Border-Gavaskar Trophy: The men who mattered on Day 1
The Border-Gavaskar trophy kicked off with BCCI president N. Srinivasan presenting Harbhajan Singh with a memento for making his way into the ‘100 Test club’, which indicated that he indeed made the cut ahead of Pragyan Ojha. One has to feel sad for the left-arm slow bowler, for he has been the pick of the Indian bowlers along with R. Ashwin over the past fifteen months.
It was a day of debuts, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar was handed his maiden Test cap. VVS Laxman opened another innings of sorts, when he debuted as a commentator. He was the more successful of the two Indians, as he gently brushed away the complements he received from Harsha Bhogle. Moises Henriques debuted for Australia, the pace bowling all-rounder getting the start owing to Shane Watson’s inability to bowl.
The match commenced with the debate of spin versus pace, as Australia went in with four pace bowlers supported by a lone spinner in Nathan Lyon. India, in stark contrast, picked the spin duo of Harbhajan and Ashwin, with Jadeja doubling up as the spinning all-rounder.
Australia won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch that was dry and perceived to assist spinners as the match progressed. The weather forecast was sunny for the day, with a bit of humidity in the air.
David Warner and Ed Cowan walked out to open the batting for Australia, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar given the responsibility of handling the brand new red-cherry. Here are the men who mattered, and those who squandered their chances on Day One:
The hits:
Ravichandran Ashwin (India): (30-5-88-6)
Ashwin was under immense pressure even before he stepped onto the field. He was preferred to Pragyan Ojha, and had to repay the faith that skipper MS Dhoni showed in him. He was given a chance to showcase his bowling skills in front of his home crowd. Coming into bowl in the ninth over, he had an immediate effect, as he extracted a lot of bounce and turn on a docile first day wicket.
It was a pretty sight to see him toss the ball up. The ball dipped and spun, putting the batsmen under pressure right away. He all but picked the wicket of David Warner in his very first over when he caught the edge of Warner’s bat, only to see the ball dropped by Sehwag in the slips.
It was the 15th over of the day when Ashwin turned on his magic. Ed Cowan was looking dangerous, as he stepped out and hit a huge six off Harbhajan only in the previous over. Ed Cowan tried to duplicate the shot against Ashwin and under-estimated the spinner, as he stepped out to hoick him over his head. Ashwin flighted and spun the ball, and it beat Cowan, only to be collected by the Dhoni, who gleefully removed the bails. It was the beginning of a mini-collapse.
Ashwin reflected a bowler who was extremely confident of his skills, as he bowled his heart out. It was brilliant to see him bowling the traditional off-spinning deliveries, not afraid to flight the ball. He followed it up with the wicket of Phil Hughes, who was struggling to come to terms with the off-spinner. He dragged a good-length delivery back onto the stumps to end his uncomfortable stay in the middle.
The most interesting aspect of the match was the battle between the two off-spinners. While Harbhajan was mediocre, Ashwin was the clear winner of the day. The next wicket was of Shane Watson, right after lunch. Watson was playing quite well until he misjudged a flatter delivery, only to be trapped right in front of the off-stump.
David Warner followed suit, when he was adjudged leg before wicket for a well-made 59. Ashwin had all four in his kitty, and was persistent for more. He completed his 6th five-wicket haul when he hit the pads of Matthew Wade.
It was heartening to see Ashwin bowling the way he did. It is pleasing to see that he has learnt from his mistakes, and his hunger for wickets has helped him turn a new leaf, especially after the disastrous England series.
Michael Clarke (Australia): (103 runs off 169 balls)
The Australian skipper once again proved his class, as he battled single-handedly against the Indian spinners. Wickets were falling at the other end, even as he kept the bowlers at bay. He took the responsibility to take Australia to safety, as he drove and cut with elegance. He was in full flow, as he brought his erstwhile experiences into play.
He had a reprieve when umpire Kumar Dharmasena turned down an appeal for a bat-pad catch. Clarke did edge the ball, but was lucky not to be given out. Otherwise, he was completely at ease while playing Ashwin. He played a picture-perfect knock to keep up the hopes of the Australians.
Special Mention:
Moises Henriques (Australia): (68 runs off 132 balls)
The all-rounder was a last minute inclusion to the playing eleven, considering the balance that he’d be able to lend to the bowling attack. Though he did not get to bowl, he played brilliantly to assist Clarke in the fightback, after Australia lost five wickets for less than 170 runs.
The flops:
Harbhajan Singh (India): (19-1-71-0)
The Turbanator from Punjab was finally selected to play in his 100th test. Much was expected of him, as he is a known tormentor of the Australian team. Harbhajan gained prominence when he picked up 32 wickets in just 3 tests against Australia. Since then, he has been a fierce competitor against them. That held him in good stead while being selected ahead of the talented Pragyan Ojha.
To say that Harbhajan had a poor day on the field would be an understatement. He was completely clueless about his line and length. Though he bowled well in patches, he never looked threatening. The batsmen played him with ease, even as Ashwin was wreaking havoc from the other end.
It was pathetic to see him struggle against players who are to be considered ‘rookies’ in front of his experience. If he keeps this up, he’s unlikely to be playing for too much longer.
Phil Hughes (Australia): (6 runs off 15 balls)
It was a comeback of sorts for the southpaw. He claimed to have a better understanding of spin bowling, since he had played league matches in the English county circuit. He was in red-hot form prior to this series, and was touted to be the lynchpin of the Australian batting lineup. But he struggled to come to terms with the spin of Ashwin. Harbhajan piling the pressure on the other end did not help.
Hughes tried to play too many shots in his short stay in the middle. It was a mediocre effort from the left-hander. His contributions are crucial to the team’s chances in the upcoming days, and he will need to pull up his socks and perform.
Special Mention:
Shane Watson (Australia): (28 runs off 60 balls)
The Australian vice-captain was expected to lead by example, since he is the most experienced Australian batsman after Michael Clarke. Watson started off smoothly with a boundary off Ishant Sharma. But he failed to capitalize on the start and played across the bat to gift his wicket to R. Ashwin.
The first session, and a major part of the second session definitely belonged to India. But Australia fought back valiantly, led by the skipper himself, to take them safely to 316 for the loss of seven wickets. All in all, an exciting day’s play is ahead of us tomorrow, and whether India will seize the initiative remains to be seen.