Mohali, Oct. 1: If the plan was to shun risks at all costs, even at the expense of runs, it worked reasonably well. Australia’s makeshift opener Shane Watson held one end up and didn’t let go for the entire day, making a 279-ball 101 not out. The painfully slow knock — Watson’s second Test hundred — nudged the visitors to 224/5 on Day One of the first Test against India here on Friday.
However, with India losing Ishant Sharma (0/49) very early into the game, the bowler only managing 7.4 appalling overs and Harbhajan Singh (1/69) looking out of sorts for a majority of the day, Australia will feel they let a great opportunity of gaining the upper hand early in the game go abegging.
Watson and a far more fluent Ricky Ponting (71, 124 balls) put on 141 runs for the second wicket, scoring briskly for large part of the first and second session. But once the skipper ran himself out — for a record 14th time in his career — with Australia at a heathly 154/2 in the 42nd over, India came back into the game.
Zaheer Khan (3/16) instigated the first flashpoint of the tour, giving an earful to a departing Ponting, but bowled like a champion towards the end. He removed Michael Hussey (17) with a ball that shaped back in from outside off and the then clipped the bail of No. 6 Marcus North’s off-stump. Zaheer’s final spell read 4-2-3-2. Had Mahendra Singh Dhoni not dropped wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine (1 not out), just one of many chances sloppy Indians let go, it would have been even better reading for the hosts.
Still, it gave India something to rejoice on an attritional day, and on pitch that offered slow turn and no bounce. Sporting a green tinge, but with lots of cracks, it could become harder for batsmen as the game progresses.
Zaheer had to give it his all to get the ball around chest height, but the pitch made sure the bouncers were never a real threat.
Watson was equally severe, the batsman dragging Ishant from outside off to mid-wicket to rack up back-to-back-fours in the 13th over.
Together, the duo thrived on India’s poor reflexes en route their aggressive stand lasting 38 overs. That period saw India miss two run-out chances and drop as many as three catches. The opener was dropped off the second ball of the match by Virender Sehwag on nought, and then again on 37 by Dhoni.
Ponting was caught behind by Dhoni on 13, but off a big no-ball by Ishant.
Ishant sprayed eight no balls in total, including three in one atrocious over that cost 19 runs. Dhoni promptly removed him, and by the time he was brought on after lunch, his speed had dropped from 136-140 kmph to 127-129. Another spell later, he limped off the ground with an injured knee.
Scoreboard
Australia 1st innings
Shane Watson batting 101, S Katich lbw b Zaheer 6, R Ponting run out (Raina) 71, M Clarke c Dravid b Harbhajan 14, M Hussey lbw b Zaheer 17, M North b Zaheer 0, T Paine batting 1
Extras (lb 4, nb 10) 14
Total (in 90 overs) 224/5
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-154, 3-172, 4-218, 5-222.
Bowling: Zaheer Khan 16-4-45-3, Ishant Sharma 7.4-1-49-0 (8nb), Pragyan Ojha 31-12-39-0 (2nb), Harbhajan Singh 29-6-69-1, Sehwag 6.2-0-18-0