India’s bowlers made a statement on the first day that bodes well for the rest of the series. Led by the skipper Anil Kumble, they showed the Australians that they were not going to be overawed by a good start and a top batting lineup, and give in without a fight. If anything, this team has shown it has imbibed the qualities that have made their leader such a force in world cricket, and that tenacity and the spirit of never giving up. Kumble personifies that and his team, especially the bowlers, is following his footsteps in an admirable manner.
Losing the toss was not such a bad thing, because, with all the rain and the possibility of dampness, there would have been demons in the minds of the batsmen. The way the new ball of Zaheer and R.P. Singh went past the outside edges of both Hayden and Jaques did suggest that India wouldn’t have found it easy if they had batted first. Hayden steadied the innings and in his company, Jaques, his newest partner, also increased in confidence. So much so that by lunch time, they had got over the nerves that possess most players on the first day of a new series, and had posted more than a century partnership. The lunch for the hosts would definitely have been tastier than for the Indians, but then, it was the never-say-die spirit of Anil Kumble that took over, as he first deceived Jaques and then Zaheer produced the ball of the day and possibly the series, though it is early days. Still, it was terrific to get a batsman of the caliber and class of Ponting to find thin air instead of the middle of his bat. It knocked back the off-stump and infused the Indians with the belief that this Australian team could be restricted. Hussey, who has been in prolific form, was trapped leg before by Kumble’s wrong ‘un, as he played down the wrong line. Michael Clarke never looked in any comfort while at the crease and chased a widish R.P. Singh delivery, which was an indication of how his mind was functioning.
Symonds and Gilchrist as always are the danger-men, because they know only one way to play, and that’s attacking the bowling. Symonds was looking in ominous form as he had got to a run-a-ball strike rate, but Kumble’s quicker delivery stopped him from rolling his wrists over to keep the pull shot down, and instead it went hard but straight to Kartik at midwicket. Brett Lee went early to the trademark Kumble dismissal; caught plumb in front of the stumps with the straighter delivery, and then Gilchrist was deceived into going for the big hoick to the googly, which he top-edged to Tendulkar at point. It was clever bowling and backed by some fine field-placing that ensured that the Australians didn’t get the boundaries.
The Aussies did get the singles as they placed the ball around the fielders and ran well between the wickets. Stuart Clark has given Australia some valuable runs, and India have to see that the last wicket does not add too many, because not only is that uplifting to the home team, but it can mean a disruption to the planning that opening batsmen go through when the eighth wicket falls or thereabouts.
By winning the second and third sessions of play, India had the better day, but there are four more days to go, and they have to win more sessions to win the game.
