Australia humiliate India on 1st day of 3rd test

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Australia humiliate India on 1st day of 3rd test

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David Warner was on 104 and Ed Cowan on 40 with Australia 149 without loss at stumps in 23 overs.

13 January,2012 03:22 pm

Opener David Warner smashed the fourth fastest test century off 69 balls to put Australia in control of the third cricket test after India was shot out for 161 on the opening day Friday at the WACA ground.Warner, the firebrand opener, sent Indias all-seam attack on a leatherhunt with three sixes and 13 boundaries in his 80-ball innings by stumps.The left-hander was felled by an Umesh Yadav bouncer on 80, hit on the left side of the face. He required attention and a change of helmet but immediately responded by hitting 4, 4, 2, 4, -, -, 6 in the next seven balls to race to the hundred.He brought up his second test century in imperious style, lofting debutant Vinay Kumar into the crowd over long on.Warner ran down the ground and leaped and punched the air in celebration as the 17,956 spectators rose to their feet to applaud the swashbuckling innings. He scored his first 50 off 36 balls and reduced his fellow opener Cowan to a mere spectator at the other end.Warners knock ranks behind only West Indian Viv Richards (56 balls), and Australians Adam Gilchrist (57) and Jack Gregory (67).Warners other century was an unbeaten 123 in the second innings in Australias seven-run defeat against New Zealand at Bellerive Oval last month.I was lacking in confidence going into this test, Warner said. He was dismissed cheaply for 8 in Australias mammoth 659-4 declared in the innings-and-68-run win in Sydney last week.That innings put some doubts in my mind. Now my head is in a good place. I will sleep well tonight.Warner said he worked on his batting with Australia coach Micky Arthur and batting coach Justin Langer to sort out his technique. This is Warners debut first-class appearance at the WACA and he couldnt have crowned it better.This is a great milestone for myself. I have batted here a couple of times (in one-dayers) and havent scored any runs, he said. Now I turn around and I am 100 not out. Any delivery that is full in length I will throw the kitchen sink at it.Warner said India was already a beaten side just one day into the test.In my mind theyre beaten already, he said. The challenge I see for them is theyve got to work out how they can play us outside India.While the India batsmen labored on the pacy and bouncy pitch, beaten repeatedly by Australias all-seam and swing attack, the Australia openers showed scant respect to Indias battery in cracking 19 fours and three sixes between them.India never looked comfortable from the moment the dangerous Virendar Sehwag was dismissed for 0 in the fourth over of the day after being put into bat by Australia skipper Michael Clarke.Only a 68-run, fifth-wicket stand saved face for the tourists, when topscorer Virat Kohli (44) and VVS Laxman (31) batted stubbornly, resuming on 73-4 at lunch. It took the pair nearly two hours, with Laxman taking 50 balls to reach double figures, and before long he too became a victim in the slip cordon.It was Peter Siddle (3-42) who broke Indias resistance removing the pair in the space of six balls and sparked the collapse in which the last six wickets tumbled for a paltry 30 runs.Ben Hilfenhaus led the bowling with 4-43 while left-arm swing bowler Mitchell Starc chipped in with 2-39.Sachin Tendulkar will have to wait another innings to score his 100th 100 as he was trapped lbw by swing bowler Ryan Harris for 15. Tendulkar hit three boundaries in his short stay and was dismissed by the pace of the pitch as he tried to hit across the line.Kohli refused to blame the pitch for Indias poor batting.Credit to Australia, they bowled a line that forced us play our shots, Kohli said. It wasnt that bad a wicket as the day progressed.Luck is a very important thing in cricket, and unfortunately it hasnt been going our way. Weve lost important wickets at important times.It is not the case of were not mentally competing with them. It hasnt been the case of anyone lacking in temperament or technqiue. Australia has won important phases of the game and we havent. If it (luck) goes our way we will make sure we take full advantage of it.