India v Australia-2008-09, Test-1 (Bangalore)-Day-1

Score line: - Australia 254-4 (Mike Hussey 46 * (115 Balls), Zaheer Khan 2-39)

Report Sheet of the Day: - Australia 55 % - India 45 %

Match-Report:-

Ricky Ponting would have spent sleepless nights or two (praying that he won the toss) after looking at the pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Having seen the interview of the Pitch Curator, the pitch had its soil imported from WACA in Australia, and it was nicely rolled to become a batting beauty on the first two days of the game. Well, he did win the toss and no guesses, batted first.

Zaheer Khan is known to swing the new cherry both ways, but the movement he got with the new SG ball (Which is more known for its prodigious reverse-swing) was a bit surprising. Matthew Hayden started off shakily, and was given an ordinary decision to be given out. (0-1) the replays showed that his bat hit his pad, not the ball, though the delivery by Zaheer was a good one, and you need such luck when you are up against the Aussies.

But every cloud has a silver lining. Next man in was Ricky Ponting, having a seriously pathetic record in India. The difference this time was, however, that he didn’t have to face a Spinner bowling with a softer Ball.

Indians must have felt a little bit of nostalgia after watching Ishant Sharma bowling a wonderful spell to Ponting (reminiscent of that famous spell in Perth in January). He cut the ball back into the batsman, and surprisingly didn’t bowl too many Full length Balls. He did keep it tight though, and with a little bit of luck could have got Ponting. But as you would have it, Ponting hung on to it, and settled down to play a determined and Flawless innings. Sharma however, looked a bit clueless bowling to Katich, and repeatedly strayed down the leg-side.

Harbhajan, started off by shooting the ball down the leg side at Ponting’s pads, from then on, it was Ponting all the way. He cut, slog-swept, and drove both the spinners, with Kumble troubling him with an odd unplayable ball. Katich on the other hand was playing a surprisingly dogged hand. And Aussies went into Lunch with the score 75-1.

Ishant Sharma started off ordinarily after Lunch. And was lucky to get Katich playing at a fairly wide ball-swinging further away. (2-166) With Mike Hussey also in a “Thou shall not pass” mode, it was left to poor old punter to do the bulk of scoring. Hussey repeatedly misread Kumble-who was bowling well without appropriate reward, on the other hand Ponting was motoring to a Hundred.

As they say, umpiring errors do even out in the game. Rudi Koertzen, who looks like a grandpa having a paid holiday, failed to see a close-call for a caught-&-Bowled for Ponting. Poor old Kumble has looked a shadow of himself after the Australia tour, and looked visibly worked-up after Rudi didn’t call for replays. Kumble has bowled well, with few deliveries squaring up Ponting & Hussey. To be honest, he looked a better bowler against the left-handers today, repeatedly beating Hussey. Ponting duly completed a flawless Hundred, and looked a bit worked up as well…not surprising with newspapers everyday dissecting his record in India.

Again, a bad decision evening out an equally Bad one. Harbhajan was visibly looking a bit tense, bowled an off-cutter, Ponting shaped for a half-lap-half sweep shot, was hit in line, with the ball hitting perhaps the fourth stump. Asad Rouf has a record of giving debatable LBW decisions, this time he obliged, and Harbhajan must have felt relieved that the wicket of Ponting overshadowed an ordinary outing for the day. (3-226) Harbhajan is at his best when he bowls that Off-Stump line with speeds between 79-85 KPH, this time, he repeatedly went over the 86-KPH mark, often darting the ball wide of Off-Stump or down the leg-side. Ponting though, played him smartly, taking an off-stump guard, and whipping him to the on-side whenever the ball was inline with the Stumps.

Lara Bingle might get worked up, but Michael Clarke does have a bit of a love affair with the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. His all previous outings here have ended in brilliant hundreds. Indians would have had a bit of “Oh no…not again” feeling after watching him batting comfortably against Sehwag, & Harbhajan. Kumble came and gone, with a spoiler of an over bowling three long-hops. As the overs ticked, Fans started pouring out with a “Would be 260-odd for 3” score line in their minds. But as often happens in India-Australia matches, there was drama right on the second ball of the last over, Zaheer trapping “Mr. Puppy” plumb in front with a peach of a ball, this time for just 11-runs (Lara Bingle rejoicing), ending his love with Bangalore. (4-254)

In the end…Australia would be happy seeing the score. 400 is the bare minimum for Australia with a thin Bowling line-up. Indians would be happy to keep the run-rate down to less than 3-an over and still picking up 4-wickets. Australia do have a long batting though. India would do well to bowl then out around 350. Can’t wait for Day-2.

Pitch:- Looks a good test-Match wicket. Nicely rolled, with enough Pace & bounce to play your shots. Should turn more and more as the game goes on, and Australia will rue dearly that they don’t have a specialist spinner to capitalize the conditions on the 4^th & 5^th day. The bounce is getting a bit lower, and the Pitch should get slow come the 3^rd day. All depends on how Indian batsmen perform, because they do have the firepower to bowl Australia out twice on the Pitch.