That just about concludes my session for today. It has been a joy, like always, to bring updates. Until next time see you all.. And remember 214.....
Piyush Chawla's spell was undoubtedly the turning point after Watson's quickfire innings at the top of the order.
Having said that, this was a very unlike Australian batting performance. Ponting hung in there for a while, which was a massive plus, but the middle and the lower-middle order just caved in against the Indian tweakers.
A magnificient fightback from team India after a very disappointing batting performance. As an aside, just how crucial were those runs at the death by the Indian tailenders. Contenders?
38th Over - Wicket - B. Lee - b. Ashwin 1
And the fightback is complete. Ashwin, who has been very unlucky to not get a few wickets, gets on the wickets tally. Pitched outside off and coming in, Lee throws the kitchen sink at it but only manages to find the inside edge which displaces the furniture. Aus - allout 176
37th Over Wicket - J. Krezja LBW b. Harbhajan 0.
If ever there was a proverbial "hitting middle of middle" this is it. Landed in a good length area and turning back in and wraps Krezja well below the knee role. Out all day long.
37th Over - Wicket - M. Johnson st. Dhoni b. Harbhajan 15
Oh dear. Johnson tries to loft Harbhajan's first ball of the new over into Sydney but misses it completely. Dhoni completing the job behind the stumps - another stumpinmg by the captain I might add. Probably game, set and match?
36th Over - Johnson, the last remaining all-rounder connects with one and dumps it into the stands. Australia hanging on by a thread. Aus 175-8
35th Over - Wicket - R. Ponting st. Dhoni b. Harbhajan 57
Big wicket. Ponting went for the slog over square leg but missed it. Dhoni was on on hand to remove the bails in a flash with Ponting, just like Hussey, a bit shot. Aus 166-7
34th Over - The last two overs have been better for Australia. They have just knocked it around here to earn themselves six more runs. Aus 160-6
33rd Over - Harbhajan back into the attack. A more productive over for Australia as four singles come off it. Aus 154-6
32nd Over - The containing Ashwin is also not giving an inch here. Just yielded a single. Aus 151-6
31st Over - Chawla is living the dream - Alas for him its only a practice game. But nonetheless.. this is a superb spell. Johnson takes the single off the last ball to retain strike. Aus 149-6
31st Over - Wicket - C. Ferguson c. Kohli b. Chawla 8
Ferguson escaped the last over but India has the las laugh. Another outside edge and this time Kohli takes it comfortably. M. Johnson is up next.
30th Over - Ferguson almost consumed. A thickish edge almost finds the diving Kohli at first slip but Ferguson escapes. It also brings a welcome boundary. No such thrills for the other balls. Living on the edge, are Australia. Aus 146-5
29th Over - All happening at Bangalore. After the double blow, Callum Ferguson survives the hat-trick ball before taking a single. In the last ball, Chawla could have easily had Ponting or effected a run-out to remove Ferguson. Australia... on the mat. Aus 139 -5
29th Over - Wicket - D. Hussey - st. Dhoni b. Chawla 0
A tossed up ball and Hussey, looking to defend misses it. What's more Dhoni caught him shot of the crease. Just, mind you. But that's enough. Chawla on a hat-trick.
29th Over - Wicket - C. White - c. Ashwin b. Chawla 4
Massive wicket this for the Indian team and they are back in with more than shout. A flighted delivery whihc pitched outside off was rammed by White straight down Ashwin's throat.
28th Over - Ponting, who has been hanging in there and getting back into form, has just reached his fifty. A very workmanlike innings but Ponting won't mind. Aus 138-3.
