Zaheer Khan drew from the dark arts of reverse swing on Friday evening to make sure that India's memories of the first day of the first Test weren't limited to its largesse in the field and Ishant Sharma's injury.
Zaheer bowled four fine overs with the old ball before stumps, removing Michael Hussey and Marcus North, as Australia ended on 224 for five. Zaheer might have also had Tim Paine, who replays suggested had nicked the delivery, but M.S Dhoni couldn't hold on.
Third lapse
Dhoni's was India's third such mistake of the day. The man to benefit twice was Shane Watson, who made the most of his fortune to remain unbeaten on 101 (279b, 8x4). Watson's partnership of 141 with Ricky Ponting (71) for the second wicket had enabled Australia advance to a position of advantage.
But improved discipline from India's bowlers, a flash of fielding genius from Suresh Raina, and a late, inspired spell from Zaheer allowed India to constrain Australia to 76 for four in 52 overs — quite the comeback.
Sour start
India's morning had started sourly. Zaheer convinced Watson to drive a wide delivery, the angle from left-arm over forcing the opener to lose his poise as he pursued the ball. Virender Sehwag, normally such a safe catcher, leapt at gully, but the ball burst through. It was the day's second ball; neither Watson nor Australia had scored.
Zaheer broke through in the fifth over — a clever if splintered set-up followed by the knock-out ball that did just enough. Having shaped some of his deliveries away from the left-handed Simon Katich, Zaheer did no more than get one to stay the course.
Katich, despite the apparent looseness of his shuffle across, puts away such balls as a matter of routine. This time, he missed, disoriented, the bowler would like to think, because of what had preceded it.
The wicket was playing curiously. Most deliveries kept low, bouncing another time before they reached Dhoni. There was movement off the seam, not consistent, dramatic deviation, but enough to work with.
Not an easy track
It certainly wasn't an easy track for a new batsman, not if the bowlers attacked the stumps. Fortunately for Ponting, Zaheer and Ishant didn't do enough of it. He got off the mark with an emphatic pull stroke, a stroke that appears to have been restored to its best.
The Australian captain, however, had two scratchy moments before imposing his mastery. Both were against Ishant, who later left the field after injuring his leg.
The first was during an absorbing sequence of cricket. Dhoni moved Sachin Tendulkar into an unconventional position, half-way between the square-leg umpire and the boundary rope. Ponting, having kept an eye on exactly what was going on, couldn't suppress his batting instincts.
Ishant sprung an unsafe flick stroke, lifted because the batsman had fallen over, but the ball didn't carry to Tendulkar.
Ishant then had Ponting caught down the leg-side off an attempted glance, but it was the third no-ball of the over. On 13 then, Ponting set about punishing India. His stroke-play after lunch, particularly a press-forward, hands-adjusted square drive off Zaheer, was brilliant.
Lax running
A century was on the cards, but lax running cost Ponting. Suresh Raina's pick and throw, while expertly done, wouldn't have caught Ponting short of his crease had the batsman accelerated earlier. Zaheer, most unnecessarily, said something, causing Ponting to make his way towards the Indian huddle. Umpire Billy Bowden intervened to ensure sanity.
Watson — who had been put down by Dhoni off Pragyan Ojha on 37, the wicketkeeper having no time to readjust his hands with the stroke being made off the back-foot — slowed to a crawl, as India controlled the scoring rate. After Ponting and Watson had taken India's bowlers for 47 runs in ten overs after lunch, Australia managed no more than 31 in the remaining 19 overs of the middle session.
The touring side, during this period, also lost Michael Clarke, caught at slip off Harbhajan Singh, who bowled with little effect for most part. Fortunately for Australia, Watson was resolute, his sound, well-honed defensive technique allowing him to bat with no noticeable difficulty.
Watson might have done more to disrupt India's designs of control in the second half of the day. As he showed earlier, punching crisply and pulling vehemently, attack isn't beyond him. But Ojha did well to keep Watson wary — the left-arm spinner conceded just 39 in his 31 overs — and enforce Dhoni's will.
