« Back to article

Print this article

Siddle, Starc spoil India's perfect script

The day was perfectly set for India to continue their dominance with the bat till Australia's pace bowling duo of Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc spoiled the script for the Sunday crowd in Mohali, with a superlative bowling effort.

- Siddle rues allowing India to build massive partnerships

Their four-wicket burst with the second new ball not only saw Australia make a fightback, but also limited India to 499 in their first innings after the hosts looked set for a much bigger total.

India resumed the day on 283 for no loss but lost four wickets in a space of 34 deliveries for the addition of just 19 runs. They lost the initiative after the 289-run opening stand between centurions Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay.

Starc struck with the very first delivery of the second new, ball trapping Vijay (153) leg before wicket as he offered no shot to a straight delivery. In the same over, he had the in-form Mahendra Singh Dhoni leg before wicket for four with a full delivery.

Siddle, Starc spoil India's perfect script

Siddle then crippled India further, claiming the wickets of Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, who were both caught behind by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

With the second new ball, Starc took two for eight in six overs, while Siddle claimed two for 16 in six overs, to quash India's hopes of running away with a big score and push for victory.

Siddle cleaned up the tail to finish with wonderful figures of five for 71 in 29.1 overs on a flat wicket at the PCA stadium in Mohali.

The two pacers bowled in the right areas outside the off-stump and got enough movement to strike at regular intervals and expose India's problems against the moving ball.

India must be ruing their fate for wasting the solid foundation laid by their openers. But Australia's top order also perished cheaply, leaving themselves with a huge task of saving the Test.