After making a mammoth 451 in their first innings, Australia managed to skittle out Board President's XI for a mere 221 runs on the second day of their three day game at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Wednesday. The visitors continued to dominate in all departments. For the Aussies, the wickets were shared all around with Michael Kasprowicz with 3/68 being the pick of the bowlers.

© AFP

The Australians began their day on 413/8 and managed to add 38 runs for the last two wickets. Pushing the score to 451, the Australians set the Board President's a mammoth target. The first figure the Board President's XI looked to overhaul was 301 - the follow on mark.

The Board President's XI had their task cut out. After they put on an uninspired display in the field, they had to come up with a spirited batting performance to avoid defeat. Unfortunately for the hosts, no such thing happened.

Up against a mammoth score, the Board President's XI skipper, Sourav Ganguly, decided to open the innings with the pairing of Sridharan Sriram and Vijay Dahiya. Although Dahiya may not have the tightest of techniques, he opens the innings for Delhi, his state side, and has met with reasonable success. Against the bowling of Kasprowicz and Damien Fleming however, the stumper did not last long. Trapped plumb in front by a ball from Fleming that held its line, Dahiya was back in the pavilion before he could trouble the scorers. With no runs on the board and the first wicket down off just the fifth ball of the innings, the Board President's XI got off to the worst possible start.

After that it was downhill all the way.

A brief partnership between Mohammed Kaif (33) and Sriram (27) made it look like there was some chance of a fight back. However, both of them perished after making good starts and that set the tone for things that followed. Ganguly (40) looked nervous and edged more than one delivery through the slips before playing a wild heave at Mark Waugh and getting bowled.

The only innings of character came from Dinesh Mongia. When the spinners gave the ball a bit of air, Mongia was quick to come down the wicket and play inside out through the off side. When Colin Miller dropped the ball short, Mongia was on the back foot in a flash. The pull he played over midwicket for six was as good a shot as any seen in this game. Moving quickly into top gear, Mongia clouted the ball to the fence nine times and cleared the ropes on three occasions before being dismissed for 66. His score, the highest of the Board President's XI team, helped boost the side's total but was not enough to give the visitors a run for their money.

After Mongia departed the Board President's XI innings quickly folded up. None of the remaining batsmen put up any sort of fight. Hrishikesh Kanitkar batting at number seven made just two even as Jacob Martin (10), Rakesh Patel (13), Surendra Singh (7) and Sarandeep Singh (0) were dismissed cheaply. Board President's XI were all out for 221, well short of the follow on mark.

However, the Australians being the thorough professionals they are, did not enforce the follow on. Opting to gain some more batting practice in Indian conditions, Steve Waugh sent out Matthew Hayden and Michael Slater to bat. The righthanded New South Welshman was his usual flashy self, having a go at everything that was on offer. His counterpart Hayden was a bit more circumspect, but not luckier by any measure.

After seeing off the mediumpacers Hayden flashed hard at a well-flighted delivery out side the off stump from Narendra Hirwani. The ball gripped the wicket and stopped a bit on the southpaw. The bat made contact with the ground and appeared to miss the bat. A loud shout for caught behind ensued and the umpire agreed with the fielders. Hayden (26) was the only casualty of the day for the Aussies.

When stumps were drawn Slater had 24 to his name and Justin Langer was yet to open his account. Australia managed 53/1 off 13 overs for an overall lead of 283.

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