Sachin Tendulkar walked to the crease a thoughtful man, or that is what his slow, measured gait suggested. S-a-a-a-chin, S-a-a-a-chin, chanted the crowd.
Moments before that they had been gasping in shock. They had watched Rahul Dravid, the man who was expected to shore up India's abysmal spirits, find his stumps in a shambles by a sharp, incisive incoming ball from Jason Gillespie.
With Dravid gone and India at 9 for 2, who else but Tendulkar could they hope would salvage this game for India?
Tendulkar's body language was a trifle uncertain. The man was coming back to cricket after an almost career-threatening injury. Something was missing.
Perhaps he was not sure what to expect. For the first time you could sense that his mind was clouded by some sort of doubt. Would he succeed?
He looked in good touch but then came the fall. A hesitant back-foot punch to a rising Glenn McGrath delivery ended up in the hands of Damien Martyn in gully. That was the end of India or of whatever little hope there was to make a fight of the match.