Gautam Gambhir's failure notwithstanding, India responded strongly to Australia's score of 333 on Day 2 of the Melbourne Test. Virender Sehwag's risk-prone but entertaining 67 was followed by the calming presence of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, who was dismissed by Peter Siddle for 73 in what turned out to be the final over of the day.
This is turning out to be a rare strong show from the Indians who've often started Test tours poorly. Dravid, earlier bowled off a no-ball by Siddle, can press on for a hundred on Day 2. They still trail by 119 runs but there?s good weather expected and the wicket will be easier to bat on.
Earlier in the day, India struggled to dislodge the Australian tail that batted determinedly to minimise their losses. Peter Siddle (41), James Pattinson (19) and Ben Hilfenhaus (18) occupied most of the morning session.
Zaheer Khan (4-77) removed Brad Haddin in his first over with a clever inswing/outswing combo that produced an edge to gully. He then quickly removed Siddle but the tail-enders had no trouble blunting Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. It was left to Ravichandran Ashwin wipe them out.
SEHWAG CUTS LOOSE
It took Sehwag one ball to show what his innings today would be about. The outswinger pitched up by Hilfenhaus was lofted over cover for two. He offered three difficult chances today - two off Pattinson. He also got into an argument with the young tearaway who seemed to have hung out his elbow as Sehwag ran past him for a single. Pattinson had his man, courtesy a huge inside edge that crashed into the stumps.
Gambhir hasn't seemed to have adjusted to the conditions in Australia and tended to go hard at balls outside off-stump, ones that should normally be left alone. It was a matter of time before Hilfenhaus compelled the outside edge that would end Gambhir's stay.
TENDULKAR, DRAVID DELIVER
Tendulkar's innings today could be divided into three phases.
The first, where he came out just before tea, looking merely to survive two overs and was lucky to do so. On zero, he nearly played on to Pattinson. Michael Clarke brought on the part-time seamer Mike Hussey when Tendulkar was on 1. Hussey managed to produce an edge that would have been an easy catch for a catcher on the legside, but there was nobody there.
After the break, came the second phase. Tendulkar unshackled himself. He uppercut the first ball of the session off Siddle for six. He followed that with a clip off his pads for three, and managed to keep scoring freely through the evening. The approach helped maintain the momentum set by Sehwag.
As he does on bouncy wickets, Tendulkar started to employ the uppercut with frustrating regularity for the Australians. He wasn't averse to punching off the backfoot through the covers, or lofting over the straight field.
Just when it seemed he would close the deal on his much-awaited hundredth hundred, Tendulkar started playing for stumps again. In that third phase of his innings, he tried to punch Siddle straight, but the ball seamed in through the gap to knock back the off-stump.
Dravid did just what he was needed to. He offered solid support to Sehwag and Tendulkar, blunting Clarke's pacers one by one. On 65, he was bowled by a delivery similar to the one that got Tendulkar. But when the umpires checked the replay, Siddle had overstepped thus denying him a well-deserved wicket.
India have begun the innings well. But the job is only half done
