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Australia blaze through to extend lead to 348 runs

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Steve Smith plays a sweep shot during SCG Test. ©AP

Steve Smith plays a sweep shot during SCG Test. ©AP

Sydney: A blazing second innings run-rate in the second innings helped Australia extend its lead to 348 and take a commanding position at stumps on the fourth day of the concluding Test against India.

Having bowled out India for 475 for a 97-run lead, Australia scored at a fast clip to post 251 for six in 40 overs at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Friday.

The home team’s batting approach was in a stark contrast to their opponents, scoring at 6.27 runs per over in comparison to India’s 2.93.

Resuming at 342/5, India managed to avoid the follow on but lost skipper Virat Kohli early (147), who added only seven runs to his overnight score.

The other overnight unbeaten wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddiman Saha (35) looked fluent at the crease, tackling the Australian pacers well, who enjoyed considerable movement in the morning session.

However, Saha fell to a bouncer when he awkwardly gloved a Josh Hazlewood (1/64) delivery to the first slip.

India added 65 in 29 overs in the first session losing two wickets but they came out post the break with an attacking mindset.

Handy lower-order batsman Ravichandran Ashwin (50), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (30), Mohammed Shami (16 not out) provided some fireworks at the end of India’s innings to reduce the lead below 100.

Ashwin held the innings together scoring his fourth Test half-century.

Umesh Yadav (4) was the last wicket to fell, getting caught behind to end India’s innings. It was a collective effort from Australian bowlers who shared the wickets to fall with left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc (3/106) being the most successful.

India started on a positive note with Ashwin getting fair amount of turn from the fourth day pitch. He accounted for the dangerous David Warner (4) in the second over itself.

The visitors had a couple of other chances to make early inroads into the Australian batting order. But they squandered those opportunities with Saha missing a stumping and a run-out chance.

Australia, sensing the tricky situation they were in, started to counter-attack, with No.3 batsman Shane Watson (16) and opener Chris Rogers (56) upping the ante.

Rogers scored his sixth consecutive half-century. His initial ascendancy was complimented by Steven Smith (71), in the form of his life, and Joe Burns (66).

Smith’s Donald Bradmanesque form saw him overtake the Australian batting legend to become the highest run getter in a Test series against India with 769 runs from eight innings.

Bradman scored 715 in six innings in the 1947-48 series.

Ashwin (4/105) was the only bowler who seemed to make a worthwhile impact on the marauding Australian batsmen and was rewarded for his efforts, picking up his best bowling figures outside India.

Indian pacers, particularly Umesh Yadav were plundered all over the park for runs, which dented India’s prospects of a face-saving win having already surrendered the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

(IANS)

Kohli, Rahul steady ship, India trail by 230 runs

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On a record-breaking spree: Kohli churns out another hundred. ©AP

On a record-breaking spree: Kohli churns out another hundred. ©AP

Sydney: Centuries from Lokesh Rahul (110) and Virat Kohli (batting 140) held the Indian innings together, ending the third day’s play at 342 for five, still trailing Australia by 230 runs in the fourth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Thursday.

Resuming at 71 for one, India put on 271 runs in 90 overs on the third day but a couple of wickets in the last session put them in a sticky situation.

Kohli and company will need to grind it out in the first couple of hours Friday if they are to get close to Australia’s mammoth first innings total of 572 for seven declared.

Some tight bowling in the morning helped Australia restrict India to score only 51 runs in 30 overs in the first session of play. The visitors started cautiously but made sure they did not lose wickets.

Rohit Sharma (53) scored some runs as he reached his first half-century of the series. However, immediately after reaching fifty he attempted a sweep off the bowling of spinner Nathan Lyon, only to misjudge the ball and be castled.

However, thereon Kohli and Rahul struck a vital 141-run third wicket partnership which steadied the ship for India. Coming out post-lunch at 122 for two, the second session entirely belonged to India as the visitors scored 112 runs in 30 overs without losing a single wicket.

