Australian cricket team in India in 2008–09

|  |
|  Australia|  India
Dates|  27 September – 10 November 2008
Captains|  Ricky Ponting|  Anil Kumble (1st, 3rd)
MS Dhoni (2nd, 4th)
Test series
Result|  India won the 4-match series 2–0
Most runs|  Michael Hussey (394)|  Gautam Gambhir (463)
Most wickets|  Mitchell Johnson (13)|  Ishant Sharma (15)
Harbhajan Singh (15)
Player of the series|  Ishant Sharma (Ind)

The Australian cricket team toured India from 27 September to 10 November 2008 and played four test matches, for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.[1] During the second test match in Mohali Sachin Tendulkar became the first person to make 12,000 runs in Test cricket breaking Brian Lara's record of 11,953 runs.[2][3] Sachin described "It is definitely the biggest achievement in 19 years of my career" on the day he achieved the record.[4] India's 320 run victory in the second test match was also their biggest win against Australia in terms of runs, eclipsing the 222-run victory that came in Melbourne in 1977 and their biggest test win ever in terms of runs.[5] In the first innings of the third test match in Delhi, Gautam Gambhir and V. V. S. Laxman became the first Indian players to both score a double century in a test innings.[6] This series also witnessed the last Tests of two Indian cricketers – Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly.[7]

## Security concerns and controversy before the tour[edit]

Before the Australian cricket team was scheduled to tour India and play a series of Test matches, one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches, it was doubtful if the Australian cricket team would tour India after the terror attacks in Delhi and the press briefing given by India's National Security Advisor M. K. Narayan that raised issues of security concern in the minds of Australia's cricketers.

On 13 September 2008, serial bomb blasts took place in India's capital city Delhi in which 30 people died and over 100 people were injured.[8] The very next day after the blasts, Cricket Australia (CA) issued a statement saying that it would review the security situation in the wake of the blasts and make its decision the next week after performing a risk assessment.[9] The Board of Control for Cricket in India, however, asserted that the blast would have no bearing on the cricket tour which would go ahead as scheduled.[10] However, a conflicting report made on 15 September claimed that the CA had briefed that the tour was on track.[11] Following these reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lashed at the Australian cricket establishment for agreeing to tour India while postponing their tour to Pakistan in early 2008 and accused the Board of adopting double standards.[12] One PCB official even called the Australians "lilly-livered cowards"[13] But Ricky Ponting issued a statement vindicating CA's stand by saying that the circumstances accompanying the cancellation of Australia's tour of Pakistan were entirely different.[14] before adding on 17 September that the tour was not confirmed yet[15] and that it could go either way.[16]

## Squads[edit]

Test Squads

India |  Australia
Anil Kumble (c) | Ricky Ponting (c)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (vc) / (wk) | Brad Haddin (wk)(vc)
Virender Sehwag | Michael Clarke
Rahul Dravid | Matthew Hayden
Sourav Ganguly | Shaun Marsh
V. V. S. Laxman | Michael Hussey
Harbhajan Singh | Cameron White[17]
Rudra Pratap Singh | Simon Katich
Munaf Patel | Shane Watson
Zaheer Khan | Doug Bollinger
Gautam Gambhir | Peter Siddle
Sachin Tendulkar | Jason Krejza
Subramaniam Badrinath | Mitchell Johnson
Amit Mishra | Stuart Clark
Ishant Sharma | Brett Lee
Murali Vijay[18] | Bryce McGain[19]

## Tour matches[edit]

### Two-day: Rajasthan Cricket Association XI v Australians[edit]

27–28 September 2008
Scorecard

Australians

Rajasthan Cricket Association XI

|
|

218 (77.1 overs)
Simon Katich 73 (105)
Gajendra Singh 5/58 (22.1 overs)

|  |

122 (52.2 overs)
Robin Bist 34 (92)
Doug Bollinger 3/9 (9.2 overs)

|  |

Match drawn
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Umpires: Kamlesh Sharma and Vijendra Yadav

* Australians won the toss and elected to bat.
* Rajasthan Cricket Association XI played with 13 players (11 to bat and field) and Australians with 15 (11 to bat and field).

