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Martyn, Kartik set tone for thriller; Australia 362/7
Opening day's play was replete with majestic strokes and skillful bowling, reports Pradeep Magazine.Full Scorecard || Venue Stats
The off-field drama in a Test that has seen speculation rule over fact continued before the first ball was bowled on Tuesday.
The first surprise came when Rahul Dravid walked out for the toss. Where was Sourav Ganguly?
No, he hadn't chickened out, as gossip-mongers would like everyone to believe. He had indicated on the eve of the match that his groin injury was troubling him and on Tuesday morning, he failed to pass the fitness test.
Another key member of the team, Harbhajan Singh, too missed the match, being down with a severe stomach disorder.
If the Indian team was in severe depression or in some sort of panic, there were no signs of it in the way they played and the authoritative manner in which Dravid handled his team.
When the last ball of the first day was bowled, a crowd of nearly 18,000 had seen a highly entertaining contest, replete with majestic strokes and skillful bowling. And whatever the Indian team may have thought of the wicket, it had a substantial role to play in contributing to that enjoyable day of cricket.