Rahul, 22, scored his maiden century in only his second Test after a disastrous debut in Melbourne where he had scores of 1 and 3.

However, he rose from that failure and played a patient yet composed innings to reach his century in 253 balls. His knock was highlighted by 12 boundaries and one splendid six over deep mid-wicket.

The Bangalore boy heaved a sigh of relief after reaching his century and became a little loose with his shots. This had an immediate impact as he top edged a bouncer soon after tea only to be caught and bowled by Mitchell Starc (2/77).

In the meantime, Kohli solidified his innings to score his fourth century of the series and 10th of his career. His innings of 140 not out, laden with 20 boundaries, also broke the record for most runs by an Indian in a series Down Under, going past the ever-reliable Rahul Dravid’s 619 runs scored in 2003-04 series.

In the process, the Delhi lad also became the first ever player to score three tons in the first three innings as a skipper.

Just when it looked like India could end the day in a strong position, all-rounder Shane Watson (2/42) clinched Ajinkya Rahane (13) and Suresh Raina (0) on successive deliveries.

Playing a Test match after almost two and a half years, Raina failed to make an impact as he followed a slow and swinging delivery only to edge it and get caught behind.

India ended the day with wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha (batting 14) striking an unbeaten 50-run stand with Virat Kohli.

The most successful bowler of the series with 20 wickets, Lyon (1/91) looked lethal with the old ball on a turning track but had to be content with the lone scalp of Rohit Sharma.

Australian bowlers tried their best to take more wickets but they were, uncharacteristically, not supported by their fielding.

Rahul was lucky on two occasions. Australia had a brilliant chance of running him out just after Rohit’s dismissal which they totally messed up.

Rahul had another escape when he was dropped by Australia skipper Steven Smith, who ran back from slip to catch a top edged pull. The ball eventually burst through his hands into the ground.

Later, Smith also dropped Kohli just before tea at second slip.

(IANS)

Australia in command as India trail by 501 runs

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steven-smith

Sydney: An all-round performance by Australia saw them end the second day’s play with a first innings lead of 501 runs as India finished at 71 for one at stumps in the fourth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Wednesday.

Resuming at 348 for two, Australian batsmen hammered the flat Indian bowling attack to declare at 572 for seven with David Warner (101) and captain Steven Smith (117) scoring centuries. In reply, India lost in-form Murali Vijay for a duck on the third ball of the innings.

However, opener Lokesh Rahul (31 not out), playing his second Test and Rohit Sharma (40 not out) stabilised the innings for India and stayed at the crease till the close of the play.

Australia started the day slowly but steadily as Smith scored his fourth century of the series with Shane Watson (81) providing him strong support from the other end.

Though the Indian bowlers slowed down the run rate, Smith and Watson gradually extended their third wicket partnership to 196 runs. The enterprise finally came to an end when Watson pulled a short Mohammed Shami delivery, only to be caught by Ashwin at deep mid-wicket.

Smith, who resumed the day at 82 not out, too fell shortly after but not before playing a brilliant innings which turned out to be his eighth Test ton. The 25-year-old also caressed 15 boundaries in his 208-ball knock.

Indian bowlers lacked venom in their attack which helped the home side build another 114-run partnership between left-handed Shaun Marsh (73) and Joe Burns (58).

The duo helped their side reach a strong total with a partnership of 114 runs. Unlike the addition of a mere 72 runs from 30 overs in the morning session, Marsh and Burns, who also scored his first Test half-century, helped pile on 118 more runs in 29 overs in the post-lunch session.

While Marsh scored a fluent 73, which included nine fours and one six, he was ably supported by Burns.

The two also perished in quick succession but some last minute slogging from Ryan Harris (25 runs from 9 balls) guided Australia to reach an imposing total of 572 for seven when Smith decided to declare.

Indian bowlers, who bled runs throughout Tuesday, showed some rare discipline in the morning session. Unlike the first day when runs came at will, the pitch got slower which helped off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1/142) to tighten the run flow.