### Four-day: Indian Board President's XI v Australians[edit]

2–4 October 2008
Scorecard

Indian Board President's XI

Australians

|
|

455 (108.4 overs)
Rohit Sharma 105 (144)
Mitchell Johnson 4/75 (23.4 overs)

|  |

314 (120.3 overs)
Michael Hussey 126* (302)
Piyush Chawla 5/89 (40 overs)

292/4d (70 overs)
Yuvraj Singh 113 (143)
Stuart Clark 3/33 (13 overs)

|  |

127/2 (38 overs)
Ricky Ponting 58* (97)
Manpreet Gony 1/20 (4 overs)

Match drawn
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
Umpires: Amiesh Saheba and Shavir Tarapore

* Indian Board President's XI won the toss and elected to bat.

## Test series[edit]

### 1st Test[edit]

9–13 October
Scorecard

Australia

India

|
|

430 (149.5 overs)
Michael Hussey 146 (276)
Zaheer Khan 5/91 (29.5 overs)

|  |

360 (119 overs)
Zaheer Khan 57* (121)
Mitchell Johnson 4/70 (27 overs)

228/6d (73 overs)
Shane Watson 41 (72)
Ishant Sharma 3/40 (14 overs)

|  |

177/4 (73 overs)
Sachin Tendulkar 49 (126)
Stuart Clark 1/12 (11 overs)

Match Drawn
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pak) and Rudi Koertzen (SA)
Player of the match: Zaheer Khan (Ind)

* Rain delays on days 2 & 3, bad light on day 5
* Cameron White (Aus) made his Test debut.

Australia batted first and centuries from Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey makes them put a score of 430 Indian pacer Zaheer Khan took five wickets. India reply with 360 with half centuries from Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh . Australia declared their second innings at 228/6 setting up India a target of 299 in the final day of play and India batsmen played carefully to end the match to draw.

Zaheer Khan was awarded Man Of the Match for his all-round performance in the match.

### 2nd Test[edit]

17–21 October
Scorecard

India

Australia

|
|

469 (129 overs)
Sourav Ganguly 102 (225)
Mitchell Johnson 3/85 (27 overs)

|  |

268 (101.4 overs)
Shane Watson 78 (156)
Amit Mishra 5/71 (26.4 overs)

314/3d (65 overs)
Gautam Gambhir 104 (138)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni 68* (84)
Cameron White 1/48 (8 overs)

|  |

195 (64.4 overs)
Michael Clarke 69 (152)
Harbhajan Singh 3/36 (20 overs)

India won by 320 runs
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pak) and Rudi Koertzen (SA)
Player of the match: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)

* Amit Mishra (Ind) and Peter Siddle (Aus) both made their Test debuts.

Prior to the Second Test starting on 17 October in Mohali, Australian opening batsman Phil Jaques (who did not play in the opening Test) was sent home after failing to overcome a back injury. He was replaced in the squad by Shaun Marsh, who had opened the batting in the recently concluded One Day Internationals against the West Indies and had been the leading run-scorer in the 2008 Indian Premier League.[20] Victorian fast-bowler Peter Siddle made his international debut, after Stuart Clark injured his elbow. Heavy rains interrupted pitch preparations for the Test, and curator Daljit Singh said, "Heavy rains came down as recently as 4 October and water, two and a half feet deep, collected on the surface which initially affected our ground preparations." The tourists had never played a Test at the venue; however, Indian batsmen Laxman, Sehwag, Dravid, Ganguly and Tendulkar all averaged over 50 at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.[21][22]

Winning the toss and batting, India reached 5/311 by stumps on the opening day, and despite the rain, the pitch was flat with "hardly any swing or movement", enabling the batsmen to hit through the line of the ball. During the day, Sachin Tendulkar became Test cricket's highest run-scorer when he steered a Siddle delivery down to third-man for three. He overtook former West Indian batsman Brian Lara's previous record of 11,953 runs.[23] However, Australia struggled and managed 268 only after the last three wickets put on more than 100. India dominated for the rest of this match and Australia could barely keep up in this record-setting match.

### 3rd Test[edit]

29 October – 2 November
Scorecard

India

Australia

|
|

613/7 dec (171 overs)
Gautam Gambhir 206 (380)
Mitchell Johnson 3/142 (32 overs)

|  |

577 (179.3 overs)
Michael Clarke 112 (253)
Virender Sehwag 5/104 (40 overs)

208/5 dec (77.3 overs)
V. V. S. Laxman 59* (130)
Brett Lee 2/48 (17 overs)

|  |

31/0 (8 overs)
Matthew Hayden 16* (29)
Amit Mishra 0/2 (2 overs)

Match Drawn
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) and Billy Bowden (NZ)
Player of the match: VVS Laxman (Ind)

India batted for almost two days to set themselves up in a dominant position. However the Australians were able to bat for another two days and save the test. The Indians declared late on the final day to give the retiring Anil Kumble a few final overs.

