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Cricket

Kumble halts Aussie progress

26/12/2007

Indian captain Anil Kumble has taken five wickets to peg back Australia on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

The home side were on 135 without loss at one stage but ended the day on 337-9 after a stunning comeback by India.

Having won the toss Australian openers Phil Jaques and Matthew Hayden took full advantage of a good batting surface during the morning session. Hayden rarely looked troubled and dominated the Indian pace bowlers sending nine fours to the boundary during his innings.

But once Kumble had Jaques stumped by MH Dhoni for 66, soon after lunch, India had found a way into the match and the wickets began to tumble.

Zaheer Khan weighed in with a crucial wicket to follow Kumble's breakthrough, bowling Ricky Ponting for four, before Kumble trapped Michael Hussey (2) lbw in his next over.

Australia were still in a strong position thanks to their good start, with Hayden still at the crease Hayden on an unbeaten century at the tea interval.

Hayden's ton was his 19th on home soil, a record by an Australian, surpassing the 18 centuries scored by both Sir Don Bradman and Ponting.

But his innings ended on 124 when he edged the ball to Dravid at slip and that gave Kumble the opportunity to bamboozle the Aussie middle-order.

Michael Clarke (20), Andrew Symonds (35), Adam Gilchrist (23) and Brad Hogg (17) all made starts to their innings but were ultimately undone as the momentum swung India's way.

Kumble and Zaheer added to their wicket hauls and the spinner was unlucky not to have claimed a sixth victim when Mitchell Johnson appeared to be caught at short-leg only for the umpire to turn down the appeal.

India will hope to end Australia's resistance early on day two and attack their first innings total.