Ganguly slams Test fifty; Krezja delights with five-wicket haul

Playing his last Test match in Nagpur after announcing retirement from international cricket (on October 7), former skipper Sourav Ganguly played another memorable innings hitting a half-century (85) on day 2 of the last Test against Australia in Nagpur.

However, it was Aussies skipper Jason Krezja who brought Australia back into the game with a five-wicket haul.

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He ended up with a figure of 8 for 215 to restrict India at 441 in the first innings.

Earlier the day, the Royal Bengal Tiger of Indian Cricket displayed his class by taking on Australian bowling, especially Jason Krezja by hitting him over long-on for a six and then a boundary to list his 35th Test fifty in the 113th match. The southpaw – currently the 4th highest overall run scorer for India in Test – however, got out by the same bowler after consolidating Indian innings.

Resuming first day’s play of 311 for 5, India surpassed the 400 mark in the first half of day 2. Both Sourav Ganguly and Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (56) put up a good partnership (119 for the 6th wicket) before lunch, but it was Krezja who claimed both the wickets of Ganguly and Dhoni to claim his maiden five-wicket haul. Dhoni, scored 56 runs before got out to Krezja.

On the Day 1, Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar registered his 40th test match century – a world record with most number of centuries in either form of the game.

India is leading the four-match series 1-0 and needing only a draw to claim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But, the outcome of Day 2 and the first half of Day 3 will further decide the course of the game.

India all out for 441

As Australian spinner Jason Krezja put an impressive show claiming eight wickets in his Test debut, it was all cheerful for the Aussies by bowling out India for 441. Despite a good partnership between Ganguly and Dhoni, no other batsman stood firm and the entire Indian innings ended with a most terrible collapse from 422 for 5 to 441.