Symonds admits he was out
published:
Thursday | January 3, 2008
Australia's Andrew Symonds plays a shot during the first day's play of the second Test against India, in Sydney, yesterday. Symonds was unbeaten on 137. - Reuters
SYDNEY (Reuters):
AUSTRALIAN ALL-ROUNDER Andrew Symonds admitted he should have been given out long before he made his unbeaten century against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday.
Symonds smashed 137 not out to help Australia reach stumps in a strong position at 376 for seven, after they had slumped to 134 for six in the middle of the day.
Symonds unleashed his full power on the Indian bowlers, striking 17 boundaries and two sixes, but later admitted he was lucky because he had edged a catch behind off Ishant Sharma when he was on 30.
The Indians appealed confidently but West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor gave Symonds the benefit of the doubt.
"I was very lucky. I was out when I was 30, given not out," he told a news conference after the close of play.
"That's cricket though. I can sit here and tell you about my bad decisions as well, but I won't. That's the game. It's just one of those things."
Symonds had another let-off on 48 when the third umpire, Australian Bruce Oxenford, turned down a stumping appeal off Anil Kumble, despite having the benefit of video replays.
The officials had already been in the spotlight after English umpire, Mark Benson, incorrectly gave the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, out for 55, leg before wicket to Harbhajan Singh, but Symonds was quick to defend the umpires.
"You've got to keep the human element in there. It creates a different feel," he said.
Room for improvement
"I don't think the game needs to go that every decision gets referred. There's ways to improve it, but let's not push and prod it too much.
"It's a great game. People make mistakes, players make mistakes every day, umpires make mistakes, too.
"It's how you handle them and how you keep going after those mistakes are made."
The 32-year-old Symonds hardly played another false shot after reaching his half-century, piling on 98 runs in the final session to get within sight of his highest Test score of 156.
"It's always a great feeling to score a hundred. It's a feeling of satisfaction," he said.
"But it'll mean more to me if we can have a good result in the Test and I can look back and I've contributed to a win."
Symonds said Australia's fightback was proof of their great battling qualities and they were now in a great position to go on and win the match.
"Four hundred runs will be a very healthy first innings score. I suppose it puts us in a position where we hope we wouldn't lose the game from there," he said.
"If we bowl well and bat well again, then we can put ourselves in a very good position to win the game.
"Australian teams have always prided themselves to fight back and show a bit of mental toughness and heart and this team is no different."
Aussies in charge despite stumble
SYDNEY (Reuters):
ANDREW SYMONDS smashed a breathtaking century in a record partnership with Brad Hogg to put Australia in control of the second Test against India yesterday.
The powerful all-rounder demolished India's bowling attack with an unbeaten 137, after Hogg made a vital 79 to steer Australia out of danger to 376 for seven at stumps on the first day at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
India appeared to have the Australians in trouble when Rudra Pratap Singh (4-108) and Harbhajan Singh (2-88) ripped through the top-order in the first half of the day. But, Symonds and Hogg put the home team back in control with a brilliant display of big-hitting.
The pair came together after lunch with Australia reeling at 134 for six but proceeded to pile on 173 runs in better than even time, setting a new record for the highest seventh-wicket partnership at Sydney.
Symonds, 32, was especially brutal against the Indian bowlers, smacking 17 boundaries and two massive sixes as he raced to his second Test hundred, while Hogg clubbed 10 fours to post his highest Test score.
Missed chance
Hogg missed his chance for a maiden Test century when he was caught by Rahul Dravid at slip off Indian skipper Anil Kumble in the final session, leaving Brett Lee (31 not out) to share an unbroken stand of 69 with Symonds as Australia pressed ahead with their bid to equal their world record of 16 consecutive Test wins.
Symonds was twice given the benefit of the doubt to loud appeals from the Indians before he had reached 50 but hardly played another false shot as the tourists failed to capitalise on their great start.
R.P. Singh captured four early wickets with his deceptive left-arm seamers while Harbhajan bagged two with his wily off-spin and Sachin Tendulkar showed a safe pair of hands by holding three sharp catches at first slip.
R.P. Singh dismissed openers Phil Jaques for a duck and Matthew Hayden for 13 in the first hour of play to reduce Australia to 27 for two, after they had won toss and elected to bat on a glorious day.
Better fortune
The 22-year-old then snared the scalps of Mike Hussey for 41 and Adam Gilchrist for seven in the middle session after Harbhajan picked up the prized wickets of Ricky Ponting for 55 and Michael Clarke for one, both lbw.
Ponting and Hussey added 92 for the third wicket but departed in the space of three balls after lunch as India captured 4-15 in five overs.
Ponting was unlucky to be given out after television replays showed he made contact with the ball before it struck his pads.
However, Symonds had better fortune when he was given not out when he appeared to edge a catch behind on 30 then given the benefit of the doubt on a close stumping chance on 48.
Symonds made the Indians pay by scoring 98 in the extended last session as Australia passed their first and second innings scores from last week's first Test in Melbourne, which they won by 337 runs.
Australia first innings
P. Jaques c Dhoni b R.P. Singh
0
M. Hayden c Tendulkar b R.P. Singh
13
R. Ponting lbw Harbhajan
55
M. Hussey c Tendulkar b R.P. Singh
41
M. Clarke lbw Harbhajan
1
A. Symonds not out
137
A. Gilchrist c Tendulkar b R.P. Singh
7
B. Hogg c Dravid b Kumble
79
B. Lee not out
31
Extras; (b2 lb4 w3 nb3)
12
TOTAL: (for seven wkts - 89 overs) 376
Fall: 1-0 2-27 3-119 4-119 5-121 6-134 7-307
Bowling: R.P. Singh 21-3-108-4 (nb-1), I. Sharma 17-2-65-0 (nb-2 w-3), S. Ganguly 6-1-13-0, Harbhajan Singh 20-2-88-2, A. Kumble 20-0-82-1, Tendulkar 5-0-14-0.
