da aviator aposta： Matthew Hayden struck an aggressive 53 as Australia wrapped up a nine-wicket win at Melbourne to level the four-Test series 1-1
The Wisden Bulletin30-Dec-2003Australia 558 and 97 for 1 (Hayden 53*) beat India 366 and 286 by 9 wickets
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You can’t keep a good team down: Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting helped Australia rediscover their winning ways
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Australia coasted to an easy victory on the fifth morning at the MCG, and it wasonly fitting that the two men who really set up this match for them, Matthew Haydenand Ricky Ponting, knocked off the 95 required to draw level in the series.Steve Waugh’s final series is now set up tantalisingly, and the teams will go intothe final Test at Sydney in three days’ time with Australia having much of themomentum, and India, memories of Adelaide.Hayden and Ponting had put on 234 in the first innings, and this morning they puton 88 for the second wicket after Justin Langer was out early. Hayden was himselfdistinctly fortunate to survive an lbw appeal off Ashish Nehra early in hisinnings, but after this he took to the bowling with a succession of meaty drivesand swings to leg, and just before the winning runs were struck he nonchalantlylaunched Anil Kumble over the infield to bring up his half-century. Ponting was asassured as ever, working the ball sweetly on both sides of the wicket to finishwith 31 not out. This match was his Test just as the Adelaide Test was Rahul Dravid’s.India’s one success on the morning was almost predictable: Ajit Agarkar tookLanger’s wicket for the fifth time in the series, rapping him on the pads with alate inswinger (9 for 1). Langer has been out to Agarkar in this fashion once everyTest match, and there was still a flicker of hope for India at this stage, but thisbrought Australia’s two most prolific batsmen together, and after a steady startthey accelerated and got home at a canter.