But pacer Shami (five for 122) was the pick of the bowlers as he clinched his second five-wicket haul in Tests and first outside India.

(IANS)

Australia batsmen hammer India on day one

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David Warner and Chris Rogers put on 200 for the first wicket in quick time © Getty Images

David Warner and Chris Rogers put on 200 for the first wicket in quick time © Getty Images

Sydney: A 200-run opening wicket partnership between David Warner and Chris Rogers helped Australia post a solid 348/2 at the end of the first day’s play of the fourth and final Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Tuesday.

It was a day to remember for the Australian batsmen as Warner (101) scored his 12th Test hundred while his partner Rogers (95) fell five short of what would have been his fifth century. Skipper Steven Smith (82 not out) and Shane Watson (61 batting) also scored half-centuries with the both of them unbeaten at stumps.

Indian bowlers were clueless on halting the run flow and taking wickets on what proved to be a classic batting track. Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar hardly managed to find his rhythm and swing the ball while Umesh Yadav remained wayward and expensive for most of his spells.

Mohammed Shami had pace and Ravichandran Ashwin looked dangerous a few times in the day but the Australian batsmen were totally in their groove.

Having already lost the series 0-2, India went in to the final Test making four changes to the squad. Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar came in to replace the retired Mahendra Singh Dhoni, opener Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and pacer Ishant Sharma.

However, the changes bore no fruit as all three sessions were dominated by the home side.

Warner looked in a feisty mood from the word go and hammered the Indian bowlers for 16 boundaries all over the ground. Rogers played the anchor role to prefection and provided strong support from the other end.

Rogers caressed 13 boundaries to score his fifth consecutive half-century in Tests. However, he was in trouble as early as the eighth over, while batting on 19, when he edged a seaming Shami delivery.

However, young Lokesh Rahul at second slip dropped a sitter and Rogers went on to add 76 more runs to the Australian tally.

India finally found success in the middle of the second session when Warner edged a turning Ashwin delivery and was caught at slip. Immediately in the next over, Rogers lost concentration and played on Shami only to shatter his stumps.

However, the two quick wickets did not help India further as Smith and Watson held the innings together and guided Australia to build a platform for a strong total. Unless Indian bowlers create some magic at the start of Day 2, the home side is well on course to post a massive first innings total.

India had one last chance to take a wicket when Watson edged the penultimate delivery of the day but the ball went through Ashwin’s fingers at the slips.

There was an emotional moment towards the end of the first session when Warner reached 63 not out. He bent down and kissed the turf as a tribute to late cricketer Phillip Hughes, who on this very ground was struck by a bouncer Nov 25 which eventually led to his tragic death two days later.

Warner’s gesture was appreciated by the crowd which rose and applauded and looked towards a specific stand where Hughes’ family sat.

Hughes was also batting on 63 not out in the first class match when the bouncer hit the back of his head.

(IANS)

UNSC rejects resolution on Palestinian state

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Bid to end Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories by 2017 garners eight votes, one short of total needed to pass.

The Palestinian leadership has once again demonstrated its capacity to blow lots of smoke with no fire [AFP]

The Palestinian leadership has once again demonstrated its capacity to blow lots of smoke with no fire [AFP]

by Al Jazeera

The UN Security Council has rejected a Palestinian resolution calling for peace with Israel within a year and an end to Israel’s occupation by 2017.

The resolution failed to muster the minimum nine “yes” votes required in the council for adoption.

The motion received eight “yes” votes, including from Russia and France, two “no” votes from the United States and Australia, and five abstentions.

Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to the UN, criticised the world body for the failure of the vote.

“The Security Council has once again failed to uphold its charter duties to address this crises and to meaningfully contribute to a lasting solution in accordance with its own resolutions,” Mansour said.

“This year, our people under Israeli occupation endured the further theft and colonisation of their land, the demolition of their homes, daily military raids, arrests and detention of thousands of civilians including children, rampant settler terrorism, constant affronts to their human dignity and repeated incursions at our holiest sites.”

