By Sreelata S. Yellamrazu
It was an anti climatic finish to a rather extraordinary day. On the one hand, Australia fought from the brink of being eliminated into a position to be reckoned with while India conceded the advantage only to briefly regain it before letting it go again. All in a day’s work at the end of the second day of the first Test of the India Australia series at Mohali.
Shane Watson seemed like the last man standing at the end of the first day as he was the only Australian batsmen to defy the trend of the day, surviving what appeared like an Indian resurgence. Day two though brought plenty of cheer for the Australians as the lower batting otrder did not shy from wielding their bat to devastating effect. Devastating from the perspective that India would have expected Australia to struggle to get past the 350 mark. And yet Australia found resources that not only baffled the Indians but also, threw them off their own game plan.
Credit must go to Watson’s companion of the early session, wicket keeper Tim Paine. For someone who has not played Test cricket in India before, Paine showed no signs of nervousness or the pressure of the situation that Australia found themselves in. Instead Paine was as decisive in his strokeplay as Watson was the previous day and took command once breakthrough was created by Harbhajan Singh.
Paine’s innings must also be applauded from the pint that not only did he raise Australia from a critical position but also, batted with the tailenders, although perhaps Mitchell Johnson would not like the tag necessarily. To be able to play one’s own game knowing the situation as well as the knowledge of the absence of genuine batting partners can be nerve racking for some. Not for Paine.
After a half century partnership with Watson, Paine truly took the game away in the company of an equally feisty Johnson with a eighty-two run partnership that not only swung the momentum decisively Australia’s way but also, deflated the Indians who would have felt certain of closing out the Australian innings after they were reduced to five down for 224 at the end of the first day’s play. However, it was Paine’s ninety-two that was the stand out despite the engaging batting of Johnson and thereafter of Ben Hilfenhaus as India were forced to revise the bar to 428, this despite Zaheer Khan snapping up a five wicket haul on his return to Indian cricket.
Virender Sehwag did as Australia anticipated. He got India off to a fluent start and indeed for a while, it appeared the Australians would wilt in the heat if Sehwag pursued matters in a similar fashion. But Australia will have learnt one thing on their previous tours to India. Patience pays off. After the rollicking start that India enjoyed under Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag, Mitchell struck with the ball, and Gambhir’s lbw decision opened the door again for Australia.
But perhaps the most disappointing of dismissals would have been that of Sehwag. Batting on fifty-nine like he intended to smash another triple century, ambition and form seemed to have let Sehwag into a false sense of security and it was one shot too many that undid India at the very end of the day. Once again, balance has been evened. It is what day three holds that has cricket aficionados awaiting in anticipation. Is the setting for another Indian assault, or have Australia mustered enough courage on day two to tackle the deviations of day three?
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