Cricket: Scene now set for another great battle

CHENNAI - Fittingly, having played in the defining test match of their generation, the Australian cricketers arrived in Chennai yesterday at the scene of one of the greatest battles waged by a previous generation of men in baggy green.

It was here 15 years ago that Australia and India played in only the second tied test in cricket history - a match which has gone down in Australian legend for the fighting qualities of Dean Jones, who batted himself into hospital on the way to a double century in the relentless heat and humidity.

It probably will take another performance of that calibre if Steve Waugh's team are to realise their long-held ambition of winning a series in India for the first time in 32 years.

This team has been all about rewriting history with their 16-match winning streak, but the Australians arrived in the city formerly known as Madras with the distinction of being only the third team in test cricket to lose a game after forcing the opposition to follow-on.

And each time it was an Australian team on the losing end, with Steve Waugh joining Jack Blackham (1894 v England, lost by 10 runs at Sydney) and Kim Hughes (1981 v England, lost by 18 runs at Headingley) as the captains who made what would normally be a safe decision only to see the match taken away from them.

Waugh said he had no regrets about making India bat again in Calcutta, despite the possibility Australia were going to have to bat last on a wearing pitch.

"I never thought twice about it," Waugh said. "India in nine previous innings against us had not scored a big total. If anyone thinks I shouldn't have enforced the follow-on they should have come to see me a couple of days ago."

Although his predecessors in the unenviable role both lost narrowly, Waugh's men were thumped by 171 runs in a test match that will long be remembered for its milestones and the way both teams' fortunes ebbed and flowed to extreme levels.

On each day there was at least one twist to change the pattern of the game and send the match tilting to one side like an over-laden Calcutta bus.

On the first day it was Harbhajan Singh's hat-trick, on the second it was Waugh's stubborn and emotional hundred to rescue Australia, followed by India's stunning collapse.

The third day saw the resurgence of India through VVS Laxman, who finished the day with his second test century - only an inkling of what was to follow as he eventually made 281 and with Rahul Dravid (180), added 376 for the fifth wicket over seven hours.

On the final day, Australia may have entertained hopes of winning, despite needing 384 runs off 75 overs but, under the mesmerising twirl of Harbhajan's hands, India plucked the game out of Calcutta's dusty air by taking seven for 46 on the final afternoon to conjure up a historic victory.

Waugh, seeking Australia's 17th straight win, always praised his team's ability to survive tight situations. Yesterday, a hero was not forthcoming for the first time in nearly 18 months.

"We've been under plenty of pressure situations in the past and come through them - this time we weren't up to it. We knew what we had to do to draw the game and we weren't good enough."

In response to India's stacking their squad with even more spinners for the Chennai match, starting tomorrow, Australia will probably recall Colin Miller.

Ricky Ponting's No 6 spot could be under threat after he looked completely at sea against Harbhajan, who has now taken his wicket three times for the princely sum of six runs.

India's selectors have made three changes in naming a 14-man squad for the test. They have called up experienced paceman Javagal Srinath, uncapped leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule and left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni, omitting left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju, paceman Venkatesh Prasad and back-up medium pacer Ashish Nehra.

Srinath, who missed the Calcutta match after fracturing his right index finger in the first test, must prove his fitness before he can take his place in the side. Swing bowler Debasish Mohanty is on standby.

- AGENCIES