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Plays of the day
It really is Australia's day
Cricinfo staff
January 26, 2008
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Allan Border was one of the celebrities out to celebrate Australia Day
© Getty Images
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Adelaide comes alive
You couldn't miss the fact that it's Australia Day. More flags than usual were on
display and people made an extra-special effort to wear the green and gold.
Adelaide residents are very proud of getting the Test back at this time of the year - it's
recent home has usually been in December - and so popular is the holiday that the
day was a sell-out.
A 21-gun salute and barely visible mid-day fireworks sparked the celebrations while
in town a parade of people wearing their national costume shuffled heavily along in
the dry-but-fierce heat. Many nationalities were represented including Chinese,
Filipino, Belgians and Indians. For India, it's Republic Day too, though the day of
independence, August 15, tends to be a bigger deal.
Teenage sensation
Ishant Sharma showed his ability to produce wicket balls was no Perth fluke when he
upended Matthew Hayden with a classic reverse-swinging inswinger. Coming from around
the wicket, Sharma's delivery swung through Hayden's defensive effort and thumped
into his off stump. Hayden was 103 and had looked as steady as the four Adelaide
Oval light towers. Sharma, the 19-year-old, had burst through again.
Modus operandi
While none of the Indian batsmen were bowled in their innings, all three Australian
wickets fell in that fashion. Phil Jaques will blame himself for swiping across the
line to one that angled in from Kumble but Hayden and Michael Hussey were
undone by jaffas that swung into them. Ishant produced the ball of the day to
crash through Hayden's defences while Irfan Pathan swerved one in to beat Hussey. On
a wearing pitch, expect more in this Test.
Luck of the bounce
Trouble has followed Ricky Ponting during the series, but he was able to avoid what
would have been an unfortunate dismissal to the courageous Ishant. While the Indians
appealed for an lbw decision, the ball popped over Ponting's head and was dropping
between the batsman and the stumps when it hit his bat. With Ponting looking towards
Ishant, the ball was diverted from around leg stump towards off before skirting away
from danger.
Pathan walks the line
Pathan was flirting with trouble all day. First he had a long chat with
Hayden when an lbw appeal was turned down before lunch, prompting Hayden to
walk up to Billy Bowden and complain. Pathan later had an inordinately long appeal
against Hussey before being in the thick of action when Harbhajan Singh
collided with Ponting. Anything for a good verbal joust, it seems.
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