### 4th Test[edit]

6–10 November
Scorecard

India

Australia

|
|

441 (124.5 overs)
Sachin Tendulkar 109 (188)
Jason Krejza 8/215 (43.5 overs)

|  |

355 (134.4 overs)
Simon Katich 102 (189)
Harbhajan Singh 3/94 (37 overs)

295 (82.4 overs)
Virender Sehwag 92 (107)
Shane Watson 4/42 (15.4 overs)

|  |

209 (50.2 overs)
Matthew Hayden 77 (93)
Harbhajan Singh 4/64 (18.2 overs)

India won by 172 runs
Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pak) and Billy Bowden (NZ)
Player of the match: Jason Krejza (Aus)

* Jason Krejza (Aus) and Murali Vijay made their Test debuts. Sourav Ganguly (Ind) played his last test.

This game see-sawed throughout and going into the final day Australia were chasing a large target for victory, however in spite of some good early batting from Matthew Hayden amongst others, the target and the fifth day pitch proved too much for the Australians. The match also saw some unusual (and controversial) tactics on the fourth day by the Australians.[24] Following the Tea Break, they were in a dominant position, however they were a long way behind on their over rate. So to prevent a one match suspension to captain Ricky Ponting, they chose to bowl their part-time bowlers such as Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey (who were both unsuccessful in capturing a wicket), to make it up. This drew strong criticism from many commentators, who suggested that their faster bowlers could have bowled from a shorter run-up[citation needed]. This was also the last test match for Sourav Ganguly.

* Man of the Series – Ishant Sharma – equal top-wicket taker (with Harbhajan Singh) 15 wickets

## See also[edit]

* Ricky Ponting with the Australian cricket team in India in 2008-09

## References[edit]

1. ^ Schedule of the series
2. ^ "Tendulkar breaks Lara's record". ESPNcricinfo. 17 October 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
3. ^ "Tendulkar makes history in Mohali". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 October 2008. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
4. ^ Special Correspondent (18 October 2008). "Tendulkar scales another peak". The Hindu. India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
5. ^ "India win Mohali Test by 320 runs". Agencies. 21 October 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
6. ^ Brett, Oliver (30 October 2008). "India v Australia 3rd Test". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 November 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
7. ^ "'I want to cherish this for a long period'". ESPNcricinfo. 10 November 2008.
8. ^ Tripathi, Rahul (14 September 2008). "Serial blasts rock Delhi; 30 dead, 90 injured". The Times of India. India. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
9. ^ "CA to review security situation in India following blasts". Press Trust of India. India Today. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
10. ^ "No threat to Australia tour: BCCI". Economic Times. India. 14 September 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
11. ^ "Australia condemns Delhi bombings, cricket tour on track". Tehran Times. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
12. ^ "PCB blasts Cricket Australia for double standard". The Times of India. India. 15 September 2008. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
13. ^ "PCB calls Australians 'lily-livered cowards': Report". The Times of India. India. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
14. ^ Todd, Mark (18 September 2008). "India not Pakistan, Ricky Ponting says of tour". The Australian. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
15. ^ "Ponting says tour of India not confirmed". PTI. India Today. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
16. ^ "Security could still scupper Australia tour of India: Ponting". ABC Online. AFP. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
17. ^ Called up due to McGain injury.
18. ^ Called up due to suspension to Gambhir for Fourth Test.
19. ^ Sent home due to injury, replaced by White
20. ^ Ponting and Armstrong (2009), p. 27.
21. ^ "Rain affects ground preparation". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. 15 October 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
22. ^ Talya, Siddhartha (16 October 2008). "Not much for spin, especially from overseas". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
23. ^ "Tendulkar breaks Lara's record". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN. 17 October 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
24. ^ "Cricket writers and commentators were stunned by what they saw as [Ponting's] efforts to improve Australia's sluggish over rate rather than going for broke to try and win the vital Nagpur Test." "Aussie press slams Ponting tactics Archived 14 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine", AFP 9 November 2008.

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