da blaze casino： The Tasmanian batsmen thrashed the depleted Indian attack on the thirdday of the tourists’ game at Hobart on Sunday to give their team alead of 156 runs with six first innings wickets intact
Partab Ramchand19-Dec-1999The Tasmanian batsmen thrashed the depleted Indian attack on the thirdday of the tourists’ game at Hobart on Sunday to give their team alead of 156 runs with six first innings wickets intact. With a daystill left, the batsmen have given the home side a chance to force avictory.Resuming at 159 for no loss, Tasmania by close of play had reached 472for four wickets, thanks in the main to centuries by skipper Jamie Coxand Daniel Marsh, son of former Australian wicket keeping great RodneyMarsh.Dene Hills and Cox were not separated in the morning till they had puton 205 runs off 70.4 overs. Even this partnership was broken, not byany of the bowlers but through a run out effected by Ramesh. Hills hadbatted five minutes short of five hours for his 84. He faced 210 ballsand hit eleven of them to the ropes.The Indians had the satisfaction of dismissing the highly ratedMichael Di Venuto for 12. He was caught by Mongia, trying to slashVijay Bhardwaj. But this was the only brief period of ascendency forthe Indians. Cox and Andrew Dykes then added 50 runs for the thirdwicket off 17.2 overs before the captain finally fell for 139. He wascaught at mid on by Venkatesh Prasad off Ganguly after batting 400minutes. The 30-year-old Cox, who leads Somerset in the English countychampionship, faced 278 balls and hit 13 fours. It was his 24th firstclass hundred.There was no respite for the Indians even after Cox had beendismissed. For, Dykes and Marsh got entrenched without any discomfortin a fourth wicket association that added 104 runs and lasted 24overs. Dykes was finally out leg before to Bhardwaj for 61. He batteda shade under three hours, faced 135 balls and had seven boundaryhits.Marsh and S Young then rubbed salt into the Indians’ wounds by adding91 runs in a shade under two hours off 29.1 overs for the unbrokenfifth wicket. Marsh proceeded comfortably towards his hundred and atclose was unbeaten with 118 compiled off 221 minutes. The aggressiveMarsh faced 156 balls and hit eight fours and a six. Keeping himcompany was Young with 32. He faced 97 balls and hit three fours.In cold, blustery conditions, the limitations of the bowlers wereexposed. All the three medium pacers Prasad, Mohanty and Kumaranfinished wicketless after bowling a total of 70 overs between them.Most disappointing however was Harbhajan Singh. The off spinner sentdown 38 overs and conceded 108 runs without taking a wicket. Bhardwaj(2 for 84) and Ganguly (1 for 42) were the only wickettakers. Kanitkar bowled only four overs.