Following the vote, the US, Israel’s closest ally, reiterated its opposition to the draft resolution.

Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, said the resolution undermined efforts to “achieve two states for two people”.

“It is deeply imbalanced and contains many elements that are not conducive to negotiations between the parties including unconstructive deadlines that take no account for Israelis legitimate security concerns,” she said.

Palestinian statehood

The resolution, which was submitted by Jordan – currently the only Arab member of the security council -had called for occupied East Jerusalem to be the capital of Palestine, an end to Israeli settlement building and settling the issue of Palestinian prisoner releases.

The resolution also called for negotiations to be based on territorial lines that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in 1967.

Israel had said the Security Council vote, following the collapse in April of US-brokered talks on Palestinian statehood, would deepen the conflict.

Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the Electronic Intifada, derided the resolution, telling Al Jazeera it undermined Palestinian rights, including the rights of refugees and the future of Jerusalem.

“This was a terrible resolution which was unaninimously opposed by every major Palestinian faction, it contained so many compromises in an attempt to avoid a US veto that it was weaker than existing UN resolutions,” he said.

The Palestinians, frustrated by the lack of progress on peace talks, have sought to internationalise the issue by seeking UN membership and recognition of statehood via membership in international organisations.

Several European parliaments have adopted non-binding motions calling for recognition of Palestine.

The Palestinians had warned that if the UN resolution failed they were prepared to join the International Criminal Court to file suits against Israel.

UN Security Council vote on Palestinian draft resolution

YES: Jordan, China, France, Russia, Luxembourg, Chad, Chile, Argentina.

NO: United States, Australia.

ABSTAINED: United Kingdom, Lithuania, Nigeria, South Korea, Rwanda.

Third Test drawn, Australia seal series

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Dhoni

Melbourne: Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (24 not out) played a responsible knock to force a draw for India against Australia on a tense fifth and final day of the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Tuesday.

Dhoni’s patient innings, together with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (8 not out) put on a brave 32-run seventh-wicket partnership to bail out India from a tight spot and avoid a third consecutive defeat against the hosts. The match ended with India reaching 174 for six.

But the draw wasn’t enough for India to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy as Australia now have a unbeatable 2-0 lead after three Tests in the four-match series. The fourth match begins from Jan 6 in Sydney.

Australia declared their second innings at 318 for nine courtesy of middle-order batsman Shaun Marsh’s 99, to expand their lead to 383 runs.

Chasing a stiff target of 384 in 70 overs, India’s run chase began on a disastrous note, losing the wickets of openers Shikhar Dhawan (0), Murali Vijay (11) and Lokesh Rahul (1) in quick succession.

Australia’s pace trio of Mitchell Johnson, Harris and Hazlewood collectively wrecked havoc as they shared the three wickets to fall.

However, the Indians pulled things back, posting 104 for three at tea, with in-form first innings centurions Virat Kohli (54) and Ajinya Rahane (48) holding fort at the MCG.

But pacer Ryan Harris (two for 30) took the massive wicket of Kohli with the first ball after tea, that snapped the 85-run strong fourth-wicket partnership, to give Australia the upper hand.

The hosts stepped up the pressure after the Indian vice-captain’s departure and got further impetus from the quick dismissals of Cheteshwar Pujara (21) and Rahane that reduced India to 142 for six with 15 overs still to play.

India needed a strong foundation in their stiff run chase to give them any hope of a win but began on a disastrous note, losing the struggling Dhawan for zero, trapped leg before wicket off Harris.

Debutant Rahul was promoted up the order but fared no better, hopelessly mistiming an attempted pull off Johnson to be caught by a back-pedalling Shane Watson.

The crisis deepened when in-form Vijay was adjudged out leg before off Hazlewood to reduce India to 19 for three.

Kohli and Rahane were faced with the tough task of rebuilding the innings and scoring at a fast clip to keep India in contention for the win.

They began in an enterprising fashion, pulling Johnson for boundaries through the mid-wicket region.

