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 Chennai Test tantalisingly poised - Scorecard
 Chennai, Oct 14: The India-Australia matches at the Chepauk stadium have been thrillers, be it a close World Cup game, the tied Test or the two-wicket victory over the Aussies on their last tour to give India a 2-1 series win. The ongoing Test match at the stadium appears to be poised for another close finish.
Fluctuating fortunes marked the opening day's play today, with Australia sitting pretty at lunch with a century stand for the first wicket coming in quick time, but the post-lunch session saw an inexplicable collapse with the Aussies being bundled out for 235. The Indians, who must have been mentally prepared to be in the field for at least two more sessions tomorrow, finally found they had wrapped up the innings early, and in fact had the unpleasant task of tackling the Aussie bowlers for nearly an hour.
The Indians finished the day at 28 for one, having lost Yuvaraj Singh to Shane Warne, and Australia completing the proceedings on a high and tense note. The Indian camp must consider itself fortunate having lost only one wicket, as Yuvaraj was dropped by Michael Clarke in Mcgrath's first over with the score at zero. Had that sitter been taken, Australia could well have prised out two more wickets since the pressure would have been enormous and the Aussie bowlers would have operated with their tails up.
 With Mcgrath, Gillespie and Kasprowicz bowling at their fast and furious best, and Warne operating from the Road end, hoping to exploit the bounce at the pavilion end, the Indians would have a tough time on the second day. There could be more drama, more appeals, more bat-pad situations and more excitement, as Australia would seek to bowl out India under 235, and hope to bat better in the second innings to set India a tough target in the fourth innings. On the other hand, if India can bat well on the second day, they could hope for more pressure on the Aussies when they bat again and hope they will have a small total to chase in the fourth innings.
However, India missed an opportunity to go for the kill after Harbhajan Singh delivered a twin-blow, dismissing Hayden and Langer in the same over. However, skipper Ganguly's decision to continue with medium pace at the other end and, not bring on Kumble at the other end, was inexplicable, especially when Harbhajan would have liked a spinner like Kumble to bowl in tandem. The third wicket pair of Katich and Martyn added more than 50 runs before Kumble struck. Those 50-odd runs could be invaluable in the context of a low-scoring match. Perhaps, Australia could have been bowled out for under 200, nullifying the effect of winning the toss.
(R Rangaraj)
Published: Thursday, October 14, 2004
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