Off spinner Nathan Hauritz could hardly believe his eyes at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Nor could he believe his luck.
"I've never seen a wicket on which the ball turns so much, even on television," Hauritz told reporters after taking three wickets for 16 on his Australia debut.
"There was big turn out there."
Hauritz, who played instead of the injured Shane Warne, struck with his third ball in Test cricket as India collapsed to 104 all out in their first innings.
Conditions in Mumbai were in sharp contrast to anything Hauritz had encountered back home, with the ball skidding and turning sharply off a length.
On Australia's quick pitches, spinners rely more on bounce than turn to surprise batsmen.
There was another surprise in store for Hauritz in the evening, when skipper Ricky Ponting asked him to share the new ball in India's second innings.