Sydney Test 2011 - Day 1

What a fantastic day for Test Cricket. An absolutely topsy turvy day where 13 wickets fell for the first time ever on Day 1 at an SCG Test. Just as I reached the stadium, Dhoni went out for a toss and won it. It was a crucial toss in the context of the Test and the series.

Even before we settled down into our seats, Gambhir was out for a 3rd ball duck. And then began a steady procession of Indian wickets - India consistently lost 2 wickets per hour throughout the day. Sachin got to 41 and was looking good for a half century if not a century when he got out 3 balls before the drink interval. Dhoni finally played a decent knock and it appeared that he and Ashwin would get past an hour without losing any wicket when Ashwin and Zak fell to consecutive balls, just before tea.

One must give credit to the Aussi bowlers - all 3 of them bowled to a consistent line and length and hardly bowled a bad ball. Kohli fell to ripper of a ball. VVS Laxman is not looking very very special any more with knocks of 2,1 and 2 in the last 3 innings. Dhoni managed to bat with the tail for the first time in a few innings, scoring a half century and getting India close to the respectable score of 200.

Zaheer Khan started with a bang and at 37 for 3, 191 looked like a respectable score and some of the Indians were even thinking of a 1st innings lead. But the wayward bowling of the rest of the bowlers and some sensible batting by Ponting and Clarke ensured that the Aussies finished the day ahead of India. 114 for 3 is a very good platform for Australia to build a massive lead and bat India out of the game.

All is not lost to India. At 24 overs, the ball is relatively new and the morning conditions on Day 2 will help the fast bowlers. Dhoni (and for that matter the bowlers themselves) need to back the bowlers and get an early breakthrough on Day 2. This will open up Hussey and Haddin, who are not in he best of form and the tail. If the bowlers can rip though the Aussie line up and restrict them to 200-225, India is in with a real chance. Laxman, Gambhir and Kohli who will all play for their spots, can rise to the occasion and set the Aussies a target of 200+ in the 4th innings, which might just prove too much for the brittle Aussie line-up.

But if India don't take an early wicket, we can sit back and watch Ponting and Clarke score match winning centuries and bat India out of the game and the series! There seems to be something about me going to the cricket and watching Ponting score a century! On a personal note, I will then need to wait for another 4 years to hope for a first ever series victory for India in Australia! I am off to the game tomorrow again and am hoping to see Sehwag and Tendulkar bat again and not watch Ponting and Clarke score centuries. Time will tell!