Tendulkar, Ramesh rally Indians

Reserve opener Sadagoppan Ramesh staked a strong claim for a Test recall ahead of the four-Test series against Australia with an immaculate innings against Victoria Bushrangers on the opening day of the three-day tie at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

He and Sachin Tendulkar, who were both dismissed in their eighties, put on 128 runs for the fourth wicket as the Indians recovered from an early stutter of 45 for 3 and finished the day at 266 for 9.

Ramesh, drafted into the eleven because V V S Laxman was down with flu, concentrated for four-and-a-half hours for his 87, made from 191 balls and 10 fours, before driving a catch off leg-spinner Cameron White into the covers.

Tendulkar needed only two hours for his 80 runs, which had 14 fours, most of them being ferocious hooks and fiercely struck square cuts as he readied himself for the short-pitched stuff which the Australians are planning for him this summer.

He arrived at the crease when the Indians were already three wickets down, including those of openers Akash Chopra (2) and Virender Sehwag (23), and had struggled to 56 for three by lunch.

But the face of the innings was completely transformed in the third hour, which yielded 85 runs as Tendulkar tore into the home bowling with a half century from just 65 deliveries.

Two of the flops for the Indians, who elected to bat, concerned both captain and vice-captain Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, who both fell to the left-arm pace of Matthew Innes.

Ganguly, returning to the side after a groin injury which put him out of action for 10 days, lasted a mere five balls as he flicked straight to the midwicket fielder.

Dravid, disconcerted by two deliveries that rose from a length, finally perished when he cut low but straight to the point fielder, failing to open his account even after 21 deliveries.

Sehwag also looked too casual while lifting a catch straight to the mid-off fielder though his partner Chopra was done in by a good delivery that lifted abruptly and took the handle of his bat en route to the wicketkeeper, giving debutant Brett Hopp his maiden wicket in his second over.

Tendulkar batted as he has rarely played in recent times, giving full range to his strokes and even came down the track to drive and flick leg-spinner Cameron White to distraction.

Ramesh put his head down for the job and looked to meet the qualities the team is looking from an opener against the Australian pacemen.

The 28-year-old Tamil Nadu opener who averages 37.97 in 19 Tests last played against Sri Lanka at Colombo in 2001. The left-hander was rarely in trouble and even showed discretion on deliveries pitched outside his off-stump. He continued to find gaps despite a packed off-side field and reached his half century with a thumping square drive off Ian Harvey.

It upset Harvey, who had earlier got into an argument with umpire John Ward for declaring one of his beamers a no-ball.

The Indians also had their grave concerns about the tail reconfirmed as Harbhajan Singh, Laxmipathy Balaji and Zaheer Khan were involved in soft dismissals, all helping to improve

the figures of White, who finished with four for 59.

While Harbhajan and Zaheer hit catches to the deep, Balaji tamely went forward and lobbed a catch straight back to the bowler as India lost four wickets for 29 runs.

But wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel did his cause no harm by battling gamely for his unbeaten half century which came from 107 balls after over two hours of vigil, during which he hit five fours.

The Victorians stuck to their task superbly with both Innes and White finishing with four scalps each.

Jonathan Moss played a good supporting cast, yielding only 31 runs from his 18 overs, 10 of which were maidens.