Debutant Michael Clarke's brilliance helped Australia overcome the absence of skipper Ricky Ponting and reach a healthy 316 for 5 at the end of day 1 in the first Test against India at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Wednesday.
At close of the day's play, Clarke was unbeaten on 76, with Adam Gilchrist on 35.
Earlier, Simon Katich, 81, and Justin Langer, 52, played vital knocks after Australia's stand-in captain Gilchrist won the toss and elected to bat.
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The first blow to the Indians was not dealt by the famed Australian line-up, but the toss. A dry, cracked, wicket greeted the Australians when they arrived in Bangalore, and on the eve of the first Test Aussie newspapers were already referring to the pitch as "terrible".
In such conditions, it was vital for Sourav Ganguly to win the toss and elect to bat first. But luck spun Australia's way and it was Gilchrist who called correct.
The Indians went into the match with Zaheer Khan instead of Ajit Agarkar. The rest of the line-up more or less picked itself. Mohammad Kaif was the other man to miss out.
The Aussies went in with the guile and experience of Michael Kasprowicz instead of Brett Lee. That's because Kasprowicz had a five-wicket haul in his last match in Bangalore and helped Australia win the third Test of the series in 1997/98. Clarke was given his baggy green cap.
Morning session (26 overs, 70 runs, 1 wicket)
Two slips and two gullies greeted Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden as they walked out to face Irfan Pathan. India almost got a breakthrough off the very first ball of the match, when Langer survived an appeal for leg before the wicket. Umpire Billy Bowden played safe, but it was a very close call.
Among the Australian batsman, only Hayden, who averages 109.85 against India in India, has had, what you can call, a measure of success. Langer averages 32.87 in India, but that is well below his Test average, which is in the high forties. Thus, it was clear to any observer of the game that Hayden's wicket would be vital.
Another thing to note in this Australian batting line-up is the number of left-handers it has. Hayden, Langer, Katich, Lehmann and Gilchrist will all be dangerous propositions against Kumble and Zaheer, as one gets the feeling the two Indian bowlers don't particularly relish having to change their line for left-handers.
The ball wasn't swinging much; that was expected. But the slow start of the Aussies was completely unexpected. After seven overs, they were 14, with Langer on 4 and Hayden on 5. This is a team that changed the way Test cricket is played by scoring quickly.
However, skipper Gilchrist and coach John Buchanan had both stressed on the importance of spending time at the wicket in Indian conditions. Maybe, this is the new Australian strategy -- tailor-made for Indian conditions.
Zaheer's ineffectiveness was apparent when he was taken out of the attack after bowling just four overs for 13 runs. Harbhajan Singh took his place in the attack, with Irfan at the other end.
One slip, Dravid, and a short-leg, Chopra, were the close-in fielders the off-spinner got, as Ganguly looked for an early breakthrough. A sweeper on the leg-side offered him protection. One of the main reasons for India's good performance Down Under was the number of times they sent back one of the openers early.
After the first hour of play, India had bowled 13 overs but the breakthrough eluded them. Irfan was superb and had figures of 7 overs, 3 maidens, 5 runs. Australia were 30, Hayden (16) and Langer (9) going strong.
The first signs of aggression came in the first over after the drinks break. Langer stepped out to Harbhajan, who was hardly getting any turn, and lofted him over mid-on for a boundary.
Harbhajan finally got the much-awaited breakthrough, and in doing so ended Hayden's 84-minute vigil at the wicket.
The off-spinner, who had till this point bowled from round the wicket, changed to over the wicket. The line he adopted made the ball spin from Hayden's legs. The left-hander, 26 runs, attempted a sweep but failed to keep it on the ground. Yuvraj, moving back from square leg, took a good catch much to the crowd's delight. (50 for 1)
Simon Katich joined Langer at the wicket. It might have been interesting to see Ganguly introduce Kumble immediately from the other end, but he persisted with Zaheer.
Finally, four overs after Hayden's dismissal in the 18th over, Ganguly turned to spin as his preferred choice of attack from both ends. Kumble, needing just three wickets to reach 400, finally got a go.
India managed to get through 26 overs before lunch was called. Australia had reached 70 for 1. Langer, 27, and Katich, 9, were at the crease.
