INDIA were skittled for 191 as young Australian paceman James Pattinson ripped out the heart of the tourists’ powerful batting line-up in the second Test against Australia in Sydney today.
Skipper MS Dhoni topscored with an unbeaten 57 as the tourists fell apart again after being routed for 169 in the second innings of last week’s first Melbourne Test, which they lost by 122 runs.
Amid the carnage, Sachin Tendulkar, Test cricket’s greatest run-scorer, was bowled off an inside edge for 41, giving Pattinson his fourth wicket.
Pattinson, 21, playing in only his fourth Test match, was the chief destroyer and had figures of four for 43 off 14 overs, with wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and short-leg fielder Ed Cowan taking three catches each.
Pattinson triggered the tourists’ slide when he had Gautam Gambhir out off the third ball of the Test, nudging an outswinger to first slip Michael Clarke for a duck to continue his poor series.
India have now gone 10 Test innings without a half-century opening stand.
Rahul Dravid fell to a bat-pad catch to Cowan in Peter Siddle’s second over for five off 33 balls.
Virender Sehwag had a “life” on 23 when he was dropped by Ricky Ponting at second slip off Ben Hilfenhaus.
But Sehwag was out to another splendid Pattinson delivery, nicking to Haddin for 30 off 51 balls in the 19th over.
Pattinson, bowling with beautiful shape, tempted VVS Laxman to drive, only to edge to Shaun Marsh at third slip for a disappointing two after scores of two and one in Melbourne.
It was a rare batting failure for Laxman at the SCG, which statistically is his most productive scoring venue outside of India.
In five previous Test innings at the ground he had scored three hundreds and averaged 96.20 and his cheap dismissal left India struggling at 59 for four.
Virat Kohli showed some promise before he fell to a catch behind off Siddle for 23 off 41 balls.
Ravi Ashwin (20) and Zaheer Khan (0) fell in consecutive balls in Hilfenhaus’s last over before tea and were followed by Ishant Sharma (0) and Umesh Yadav (0) to mop up India’s innings.
Tendulkar, 38, has been stranded on 99 Test and one-day international centuries since scoring 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in March.
The Sydney Cricket Ground has been one of the “Little Master`s” favourite Test grounds where he averaged an incredible 221.33 and scored three of his 51 Test hundreds coming into this week`s Test.
But he again failed to capitalise on a solid start, following his 73 in Melbourne.
This is the centenary Test match at the SCG, which is only the third ground in Test cricket behind Lord’s (123) in London and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (104) to stage 100 Tests.
