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Kumble joins 400 club; Australia 256 for five
At the end of the day you look at the score-sheet and wonder how much it really conveys about what happened at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on a balmy Wednesday.Full Scorecard || Key Battles
At the end of the day you look at the score-sheet and wonder how much it really conveys about what happened at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on a balmy Wednesday.
Australia, with 316 for 5, have made a score that straightaway puts them in a position of strength, especially when it is being predicted that the wicket might become a difficult one to bat on with each passing session.
A look at the bowling analysis will let you know that the spinners bowled raggedly and that includes Anil Kumble's spells, despite his three for 86. But Tuesday would be the wrong day to castigate the leg-spinner's lack of bite and poor line and length. Wrong day simply because he passed a major personal milestone — 400 victims.
Why Kumble alone? Harbhajan was no better and had Irfan Pathan not bowled with tremendous control and skill, India could well have been batted out of the Test on the first day itself.
In more than one ways, it was a bad day for India. The toss of coin did not favour India and the excruciatingly slow and 'bounce-less' nature of the track meant the batsmen had nothing to fear, either from the pacers or from the spinners.
The opening day of the series could have ended in a nightmare for India had the Australian top order not been plagued by a strange attack of nerves. Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann and even Simon Katich played poor shots to get out. That they still managed a wholesome score in the end tells its own story.
It is the real story of the day: A story in which debutant Michael Clarke was the star and Katich not far behind. At 22, Clarke already is some sort of a star in one-day cricket and he seems destined to be a bigger star in the Test arena.
He unleashed almost every stroke in the book — the difficult wristy on-drive, the cover drive, pull, cut — you name a cricketing stroke and he has it in his repertoire. And he plays them with great élan and composure.
His partner in the rescue act — Australia had lost three wickets for 25 runs at one stage — Katich, is no less a talent. Watching him bat was a lesson in how to play on Indian tracks. He never committed himself to a shot, allowed the ball to come onto his bat and then decided what stroke to play and when he did launch himself into his strokes, they were a joy to behold. His hasty pull that give Kumble his 400th wicket was the only time he showed a flawed side to his batting.
But India's worries are far from over. Adam Gilchrist, who on Tuesday had said that he is very eager for action, displayed ominous touch and if he continues to bat the way he did in the evening, the Australians would have gained a huge psychological advantage right at the beginning of the series. And don't forget Clarke is still at the crease.
Life out there at the moment is difficult for India. But Thursday could be another day and perhaps there will be a different story to narrate.