Kohli survived a run out chance on four after a terrible miscommunication. That brought to the fore the animosity between Kohli and the Australians, spearheaded by Johnson, that has been one of the highlights of the series so far.

That started a continuous flow of chattering in the middle but Kohli and Rahane hung in there till tea to steady India’s innings.

But once Kohli was dismissed pressure mounted intensely until Dhoni-Ashwin stood tall.

Earlier in the morning session, Shaun Marsh missed his maiden Test century on home soil, getting run out on 99 runs, but steered Australia to 318 for nine declared at lunch, to set India a tall order.

Marsh was dismissed by a direct hit from an onrushing Kohli from mid-on while trying to complete what would have been his third Test century with a quick single.

Harris, unbeaten on eight overnight, was first batsman dismissed during the morning session that was halted twice by rain. He was out for 21 by Mohammed Shami, who picked up his second wicket of the innings to give two wickets each to India’s four bowlers.

Rain stopped the action twice but Australia weren’t willing to declare their innings despite the time loss. They waited till Marsh’s century to declare their innings, but Marsh was dismissed just on the stroke of lunch.

India didn’t take the second new ball as the old one was offering some reverse swing. Australia were uncharacteristically slow as they batted without any urgency, intending to nullify India’s chances of a win.

(IANS)

Smith's 192 puts Australia on top

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India's Shikhar Dhawan, right, is caught out by Australian captain Steven Smith during play on day two of their third cricket test in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

India’s Shikhar Dhawan, right, is caught out by Australian captain Steven Smith during play on day two of their third cricket test in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Melbourne: Steven Smith continued to haunt India as he compiled a career-high Test score of 192 runs to help Australia amass a mammoth 530 in the first innings and put his team on top after day two of the third Test ended with the visitors 108 for one, trailing by 422 runs, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here Saturday.

Australian stand-in captain’s knock landed India into an uncomfortable position of playing catch-up for the rest of the match. They were 108 for one at stumps with Murali Vijay (55 batting) and Cheteshwar Pujara (25 batting) at the crease.

Shikhar Dhawan (28) was the lone batsman dismissed by pacer Ryan Harris. Pujara was dropped on 12 by wicket-keeper Brad Haddin off Josh Hazlewood.

Smith’s centuries in Brisbane and here Saturday made him the first Australian to score two centuries in their first two Tests as captain.

The right-handed batsman’s imperious form saw him become only the 13th Australian to score centuries in three consecutive Tests.

He also crossed 500 runs in the four-Test series during his marathon knock, getting valuable support from Haddin (55), Mitchell Johnson (28) and Harris (74) at the MCG.

They were all aggressive with the bat with Harris hitting his highest Test score.

The Indian team again failed to polish off the tail that wagged resolutely to essentially bat the tourists out of the contest.

But it was Smith who was undoubtedly the star of the show, smashing his third consecutive century of the series with a knock studded by 15 boundaries and two sixes.

Australia resumed the day at 259 for five with the game in the balance and Smith on 72, accompanied by Haddin on 23.

And it was Haddin, overnight not out on 23, who came out with a more menacing mentality.

Aware that the Indians would target his perceived weakness against short-pitched bowling, he waited on the back-foot to counter the strategy.

Willing to pull and hook at the slightest provocation, he carted the short balls to all round the park for a form-finding half-century, cracking seven boundaries and a six on its way.

The Indians continued to feed Haddin despite seeing their plan becoming counter-productive.

Haddin perished much against the run of play, edging while trying to leave a Mohammed Shami delivery to give India a ray of hope at 326 for six.

But Smith quashed any such prospect by continuing to score freely. The Indians had neither any concrete plan nor any inspiration to stop the 25-year-old.

To make matters worse, they couldn’t dismiss the bowlers at the other end to minimise the damage.

Just like the Gabba Test, the Aussie tailenders hung around, setting up crucial partnerships with Smith. Initially they were circumspect, content only to defend but flashed their bat around when they grew confident.

