Cricket: Slater reaches landmark to aid Australia

Australia 138-3 v India

THE IRREPRESSIBLE Michael Slater became the first player to make 1,000 Test runs this year as he led an Australia recovery on the first day of the second Test against India here yesterday.

Slater, Australia's opener, made an unbeaten 64 as his team fought back from 28 for 2 to reach 138 for 3 before play was abandoned an hour early because of bad light. The first two hours of the match were also lost to rain.

Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian captain, had no hesitation in asking the Australians to bat after he won the toss, because of the damp pitch and outfield. His decision paid immediate dividends when his pace bowler Javagal Srinath dismissed Greg Blewett and Justin Langer in his first spell with the new ball.

Blewett, who had been dropped at gully by Anil Kumble off the second ball of the match when pushing forward, chopped onto his stumps while attempting a pull. Srinath then trapped Langer lbw for eight. Langer was back in his crease but the ball struck him high on the leg and the left- hander was unhappy with the decision.

Australia, 1-0 up in the best-of-three series after winning the first Test in Adelaide by 285 runs, then came back strongly with Slater leading the fight. The right-hander struck six fours but was careful not to throw his wicket away as he has done in the past, as he patiently waited for the right ball to attack.

Slater passed the 1,000-run landmark when he guided an outswinger from Venkatesh Prasad to the third-man boundary. He was well supported by Mark Waugh, who had managed just 18 runs in his last five Test innings but was retained on account of his past contributions.

Waugh's innings lacked the fluency he can display but he and Slater added 95 for the third wicket before Waugh fell to Ajit Agarkar, lbw for 41, leaving Slater and Steve Waugh to add a further 17 runs before play was cut short because of the light.

First day of five; India won toss

Australia - First Innings:

G S Blewett b Srinath 2

M J Slater not out 64

J L Langer lbw b Srinath 8

M E Waugh lbw b Agarkar 41

*S R Waugh not out 5

Extras (1b, 7lb, 1w, 9nb) 18

Total (for 3, 48 overs) 138

Fall: 1-4, 2-28, 3-123.

To bat: R T Ponting, A C Gilchrist, S K Warne, B Lee, D W Fleming, G D McGrath.

Bowling: Srinath 12-4-35-2; Agarkar 12-5-23-1; V Prasad 8-1-34-0; Ganguly 2-0-10-0; Kumble 14-3-28-0.

India: H H Kanitkar, S Ramesh, R Dravid, *S R Tendulkar, S C Ganguly, V V S Laxman, M S K Prasad, A B Agarkar, J Srinath, A Kumble, B K V Prasad.

Umpires: S J Davis and D R Shepherd (Eng).