27th Over - Chawla is plugging away at one end. Another very tight over sees him concede just a single. Aus 134-3. Been a long time since a boundary. (Ponting took a single off the first ball)
26th Over - Ponting, who is slowly but surely regaining his touch, is looking in some touch. Although the drives are yet to appear, he is taking those singles and doubles to keep the strike turning. White also obliges by taking two singles. Aus 133-3
25th Over - Chawla is getting some very nice purchase of the surface. Ponting survives another LBW appeal before lofting it into the outfield for a couple. Aus 127-3
24th Over Cameron White is the new batsman and all of a sudden the pitch is turning and biting and grasping. Yuvraj bowls a very testing over which is handled with care by both Ponting and White. Aus 123-3
23rd Over - Wicket M. Clarke b. Chawla 0
A fightback? A leg-spinner is played on by Clarke which promptly castles the out-of-form batsman. Aus 120-3
22nd Over - Wicket. T. Paine : c. Patel b. Yuvraj 37
It looked so comfortable for Paine. Off the fourth ball, Paine lofts one to the right of long-on where Patel takes a good running catch. Clarke is the new man in. Big, Big innings even though it's only a warmup game for Clarke. Aus 119-2
21st Over - Almost a wicket but Ponting's top-edged sweep is taken by Sreesanth on the bounce. Just. Ponting, off the last ball, gets four leg byes for the team. Very, very comfortable. Aus 116-1
20th Over - Australia are now milking the bowling. 0 1 2 1 1 0 is the sequence. And it has suddenly become comfortable to face the spinners. Aus 110-1
19th Over - Harbhajan Singh's first over. But it does not bring a wicket. Australia very comfortably handle him and take two singles. Aus 105-1
18th Over A very good over was just spoiled by a Ponting boundary off the last ball. What's more the umpires signal for drinks. Australia find themselves in a VERY commanding position. Aus 103-1
17th Over - Paine, who is playing himself in nicely, and Ponting have settled down after a few dodgy overs against the spinners. They added another four singles to the kitty. Aus 95-1
16th Over - Ponting says enough is enough and dances down the wicket but does noto get hold of the shot. Luckily for him his mistimes shot falls in no mans land. Australia collected six from the over. Aus 91-1
15th Over - The spinners are doing what the fast-bowlers could not. Ashwin, on the back of two good overs, bowls another excellent one. Also, both Paine and Ponting have survived a dew close LBW shouts - Paine surviving one this over. Just a one run of this over. Aus - 85-1
14th Over - Excellent over from Chawla. Troubled Ponting on almost all occasions. Just gave away the three runs. Aus 84-1
13th Over - India already looking to tie down the Aussies down after Watson's splendid beginning. Ashwin bowls another good over, just conceding three from it. Aus 81-1
12th Over - Five wides down the leg side isn't the start Piyush Chawla was looking but since then it has been a very good over. Probing and testing both Ponting and Paine, just conceded one more run. Aus 78-1
11th Over - A more sedate over this. Ashwin, more a containing bolwer than a wicket-taking one, gives away five runs. Aus 72-1
10th Over - Just have Sreesanth and you have action. A loud appeal for a caught behind off the last bowl of the over is denied by the umpire. Sreesanth has a few words with Ponting before proceeding to show symbols with his hands. Earlier in the over, Ponting missed an attempted pull which already had Sreesanth buzzing. Very good over from the Kerala express. Replays inconclusive so far. Aus 67-1.
9th Over - A streaky four behind the keeper, one behind square on the off side before clipping one in the mid-wicket region. Ponting welcomes new bowler R. Ashwin with a variety of boundaries. Aus 64-1
8th Over Wicket. Shane Watson - c. Chawla b. Sreesanth 33 off 25.
India's best bowler on the night so far picks the prized wicket of Watson. With just two singles coming in the first four balls, a touch inferior compared to the trend of the batting so far, Watson decides to take the aeria route but is successful in finding Chawla inside the 30-yard circle.
Ponting is the new man in. And he wastes no time in getting off the mark. Aus 52-1
7th Over - Watson is orchestrating proceedings. With long-on in place, Watson bisects short third man and backward point beautifully for a boundary before smashing one past point for another four. He is enjoying it so much he decides to retain strike. Munaf again at the receiving end. Aus 49-0
6th Over - Watson opts to take a single after playing two dot balls but Paine is in no mood for such philanthropic acts. He crunches a very poor delivery past backward point for one of the simpler fours he will score in his career before playing out the last ball. Aus - 40-0
5th Over - Munaf Patel is in but he is getting the same treatment. Watson, fresh from his exploits against England, scores three boundaries before picking a single off the last ball. His third boundary just eluded the fingers of a flying R. Ashwin in the mid-on region. Dominant beginning by the Aussies, this. Aus - 35-0
4th Over - The story of Sreesanth's bowling career in one over. After Watson takes a single, Sree bowls a beautiful ball which kicked after pitching with caused some trouble to Paine. Then the Australian keeper almost gave Yuvraj a catch following a leading edge. But Sree eventually undid all the hard work by drifting one into Paine's pads which was put away in fine fashion. Aus 22-0
3rd Over - While defending small totals, four balls should be avoided at all costs. But Nehra has just gone ahead and conceded his third boundary in two overs. Paine leaning into one and stroking it through the covers. Must mention that Nehra bowled five dots in that over. Aus - 17-0
2nd Over - A very good first over from Sreesanth which also included an iffy edge which went past second slip for Paine's first boundary. Rotating the strike is important and Paine, well versed with that aspect, takes a single off the last bowl to retain the strike. Australia 13-0
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1st Over - Oh, dear. The first ball is promptly despatched back past the bowler for a boundary. A ball later, Watson scores another boundary. This time more through mid-on rather than back past the bowler. Nehra comes back well enough to bowl three dot balls. Aus 8-0. Sreesanth will open the bowling at the other end.
Shane Watson and Tim Paine will open proceedings for Australia. Ashish Nehra gets first use of the shining white ball.
The players are coming back out on the field after the tea/dinner break.
Missed India's rather unflattering batting effect? Don't worry as everything has been properly documented by the ebullient Anand Venkateswaran.
214? I tell you, what. If India does go on to win the World Cup, 214 will go down in the annals of history as India's luckiest three-digit number since 1983. Welcome one and all for the second innings between India and Australia. Can India defend the moderate total? Or will Australia send out a strong signal and demoralise India before the showpiece event begins?
