoon session, scoring at over six runs per over to end the session on 1 for 210 for the loss of Hayden (67).� India struck back hard during the evening session and dealt Australia a body blow by dismissing Langer (117), Ponting (25), Martyn (7), Waugh (40) and Gilchrist (6) to have Australia all but dead in the water at 6 got 342, still needing another 164 runs to avoid following on and certain defeat - not the scripted end for Waugh's party, but perhaps it will rain ...
India dismissed Lee (0) early on the fourth morning before Gillespie and Katich, who posted his maiden Test century, batted through to lunch when the score was 7 for 448.� India eventually ran through the Australians during the afternoon session by dismissing Katich (125), Gillespie (47) and Bracken (2) to have Australia all out for 474 runs.� Kumble was ominously the best of the bowlers with 8 for 141 off 46.5 overs.� India elected not to enforce the follow on and at tea, had added 66 runs for the loss of Chopra (2) to their first innings lead of 231 runs.� India plundered the bowling during the evening session while losing Sehwag (47).� When Dravid (91*) was hit behind the ear by a Lee bouncer, Ganguly declared at 2 for 211 leaving Tendulkar the other not out batsman on 60.� Australia was left with 94 overs to score 443 runs at a rate of 4.7 runs per over to send Waugh off a winner.� While they ended the day at no wicket for ten from four overs, one thing is for certain - they will try very hard.
Australia resumed on the final morning and gave every indication that they were going for the win.� Despite a 20 minute rain interruption, Hayden and Langer slapped the ball around before Hayden (30) and Langer (47) were dismissed within the space of 17 runs for Australia to be 2 for 92.� By lunch, Australia was 2 for 117 from 27 overs and right on target with the required run rate.� However, during the afternoon session, Ponting and Martyn slowed down as Kumble tightened the screws.� Eventually, Martyn (40) and Ponting (47) fell and Australia was 4 for 196.� Waugh and Katich then saw the home side through to tea at 4 for 204.� An Australian win looked remote, but Waugh suddenly gave the indication that he was still interested after tea and eventually, Ganguly spread the field and prevented any chance of a boundary until a very unlikely chance became an impossibility.� Waugh, in his final innings had reached his 50th Test 50 and, after reaching 65 started searching for an elusive 33rd Test century with the crowd's support.� Eventually, Waugh (80) was caught on the boundary at 5 for 338, knowing that Australia could not lose from there.� Despite Gilchrist (4) being stumped later that over, Australia ended the match at 6 for 357 and a draw was declared.� Kumble was the best of the bowlers with 4 for 138 off 42 overs.
