The Australians are a much happier lot now than they were at this stage of their two previous tours in 1997-98 and 2001.
In a match that stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist described as the "ideal start", the visitors had to settle for a tame draw against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai on the third and final day of their encounter at the Brabourne Stadium.
The match was called off after the first mandatory over with Australia piling on 207 runs for the loss of substitute opener Michael Clarke's wicket. Regular opener Justin Langer, who had a sketchy first innings, retired on 108 to give middle-order batsman Brad Hodge time in the middle.
Langer began tentatively, surviving a very confident shout for caught behind off fast-medium bowler Ajit Agarkar when he was barely into double figures, but went on to build his innings and opened up with a few big blows at the end. The lefthander used the sweep shot effectively, albeit with lots of assistance from the Mumbai bowlers, and had 12 fours and three sixes in his 152 ball knock.
Clarke, who opened in place of Matthew Hayden, also got useful batting practice before the first Test in Bangalore starting next Wednesday. He scored 52 runs off 95 balls, milking the Mumbai spinners, and approached his task as an opener confidently. He was the only Australian batsman to be dismissed on the day, caught at forward shot-leg attempting a sweep off Ramesh Powar.
Clarke may well have cemented his place in the side, though Gilchrist remained non-committal in the post-match press conference. "[Vice-captain] Darren Lehmann will walk into the side despite missing the tour game," he said.
Brad Hodge and Simon Katich, in contention for the number three batting position in the Test side in skipper Ricky Ponting's absence, also used the game to their benefit, with Katich knocking up 30 runs in the first innings and Hodge remaining unbeaten on 29 in the second.
Hodge, with the more fluent performance, may just be awarded the baggy green ahead of Katich. "He put forward his case," Gilchrist said. "He looked composed in both the innings."
Earlier, Mumbai folded up for 255 soon after lunch, to concede the lead to the Australians for the first time in three meetings, as last man Aavishkar Salvi was bowled by Glenn McGrath. The experienced Australian paceman looked dangerous today, trapping Amol Muzumdar leg before in his first over of the morning. Muzumdar added just two runs to his overnight score of 50.
Ajit Agarkar, however, seemed to be in good touch, hitting up a brisk 37 off 48 balls with six boundaries. Agarkar has been drafted into the Indian squad for the first two Tests, and his innings today will have helped him get a good look at the Australian bowlers and gain the required confidence.
Brett Lee, on his first Test tour of India, got the crowds excited and was able to strike a couple of blows today, having Mumbai captain Sairaj Bahutule and wicket-keeper Vinayak Samant edging to Gilchrist behind the stumps.
Gilchrist was happy with the performance of his bowlers. "Glenn was superb as ever," he said, "and to be fair to Brett, he did everything that was asked of him. We were happy with the way [offspinner] Nathan Hauritz bowled, though he still has to learn the delicacies of spin bowling in India."
After a good workout in Mumbai, the Australians move to Bangalore to meet a wounded Indian team, which is looking to redeem its position in world cricket after three very ordinary months.
© 2024 Rediff.com -