|
 Captain
Steve Waugh, playing his last series before retiring, was
dismissed without scoring after stepping on his stumps.
While Waugh walked out to a rousing
reception, it wasn't lost on some keen observers that in his
eagerness to get out to the middle – he virtually sprinted out
at the fall of the first wicket this morning – he had denied the
hero of the Australian first innings, Justin Langer, the
opportunity for an ovation that he so deserved.
And then came the run-out. Damien Martyn
is the kind of bat sman
who is incapable of looking out of touch. He either gets out or
he flowers. On a difficult pitch here, he had been in supreme
touch, caressing the ball with majestic ease. Admittedly the
call was Waugh's – he was running to the danger end – but
Martyn's `no' had been emphatic, and Waugh was guilty of
disregarding it. Many former Australian players were horrified
that Martyn chose to sacrifice his wicket for his captain, for
sentimentality has no place in the Australian cricketing
lexicon. The only way for Waugh to redeem himself was to bat his
team out of a potentially difficult situation.
 Waugh,
who needs 515 runs in his final four matches to pass Allan
Border as cricket's leading test run-scorer, fended a
short-pitched delivery from Khan to fine leg but clipped the
off-stump with his right heel as he set off on a run.
Waugh, the first
Australian in 22 years to be given out hit wicket, had reached
the other end when the Indian fielders noticed the bail had been
dislodged but he walked off as soon they appealed |
