The Hindu : Aussies make short work of Bangladesh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 21, 2003

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Sport - Cricket

Aussies make short work of Bangladesh

Australian bowler Stuart MacGill and wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist appeal successfully for a leg-before decision against Alok Kapali, one of the leg-spinner's five victims in the second innings, on the third day of the first cricket Test at Marrara Oval in Darwin on Sunday. — AFP

(DARWIN) Australia JULY 20. Australia exposed the big gulf between the world's top and bottom Test teams on Sunday, thrashing Bangladesh by an innings and 132 runs shortly after lunch on the third day of the first Test.

Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill led the Aussies to victory, snaring five for 65.

``We tried,'' said Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud. Only Habibul Bashar had any answer to Australia's pace and spin attack, scoring 54 before falling to MacGill.

``There were a couple of positives but really there was a fair bit of distance between the two teams, I felt,'' Bangladesh's Australian coach Dav Whatmore said after his side was dismissed for 178 to follow its first innings score of 97.

The victory was man-of-the-match Steve Waugh's 32nd in his 50th Test as Australia's leader — giving him the most wins for any Test captain, surpassing West Indies great Clive Lloyd.

``It has worked out pretty well from a bit of a slow start,'' Waugh said of his captaincy. ``I have been fortunate to have some great players in my side. I feel as if I have improved along the way and done a pretty good job.''

Bangladesh resumed at 70 for one after a positive batting performance in Saturday's final session chasing an imposing target of 311 just to make Australia bat again at Darwin's Marrara Oval.

At lunch, that looked impossible after the world's lowest-ranked Test nation sacrificed five wickets for 72 runs in the morning session.

``They fought back well in the second innings,'' said Waugh. ``They showed some potential for the second match,'' which starts on July 25 at Cairns.

``I think they learned from the first innings. They probably saw the way we played out there on that wicket,'' said Waugh.

``There was no point in being too negative, you may as well play some shots and back yourself and have a bit of a go and they obviously did that the second innings and played much better than the first innings and looked more positive and played with more purpose so it was good from their point of view,'' Waugh added.

The slide continued after the lunch interval, with captain Mahmud bowled around his legs by Jason Gillespie in the over after the break.

Hannan Sarkar and Bashar had looked untroubled for the first half hour of the day until Sarkar (35) drove at a Gillespie delivery that left him and edged to Adam Gilchrist who took a sharp chance diving low to his right.

Saturday's play was dominated by centuries from Darren Lehmann and Waugh as Australia built a total of 407 for seven before declaring.

Waugh's innings made him only the second player, after South Africa's Gary Kirsten, to score tons against all nine rival Test nations and moved him to level second with India's Sachin Tendulkar on the list of all-time century scorers with 31. Only Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar, with 34, has more.

The slide begins...

Promising young batsman Mohammad Ashraful was the second Bangladesh batsman to go on Sunday, edging a rising Brett Lee ball to Gilchrist to fall for seven with the score on 112.

His departure sparked a collapse by Bangladesh, with top scorer Bashar falling to a Stuart MacGill googly in the next over followed by Alok Kopali, given out lbw to MacGill with the total still on 112, in the 36th over.

MacGill claimed his third wicket when he had wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud (6) caught by Gilchrist with the score on 122.

Al-Shariar Rokon set about restoring Bangladesh's pride by smashing MacGill for a four and a six in one over, but the fightback was shortlived.

After his captain departed, Tapash Baisya fell, trapped lbw by MacGill.

Paceman Mashrafe Mortaza got off the mark with a straight drive for four, was dropped by McGrath and then blasted MacGill for six — all in one eventful over — as he decided Bangladesh would go down swinging. ``They certainly didn't die wondering,'' MacGill said.

But Mortaza was run out for 16 by a direct hit from Darren Lehmann and MacGill completed the rout by catching Al-Shariar for 36 off his own bowling.

``I guess I've learned through my career that when you get a chance to take the ball in your hand, you've got to make the most of it,'' said MacGill, in the Australian team to replace Shane Warne, who is serving a doping suspension. ``It doesn't really matter at what time in the game or what the opposition is, you really have to take every chance you get so I'm really quite satisfied.''

MacGill paid tribute to Bangladesh's batsmen. ``There's a lot of potential there and certainly at stages, particularly in the first innings, I was wondering where I could get a wicket and I think that's a credit to the Bangladeshi batsmen,'' he said.

Sunday's defeat was a record 14th in a row for Bangladesh. It is yet to register a win in 20 matches since becoming a fully fledged test nation in June 2000. — AP

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