Post-lunch session (32 overs, 107 runs, 3 wickets)
The first boundary of the session came via an edge. A delivery from Harbhajan turned sharply to take the edge of Katich's bat. But, unfortunately for India, it also beat wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and first slip and sped to the boundary.
In the first seven overs after lunch, the Aussies scored 29 runs. They were keen to make the most of this session, when conditions would be best for batting. Australia's 100 runs came up in 32.3 overs. The 50-run partnership for the second wicket came off 91 balls.
At the end of the 35th over, Ganguly made a double change, first introducing Sehwag and then getting Irfan back into the attack. Langer brought up his 50 soon after. He had five boundaries in his total, which came off 115 balls.
He added just two runs more before a reverse-swinging delivery from Irfan uprooted his off-stump. Langer played for the out-swing when there was none. Instead, the ball came in and cleaned him up. Pathan's joy was clear, for nothing pleases a bowler more than going through the defences of an opening batsman. (124 for 2)
Damien Martyn was the new batsman, but he lasted just 12 balls before Kumble got a delivery to jump and turn. The ball went off the bat onto the pad and popped up for Chopra at short leg to take an easy catch. (129 for 3)
India were slowly but surely starting to fight their way back into the match. Lehmann, who walked in next, is considered to be one of Australia's finest players of spin. But how would he counter the dual threat of Pathan and Kumble?
In the first over he faced from Kumble, he did not look too convincing. The left-hander survived a close shout for a catch in the slips after having gloved the ball; was dropped by Pathan, who ran back from mid-on; and then, to round off the over, he almost hit a return catch back to the bowler.
Lehmann was in an odd mood, indeed. He came out looking to hit shots and perished after scoring 17 in 23 balls, with three fours. A wild slog eventually resulted in his dismissal, caught at first slip by Dravid off a top-edge. Kumble had moved on to 399 wickets. (149 for 4)
Clarke walked in to fill the breach. Two of Australia's least experienced batsmen were at the wicket and India were in a position to make some serious inroads.
Clarke, though, is an anomaly among Australian batsman. While most Aussies prefer to stay inside the crease while playing spinners, he uses his feet against them at every given opportunity.
Katich looked very secure at the other end. In fact, of all the Aussie batsmen, he looked the most composed.
At tea, after 58 overs, Australia had reached 177 for 4. Katich, unbeaten on 47, and Clarke, on 16, were at the crease.
Post tea session (42 overs, 139 runs, 1 wicket)
In the last over before tea, Ganguly seemed to have pulled a groin muscle. He hobbled a bit but stayed on the ground. After tea he did not return to field. In Pakistan, earlier this year, a groin injury forced him to miss two matches.
Katich reached his fifty in the second over after tea with a beautiful square cut off Harbhajan. The left-hander survived a huge caught behind appeal on 57 off Zaheer, the third umpire reckoning that the ball did not carry to Parthiv.
Australia reached 200 in 67.2 overs just as Ganguly returned. The Indians were now starting to tire. Irfan had bowled 15 overs, Harbhajan 24, and Kumble was nearing the 20-over mark.
The problem for Ganguly was the lack of a fifth bowler who could take wickets. Sehwag and Yuvraj can turn their arm over no doubt, but they look more suited for the one-day version of the game. Tendulkar's absence was being felt. His cocktail of spin can be very lethal at times. It could have given Ganguly the missing variety in his attack.
But just when the Indians seemed to have lost hope, Katich, who averaged 70.6 in the four-Test series at home against India, played on. The left-hander was gone for 81 after adding 107 runs with Clarke for the fifth wicket. (256 for 5)
The dismissal brought Gilchrist to the wicket and the Indians back to life. It was also Kumble's 400th victim in Test cricket and he became only the second Indian after Kapil Dev (434 wickets) to achieve the landmark.
Gilchrist settled quickly as there was no cause for alarm. The new ball was taken after the 86th over. In the four overs leading up to the new ball, the Aussies hammered 36 runs.
Clarke had attacked Kumble and Harbhajan with a relish that was unmatched by the other Aussie batsman. All his fours and sixes came off the spinners.
By the end of the day, Australia were firmly in the driver's seat. India will have to come up with something spectacular in the morning session on Day 2, otherwise they may end up staring down the barrel.
The pitch will start to turn late on Day 2 and India need to have some runs on the board before that happens.
