Rajasthan Cricket Association vs Australia: First Day Report
Australia started their competitive cricket in their tour of India today with the two-day match against Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA)’s Centre of Excellence team at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. However, the visiting side failed to get off to a good start as their first innings got bundled out for 218 after Ricky Ponting elected to bat first winning the toss.
Australian openers started off well as they put on 54 runs on the scoreboard for the first wicket partnership. Michael Hayden scored 16 before, while his opening partner Simon Katich scored innings highest 73. Australian middle order looked fragile against Rajasthan’s 20-year-old left arm spinner Gajendra Singh who stirred a collapse in their middle order that saw Australia reducing from 54 for 1 to 118 for 5. Gajendra Singh picked up five wickets 58 in the first innings. Shane Watson tried to build up the innings, playing an important innings of 81-ball 30. Sumit Mathur picked up two wickets, while Venugopal Rao took one.
However, Australian pacers brought a good start picking up the Rajasthan openers for ducks. Brett Lee bowling Shubhanshu Vijay in the very first ball of the Rajasthan innings, while Vineet Saxena got played on off Stuart Clark without scoring any run. However, Rajasthan’s two former Indian internationals, Gagan Khoda and Venugopal Rao, got set in the wicket as both the batsmen were batting on 18 each at stumps of the day.
To be honest, I am not that much optimistic to say that RCA’s Center of Excellence team would be able to take a lead in the first innings. However, one thing is for sure that the match is going to be drawn, if nothing extraordinary happens tomorrow. Australian batsmen have already got some problems to work out before they face India in the first test, starting from 9 October 2008. Now, let us see if Australian batsmen overcome all the shortcomings before the four-match test series gets underway.
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