Smith upped his scoring pace after the dismissal of Harris to guide Australia past the 500-run mark and was ultimately bowled trying to scoop an Umesh Yadav delivery towards fine leg.

Shami was the most successful bowler for the Indians, claiming four wickets for 138 runs from 29 overs. He was followed by Yadav and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, both taking three wickets each.

But all wickets claimed came at the cost of bleeding considerable amount of runs, with all four frontline bowlers giving away more than 100 runs each for their efforts.

(IANS)

Smith leads Australia to 259/5 on Boxing Day

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Australia are leading the four-match Test series 2-0.

Australia are leading the four-match Test series 2-0.

Melbourne: Australia needed another steadying knock from skipper Steven Smith (batting 72) to help the hosts reach 259 for five against India. Australia ended day one of the third Test’s proceedings nicely poised at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here Friday.

Pacer Mohammed Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of two for 55, followed by fellow quick Umesh Yadav (two for 69).

Australia were in urgent need of another responsible knock from their captain after some fine bowling display reduced the hosts to 216 for five after tea.

But Smith along with senior pro Brad Haddin (batting 23) showed composure in the middle to prevent Australia from falling apart against some quick and hostile pace bowling from the Indians.

Smith, who won the toss in his second Test as skipper, came in to the crease with his team at 115 for two at the dismissal of opener Chris Rogers (57) and soon saw well-set Shane Watson (52) depart on the same score.

He progressed to 23 at tea with Australia at 174 for three and the game nicely in the balance.

Smith, showcasing his fluent strokeplay and decisive footwork, accepted the burden of shaping his team’s innings that threatened to nosedive after the hosts lost two wickets in quick succession twice to be reduced to 115 for three and then 216 for five.

In the form of his life after posting centuries in Adelaide and Brisbane, the 25-year-old completed 1,000 Test runs this calendar year, in just his ninth match, when he reached 60.

Earlier in the morning, India began the proceedings with a bang as Yadav picked up the dangerous David Warner (0) even before Australia managed to open their account.

The early loss, coupled with disciplined bowling from the pacers, forced the Australians to a sedate start, allowing just eight runs from five overs.

After the initial period of caution and circumspect batting, both Rogers and No.3 batsman Watson settled down and unleashed some great shots.

India got a chance to break the partnership just at the stroke of lunch but failed to latch on to it. Watson, under pressure for his poor batting form, edged a Shami delivery but was grassed by a diving Shikhar Dhawan at second slip to help the hosts’ go into lunch at a commanding 92 for one.

The script unfolded similarly after lunch. Australia aimed to push on and extend their dominance through the partnership of two well-set batsmen, Rogers and Watson.

They were scoring briskly but all their plans stalled following the fall of the two batsmen in succession.

First, Rogers departed trying to launch into a booming drive but only managed to edge a Shami delivery to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Then, Watson attempted an ill-advised sweep shot off Ravichandran Ashwin to be adjudged leg before wicket to reduce the home team to 174 for three at tea.

Australia had to start the rebuilding phase all over again with skipper Smith and Shaun Marsh (32).

They put on 69 runs for the fourth wicket and seemed to have got the measure of the bowling when their momentum got disrupted again with the dismissal of Marsh — caught behind off Shami.

Debutant Joe Burns (13) also didn’t last long, bottom-edging a Yadav shortball to Dhoni.

India held the upper hand at the time but soon ran into Smith who repelled everything that came his way.

Muslim bride touches the heart of Aussies after laying her wedding bouquet at cafe siege shrine

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Newlywed Manal Kassem arrived at the memorial with her husband, Mahmod Homaisi, to place her wedding bouquet with the tens of thousands of other floral tributes in the square

Newlywed Manal Kassem arrived at the memorial with her husband, Mahmod Homaisi, to place her wedding bouquet with the tens of thousands of other floral tributes in the square

by Heather McNab, Daily Mail

Sydney: As the memorial to the victims of the Sydney siege continues to grow, a Muslim bride has made a pilgrimage on her wedding day to lay flowers at Martin Place.

