A gripping opening round

We can only hope that the rest of the series lives up to an opening act as gripping as the first frames from The Day of the Jackal. If Boxing Day at the MCG was any indicator, this could be a terrific series between the two best sides in the game. Forget the rankings and what they say - though in this case, they tend to concur - but India against Australia has become the game's premier contest. Steve Waugh said it after his farewell Test, and the fact that India are the only team to go toe-to-toe with Australia over the past decade bears out his assessment.

Ever since Mohammad Azharuddin's team thrashed Mark Taylor's men at Chennai and Kolkata in 1998, and with the exception of a 3-0 drubbing that India suffered in 1999, this has been cricket's version of Ali against Frazier, proud warriors fighting each other to a standstill. England may have won the Ashes in 2005, but 4-1 and 5-0 thrashings bookended it. India have never been so humiliated and even when they lost their proud home record against Australia, the scoreline could have been very different but for unseasonal rain in Chennai.

Anil Kumble was immense in that game, taking 7 for 48 on the opening day. It was impossible to ignore the parallels this afternoon as he once again set about the best batting line-up in the game. Back then, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden added 136 before 10 wickets fell for 99 runs. Today, Phil Jaques and Hayden raised 135 before a masterly googly from Kumble provided the breakthrough.

Michael Hussey went to another, and the wickets of Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist illustrated two more of Kumble's great assets - variations in pace and use of the crease. Most importantly though, the team played like its captain, indefatigable in the face of adversity. Zaheer Khan was poor in his opening spells, but returned to make a telling impact with that almost unplayable delivery to Ricky Ponting.

RP Singh too made a vital incision, accounting for an off-colour Michael Clarke, and some of the catching was excellent. India may yet rue the 43 runs added after the fall of the eighth wicket, but after a hiding to nothing in the morning, they'll take a score of 337 for 9.

Kumble now has an unprecedented 10 five-wicket hauls against Australia, an achievement that's all the more praiseworthy when you consider how the Australians recently savaged Muttiah Muralitharan. There were some who doubted the wisdom of making him captain, but 18 wickets against Pakistan and this splendid display suggest that he has the potential to go on and be India's Big Ship.

Day two can't come soon enough.

Comments

[bunty]

the reports of oz pitches, save Perth, slowing and even MCG turning all season appear to be correct; these are then likely to be the most favourable conditions ever encountered by a touring Indian team in oz and the best prospects for a surprising win; well played Kumble, keep it up India

[avinash subramaniam]

sadly, even 350 might be too much of an ask of this hesitant, reluctant indian batting line-up. let's wait and see how things pan out. fact is, india will need more than just one or two people to play well to push the aussies. against pakistan, 350 would have been a score that we would have back india to overhaul. against these aussies, one can't be too sure. and that's why the 40-odd runs added after the 8th wicket will come back to haunt india. fear not, just being the prophet of doom i generally am.

[Richard]

Fantastic day of cricket. I must admit after the Indians luckless first hour (they could have had at least three wickets) - I thought here we go again... Australia will walk away with it now. But India's fight back in the 2nd and 3rd sessions shows they have the mental maturity and strength to take on the Aussies at home. No mean feat.. a lesser side would have bemoaned their poor fortune and found themselves well behind on the scoreboard.

I am looking forward to the rest of the contest with equal measures of excitement and nervousness. And I haven't felt that for a while.