Indian spinning trio take centre stage

Press, 27 December 1985, Page 26

Indian spinning trio take centre stage

NZPA-AAP Melbourne Kapil Dev’s successful call of the toss gave India a Boxing Day gift and practically wrapped up the Australians on a spiteful M.C.G. strip in the second cricket test yesterday. The much-maligned wicket lived up to the prediction of the curator, Jack Lyons, of having early mystery before settling down. •'We were shellshocked,” said the Australian opener, Wayne Phillips. “There was plenty of moisture in it and pieces of the strip kept coming loose on the surface.” A lone pigeon, oblivious of its danger, stood close to the scene of the action only a few metres away from the Australians, giving them the bird all day as the wickets toppled. At stumps Australia was

210 for eight after bad light stopped play at 5.32 p.m. Only Greg Matthews (54 not out), and David Hookes, who was bowled by Ravi Shastri for 42, had appeared at ease against the deadly bite of the Indian cobra. The spinning trio of Shastri, Shivlal Yadav and Laxman Shivaramakrishnan took centre stage all day, grabbing all eight wickets to fall. Shastri took the honours with four for 64 from .33 at times unplayable overs. Yadav had two for 50 and the little man with the big name, Shivaramakrishnan, two for 51. Australia has not won at the M.C.G. since 1967-68 against India; and in 1977-78 on the M.C.G., B. S. Chandrasekhar took a match total of 12 for 104 when the

Indians won by 222 runs. But it was more like the variety to be found in an Indian bazaar yesterday as the Australians wended their way to and from the dressing room.

AUSTRALIA First innings W. Phillips b Yadav 7, D. Boon lbw b Shastri 14, G. Marsh c Shivaramakrishnan b Yadav 30, A. Border c and b Shivaramakrishnan 11, D. Hookes b Shastri 42, S. Waugh c Kapil Dev b Shivaramakrishnan 13, Matthews not out 54, R. Bright b Shastri 28, C. McDermott c Kapil Dev b Shastri 1, B. Reid not out 0. Extras (b 5 lbs) 10. Total for 8 wickets 210. Fall: 22, 26, 41, 90, 109, 127, 193, 195. Bowling.— Kapil Dev 18.2, 6, 24, 0; R. Binny 3,0, 11, 0; R. Shastri 33, 13, 64, 4; S. Yadav 24, 10, 50, 2; L. Shivaramakrishnan 13, 2, 51, 2.