Australia produced their best opening partnership of the series as the visitors reached 109 for no loss at lunch on the second day of the third and penultimate cricket Test against India here today.
David Warner led Australia’s promising start with an unbeaten knock of 54 while Ed Cowan was giving him company on 43 after 36 overs had been bowled at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, where the opening day of the match was washed out due to a heavy downpour.
This, incidentally, is also Australia’s best partnership for the first wicket on
this ground, eclipsing the 87-run stand set by Shane Watson and Simon Katich back in 2010.
Warner completed his seventh half-century off 105 balls after spending 127 minutes at the crease. He hit eight fours while Cowan found the fence five times.
There was a chance for Ravindra Jadeja to dismiss Warner right after he completed his fifty when he induced an edge from the left-hander, only to see the ball fly past between wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni and Virat Kohli, positioned at the first slip.
Opting to bat after skipper Michael Clarke won the toss for the third in the series, Australia were served well by the two openers, even as the Indian bowlers looked for wickets on a surface that is likely to assist the spinners over the next few days.
While Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar never looked threatening, the spinners – Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha – are expected to play vital roles as the match progresses.
It was a departure from the norm as far as the wicket was concerned as the PCA is well-documented for assisting the quicker bowlers.
Seeking to make a fightback after two reverses in the first two Tests in Chennai and Hyderabad respectively, Australia wouldn’t complain though as they ensured that they go into the lunch with all their wickets intact in this must-win encounter.
After a four-over first spell, Ishant, playing his 50th Test, was replaced by Ashwin in the ninth over. And the off-spinner straightway extracted a bit of turn and bounce.
However, Dhoni’s decision to bring Ishant back, instead of Ojha, for another six-over spell seemed a bit surprising.
When Ojha was finally introduced in the 25th over, in place of Ishant, the left-arm spinner was greeted with two boundaries – one through the covers off a short ball and the next one nudged down the leg-side.
Australia, perhaps, enjoyed the defensive field and was content with singles and twos while putting away the loose deliveries.
Both Ashwin and Ojha had only a short-leg and slip in place as close-in fielders.
Ojha managed to induce an edge off Cowan but it flew past Kohli at first slip.
With his four specialist bowlers used within the 30th over, Jadeja was introduced in place of Ashwin, who bowled 10 overs in his first spell.
Surprisingly, the field for Jadeja was more attacking than the two specialist spinners, with a leg-slip in place alongside the first slip and the short-leg fielder.
Earlier, it turned out to be the greatest moment of Shikhar Dhawan’s cricketing career as the 27-year-old left-hander from Delhi was handed his maiden Test cap by none other than the great Sachin Tendulkar.
India made two changes to its squad, bringing in Ojha and in place of Harbhajan Singh and Dhawan for the dropped Virender Sehwag.
Australia have brought in Brad Haddin, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and Nathan Lyon in place of the injured Matthew Wade and suspended James Pattinson, Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell.
Teams:
India: Mahanedra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Chesteshwar Pujara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Bhubneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma.
Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin, Moises Henriques, Xavier Doherty, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon.
PTI