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Harbhajan Singh spiced up his feisty rivalry with Ricky Ponting, revelling in a first-ball dismissal of the Australian captain on the fourth day of the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Harbhajan, the subject of an end-of-Test hearing over racial abuse charges, claimed Ponting’s wicket for the eighth time in Test cricket with the first ball that he bowled to the champion batsman.

Ponting’s wicket for one sent a shudder through the Australian team but the world number one side recovered through a Matthew Hayden century and an unbeaten 87 from Mike Hussey to lead by 213 runs heading into Sunday’s final day.

Harbhajan has a testy rivalry with Ponting going back to his vocal send-off to Ponting when the master Australian batsman was stumped off his bowling in Sharjah in 1998.

Ponting played forward to Harbhajan’s delivery and spooned a catch to VVS Laxman at silly point to send Harbhajan on a manic victory dash culminating in a theatrical tumble in front of the Indian team’s dressing room.

Ponting has struggled in this series with scores of four and three in Melbourne and 55 and one in Sydney, three times falling to Harbhajan. Overall Harbhajan has dismissed Ponting cheaply seven times, including three ducks in the 2001 series in India.

“I think he probably has got the wood on Rick at the moment,” said long-time Australian teammate Matthew Hayden, who scored his 29th Test century with 123.

“But this is a particularly difficult venue to start, a lot can be and probably will be made of that (getting out again to Harbhajan).

“But I am sure you will see Ricky come out in subsequent innings and have his day out in the sun as well.”

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly was more diplomatic. “Ricky Ponting is a great player, it is great that we are getting him out early and I hope we continue to do that in the series,” he said.
Source:Cricket News