When Navjot Singh Sidhu made his debut for India he was known as the 'Strokeless Wonder'. The Indian batsmen, with the exception of Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif, could soon earn that tag after they way they batted on day 2 of the third Test against Australia, at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium in Nagpur on Wednesday.
At close of play, India were only 146 runs for five wickets in 77 overs. That total was built at a run-rate of 1.90. Mohammad Kaif, 47, and Parthiv Patel, 16, with a 43-run unfinished partnership, were in the process of rebuilding the innings.
Earlier, Australia added just 36 runs to their overnight total of 362 for 7, as the new ball, in the hands of Zaheer Khan, who claimed two wickets, and Ajit Agarkar, quickly ended the visitors' hopes of posting an imposing total.
Morning session (Australia: 36 runs, 10.2 overs, 3 wickets) (India: 15 overs )
Even though the new ball was available after 80 overs on Day 1, Dravid did not take it. It was a surprising decision, because Gillespie, in particular, has shown during this series that he has become adept at playing the spinners. Late in the evening a batsman thinks of getting back to the dressing room, and a few overs with the new ball would not have made matters much worse.
The Nagpur pitch gave the bowlers no room for error. If the ball was pitched short, it sat up to be hit; if it was over-pitched then the batsmen would drive with ease. But if it was pitched on an in-between length that keeps the batsman uncertain about his footwork then the pitch offered both bounce and movement.
Zaheer finally struck in the fifth over of the morning session, trapping Jason Gillespie bang in front of the wicket. The ball moved after it pitched and hit Gillespie's back foot in front of the wicket. There was no hesitation from umpire David Shepherd and Gillespie was heading back to the hut. (376 for 8)
The 39-run partnership kept the Indians at bay for 17 overs.
Next over, Agarkar got his first wicket of the match. He pitched the ball in the right spot and new batsman, Michael Kasprowicz, hung his bat outside the off-stump and edged the ball straight to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, who, it seemed, almost couldn't believe that the he had held on to the catch. (377 for 9)
On day 1, Patel missed an easy stumping of Michael Clarke and then dropped the young batsman and Gillespie as well. Those costly lapses almost ensured that India will go into the Mumbai Test with a new keeper.
McGrath, playing his 100th Test, is only the 30th player in the history of the game to reach the landmark. But he also has the third-most ducks in the history of the game to his name, which gives one a fair idea of his batting skills.
But he stuck around for a while, hit a few pull shots and added 22 runs with Clarke for the tenth wicket. Clarke, however, was dismissed nine short of what would have been a streaky century. Zaheer claimed his fourth wicket of the match as Patel held on to his third catch.
Unlike the sublime 151 he scored in the first Test in Bangalore, Clarke's innings had huge slices of luck. He scored 91 off 160 balls, with 13 boundaries. McGrath was not out on 11.
Australia were all out for 398 in 100.2 overs. Thus far, it was the perfect morning for India.
India innings
India's innings got off to an electrifying start, thanks to Virender Sehwag. With him at the wicket there is never a dull moment. He loves playing to the gallery and in the second over of the innings smashed Gillespie for four boundaries.
Australia's response was immediate. A sweeper was positioned on the cover boundary and shots that had fetched the dashing right-hander big scores in the earlier Tests of the series got him only singles.
Sehwag then chased a ball from McGrath, which was well outside the off-stump, and got the edge. Even as the ball flew towards Shane Warne at first slip, Adam Gilchrist jumped to his right to claim a good catch. The dangerous Sehwag was out after scoring 22 off just 20 balls. (31 for 1)
The Aussies were now confident that the Indians would not get their runs at a quick rate. With Sehwag at the crease there was always that fear. Chopra and Dravid are a different breed altogether.
Chopra, at the other end, meanwhile defended resolutely. But Gillespie brought the batsman's 42-ball vigil to an end by producing a superb delivery that pitched in line with the off-stump and moved towards the slips. Chopra had no option but to play at the ball. The edge he got went to Warne at first slip. (34 for 2)
Now came the moment all of India had been waiting for. Sachin Tendulkar walked in to a standing ovation; the noise was unbelievable, and he was yet to face a ball! But how would his elbow hold up?
At lunch, Tendulkar was unbeaten on 1 along with Dravid, on 2 off 23 balls. India were 35 for the loss of two wickets.
Post-lunch session (60 runs, 2 wickets, 30 overs)
After lunch, McGrath and Gillespie held the Indians on a tight leash. The first eight overs yielded only eight runs. It was a game of cat and mouse as the batsmen looked to play out the fast bowling duo.
