A thick plume of blue-grey smoke lost itself in the clouds over Edgbaston on Wednesday morning. By tea, most of India's batsmen had followed suit. M.S. Dhoni, who has been in wretched form, wasn't one of them. Finally he found a batting skin he's comfortable in; finally he found the response of a leader.
It's too early to estimate the value of Dhoni's 77. But it was just the innings his side needed: defiant, strong-willed and threatening. It's another matter that India requires more of the same if it is to retrieve the third Test and the series — England's response to India's 224 stood at a forceful 84 for no loss at stumps on the first day.
Asked to bat in conditions that seemed to be designed for swing and seam bowling, but played better and slower than they appeared, India lost seven wickets for 111. Only one was to a miracle ball (Rahul Dravid's). Relentless, intelligent bowling and forced and unforced batting errors accounted for the rest.
Early blow
Virender Sehwag's return to Test cricket was brief. He couldn't drop his hands quick enough to evade a Stuart Broad break-back. The umpire's initial decision was ‘not out', but England successfully reviewed it, the replays showing the ball had touched the glove.
For close to an hour and a half, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid were impeccable. They did two things particularly well: as often as possible they played late with soft, skilful hands to guide, steer, and tickle behind square; when driving off the front foot, they moved to the pitch of the ball to negate the movement off the wicket.
These aren't revolutionary methods against the swinging, seaming ball. But execution is everything — and during the partnership of 51, both Gambhir and Dravid were precise in their reactions, their body-control allowing them to satisfy the delivery's demands, which changed a few times in the short duration the ball was in flight.
The trouble with batting though is that minor mistakes in calibration are often ruinous. Gambhir forced his hands at one from Tim Bresnan just short of a driving length. The ball seamed in off the surface, took the inside edge, and uprooted the leg-stump.
Sachin Tendulkar was curiously tentative. Hardly had the crowd settled after a heartfelt standing ovation when James Anderson had the great man in trouble.
Anderson's part in the dismissal was no more than an assist however. Having beaten Tendulkar with a devilish in-swinger, he walked to third slip. Tendulkar pushed at a wide ball from Broad that did little in the air and off the surface. Perhaps it was designed as the sucker ball; perhaps it was just what it was. Anderson completed the catch.
When Bresnan bowled Dravid with a delivery that angled into the right-hander and knifed away off the wicket — all this at rapid pace — India had fallen to 75 for four.
Further collapse
The situation worsened after lunch. Suresh Raina was twisted out of shape by what appeared an unintentional set-up job from Anderson. One that left the left-hander from around the wicket was followed by a fuller delivery directed from the same angle. The seam was canted towards first slip, suggesting it might behave the same. It didn't.
Raina's head fell over — the ball held its course to slither between bat and pad.
Another V.V.S. Laxman masterpiece was then interrupted in the making. Bresnan, brush-stroked for five fours in quick time, provoked a pull-stroke, lifted to long-leg.
Dhoni finds his touch
India was in the dishonourable position of having to bowl before tea. But Dhoni slowly discovered his touch. He hot-stepped down the wicket to put the bowlers off.
When he saw a delivery either full enough to push-hit in his stooped manner or short enough to pull with a quick transfer of weight, he obliged.
Dhoni, who found a kindred spirit in Praveen Kumar, smote the seamers for a couple of sixes, and a different England began to emerge — a defensive, flustered England that nonetheless found it within its powers to break the 84-run partnership. India's bowlers couldn't harness the momentum of the fight-back.
After encouraging early signs — tight bowling, surprisingly energetic fielding — the touring side unravelled.
Andrew Strauss helped himself to a half-century, capping a gainful day for captains.
Scoreboard
India — 1st innings: G. Gambhir b Bresnan 38 (64b, 7x4), V. Sehwag c Prior b Broad 0 (1b), R. Dravid b Bresnan 22 (68b, 3x4), S. Tendulkar c Anderson b Broad 1 (8b), V.V.S. Laxman c Broad b Bresnan 30 (41b, 6x4), S. Raina b Anderson 4 (21b), M.S. Dhoni c Strauss b Broad 77 (96b, 10x4, 3x6), A. Mishra c Prior b Broad 4 (13b, 1x4), Praveen c Prior b Bresnan 26 (39b, 4x4, 1x6), Ishant c Cook b Anderson 4 (19b, 1x4), Sreesanth (not out) 0 (4b); Extras (b-4, lb-14): 18; Total (in 62.2 overs): 224.
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Sehwag), 2-59 (Gambhir), 3-60 (Tendulkar), 4-75 (Dravid), 5-92 (Raina), 6-100 (Laxman), 7-111 (Mishra), 8-195 (Praveen), 9-224 (Dhoni).
England bowling: Anderson 21.2-3-69-2, Broad 17-6-53-4, Bresnan 20-4-62-4, Swann 4-0-22-0.
England — 1st innings: A. Strauss (batting) 52 (83b, 10x4), A. Cook (batting) 27 (67b, 3x4); Extras (lb-5): 5; Total (for no loss in 25 overs): 84.
India bowling: Praveen 9-4-27-0, Sreesanth 5-2-21-0, Ishant 7-2-16-0, Mishra 3-0-13-0, Raina 1-0-2-0.
