HOBART, 20 December 2003 — Queenslander Martin Love stroked a honey-sweet 94 off the Indian attack here yesterday to boost his prospects of stepping into retiring captain Steve Waugh’s position in the Australian Test line-up.
On the opening day of a three-day clash against the tourists, Love starred for Australia A, who declared with a first innings 311 for five wickets at Bellerive Oval. India were 37 for one wicket at stumps, with Test opener Akash Chopra on 12 and wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta on 18.
Love is one of a number of candidates for 38-year-old Waugh’s Test spot when the veteran quits the international stage after the Indian series next month. Love said replacing Waugh was at the back of his mind.
Of the others, Victoria’s Brad Hodge had a careless few minutes at the crease before tea, making one before he was bowled by Ashish Nehra. New South Welshman Michael Clarke was typically stylish in cracking 38 not out off 44 balls. Australia A had 13 overs at India, with Matt Nicholson claiming the only wicket when a sharply rising delivery forced Sadagoppan Ramesh (four) to flinch, and the ball clipped the shoulder of the bat and flew to gully, where Damien Wright took a catch. Nicholson, pressing for a Test recall amid an injury crisis among Australia’s fast bowlers, finished with 1-10 from five overs. At the start of the Australia A innings, Western Australians Chris Rogers (70) and Michael Hussey (67) added 119 for the first wicket before Rogers was caught behind off the bowling of Indian captain Saurav Ganguly. Left-armer Nehra was the pick of India bowlers, finishing with 2-33.
Meanwhile, Australian firebrand Brett Lee, recovered from injury, showed in Sydney he is ready to take the attack to India in the third cricket Test starting in Melbourne on Dec. 26.
Lee left no doubt in a Sheffield Shield workout at Sydney Cricket Ground he has recovered from ankle and stomach problems and is close to his explosive best. Lee snapped up 4-106 from 21 overs as Tasmania reached 270-8 at stumps against New South Wales on the opening day.