But that is easier said than done.
McGrath's first spell was 6-4-5-1 while his second was 6-3-6-0. Gillespie conceded 23 runs in his first three overs but, thereafter, was at his stingy best. His second spell was 2-1-1-1 and his third as superb, 10-4-19-1.
With almost no runs coming, the pressure was starting to tell on the Indians. It was hard to imagine that this was the same pitch on which, just a day back, the Aussies scored at over four an over for most part.
The discipline of the Aussie pacemen ensured that the pressure on the Indians was immense. Something had to give and it did.
Tendulkar was trapped leg before wicket while playing outside the line of a ball from Gillespie. He scored eight off 36 balls and did not even look close to his best. (49 for 3) For the tenth time in his last ten Tests, he was dismissed in single digits.
Such was the stranglehold of the Aussie paceman that in the first hour after lunch, the Indians scored only 31 runs in 15 overs and lost the wicket of Tendulkar.
Laxman, who has not looked in the best of touch in this series, was next in. His stay was brief, and while he was at the crease looked very unsure.
During the Australia innings, Anil Kumble was introduced into the attack even before the tenth over was bowled. But Warne had to wait longer, much longer. It was only after the pacemen had bowled 35 overs that the world record holder for most Test wickets was given a chance to turn his arm over. And he struck a huge blow with his second delivery.
The ball in question was a long hop. It was short and outside the off stump. Laxman's eyes lit up when he saw the delivery. Without moving his feet too much, he tried to crash it through the off side but, instead, got a top-edge and Clarke, at gully, moved to his right to take a good catch.
Laxman, the greatest Indian batsman in the eyes of the Aussies, was gone for 13 and Warne had done the trick again. The leg-spinner claimed Laxman's wicket for the third time in four innings in this series. (75 for 4)
A feature that stood out during the innings was the specialized field placements that the Aussies employed for every Indian batsman. They are not afraid to try out new things, and make sure that the analyst serves the purpose of him being with the team. The Indians have an analyst too but they just don't seem to utilize his services.
Mohammad Kaif joined Dravid at the wicket and duo survived till tea. Dravid hasn't been able to get the ball away and already played 119 balls.
When tea was called, India were on 95 for 4. Dravid was on 19 and Kaif on 15 off 27 balls.
In 30 overs during the session, India scored 60 runs and lost the wickets of Tendulkar and Laxman. Australia dominated the second session and India, still 303 runs behind, will have to break the stranglehold and get some runs on the board.
Post-tea session (52 runs, 1 wicket, 32 overs)
The Indians needed to come out and play their shots after tea. But Dravid, in particular, was content to sit back and defend, hoping, as it seemed, that the bowlers would tire and he would get a few loose deliveries.
That just didn't happen. Sometimes you need to go out and make things happen. Granted that the Aussies bowled with discipline, but then the Indians did nothing to try and disrupt their rhythm either.
Dravid played into the hands of the Aussies by getting completely bogged down. Once he got into the defensive mould he found it difficult to play his shots.
Ask McGrath to bowl at a particular spot on the wicket and he will do it all day, without breaking a sweat. A batsman needs to hit him off his length else he will perish. The Indians, considering the number of times the two teams have played in the recent past, would do well to recognize that the Australians never, ever, let up; indeed, they never flag.
For 17 balls before his dismissal, Dravid failed to get McGrath away for even a single. All he did was put his head down and defend. All this while McGrath's line gradually shifted closer to the stumps. Finally, he was forced into a shot; the edge went straight to Warne, at first slip, who made no mistake. (103 for 5)
Dravid scored 21 off 140 balls and put on 28 runs with Kaif. McGrath's bowling figures at this stage were an amazing 19 overs, 11 maidens, 18 runs and two wickets.
It might very well have been three wickets for the veteran Aussie pacer, but a no-ball - his first and only one deprived him.
Kaif, ducking to a short ball, forgot to lower the bat; the ball hit the edge and looped to Warne. The Aussies' joy was short-lived as umpire Shepherd called 'no-ball'.
Meanwhile, Warne's bowling was uniformly good. There was variety, control and testing lines.
Kaif and Parthiv, as they had in Chennai, did well to put together a partnership that saved India from sinking without a trace. The duo also showed that if you are prepared to show aggression, the runs will come.
At close of play, India were struggling at 146 for the loss of five wickets, still 252 runs behind. Only something very special will get them within striking distance of Australia's total.
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