Adorned in a white wedding dress, which included a traditional white hijab and veil, newlywed Manal Kassem arrived at the memorial with her husband, Mahmod Homaisi, to place her wedding bouquet among the tens of thousands of other floral tributes in the square.

The 23-year-old bride had planned for her wedding photos to be taken in the city, but had been hesitant to continue after the tragic events of Tuesday morning which claimed the lives of three people.

‘She was going to cancel [the photoshoot] because she didn’t want to be judged…celebrating her wedding in a scarf while people were terrorised,’ said the couple’s wedding planner Dina Kheir.

‘But she made is a priority to visit the memorial site as the first pit stop,’ Ms Kheir said.

A witness said that as the couple approached, clad in their wedding gear, the crowd that had gathered to lay their own floral tributes stared in surprise.

When Ms Kassem, from Punchbowl, placed her bouquet of white roses held together with ribbon at the memorial, the crowd erupted in applause.

‘She did it out of respect for her country, that will one day be the country of her children and grandchildren,’ said Ms Kheir.

Australia beat India by four wickets to win second Test

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Chris Rogers celebrates his fifty. © AFP

Chris Rogers celebrates his fifty. © AFP

Brisbane: Australia beat India by four wickets on the fourth day to win the second cricket Test at the Gabba here Saturday to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

Australia took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series with a four-wicket win over India on the fourth day of the second Test at the Gabba here Saturday.

Chasing 128 for victory, the hosts were made to sweat but ultimately got over the finishing line, scoring 130 for six, leaving India rueing the opportunities they missed in the match. Things could have panned out very different had the visitors got rid of Australia’s tail in the first innings swiftly.

India’s dismal collapse on the morning of the fourth day also played a huge hand in the defeat.

But India still managed to make a match out of it, taking six Australian wickets and casting doubts in the opposition dressing room.

But a 63-run partnership for the third wicket between opener Chris Rogers (55) and captain Steven Smith (28) was enough to thwart the visitors.

But the poor form of middle-order batsman Shaun Marsh (17) and Brad Haddin (1), who threw their wickets away, would worry the Australian camp, as their untimely dismissal gave a window of hope to India for a dramatic late victory.

Pacers Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav bowled in the right areas in the second innings and were rewarded with three and two wickets respectively. Ishant was the pick of the bowlers, picking up two early wickets to put Australia in a spot of bother at tea.

But the damage was done earlier in the morning, when Australian bowlers, bowled with considerable venom to rattle the Indians.

Left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan (81) fought valiantly, even stringing together a 60-run partnership with Umesh Yadav (30) for the eighth wicket but it came too late in the day as the visitors slumped from a comfortable 71 for one to a dismal 157 for seven, leading by just 60 runs, at lunch.

They lost four wickets inside the first seven overs managing to score just 16 runs in the process and were never able to recover from that early disaster.

Their day began on the wrong note even before the slump, when overnight batsman Dhawan got injured on the wrist while batting at the nets and didn’t come out to bat.

Virat Kohli (1) joined overnight batsman Cheteshwar Pujara (43) in the mmiddle.

Kohli never seemed prepared for the big task and was very tentative, ultimately getting castled by Mitchell Johnson in his brief stay at the wicket.

Johnson was all over India after that; bowling with pace and menace on a pitch that was beginning to get a little difficult to bat on.

Inida produced several short partnerships after that, Pujara involved in each one of them, but never failed to consolidate on the initial start.

India lost wickets at regular intervals and on key moments of the contest to surrender the fate of the match.

Johnson was ably supported by other pacers – Shane Watson, the usually wayward Mitchell Starc and the first innings five-wicket hero debutant pacer Josh Hazlewood.

But India’s hopes of a late fightback through Ravichandran Ashwin (19) vapourised after the spinner was victim of another umpiring howler, given out caught for a presumed inside edge when the ball only managed to flick his pad on to wicketkeeper Bard Haddin’s gloves.

(IANS)

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