Ponting’s misery in judgment was compounded by the stifling length the Indians bowled at through the first session, though the stranglehold was lost for a while when RP Singh sent down a few ordinary deliveries and Irfan Pathan, who replaced him, failed to put a cap on it too.

After rapping him on the pads on few occasions, Ishant made a delivery stay in its line and kiss the edge of Ponting’s bat and Dravid at second slip was equally jubilant to accept the offering.

The skipper was first to be moved out of the way after scoring 45 — just before lunch — and though Hussey and Michael Clarke continued confidently in their pursuit, a set of lbw shockers from Asad Rauf and Billy Bowden from either end, dealt a death blow.

Rauf first upheld RP’s appeal against Hussey, who was on 46, when the ball went well above the line of stumps and Bowden, who gave a couple of five-ball overs in the first session, decided against Symonds despite a thick inside edge with the batsman on 12.

Clarke and Gilchrist rattled off a 50-run partnership but it seemed too late in the day, which was confirmed after a clever bowling change — the introduction of Virender Sehwag — and Gilchrist’s dismissal coincided with the first ball. Sehwag bowled the Australian vice-captain round his legs after an unsuccessful sweep shot attempt and then snapped up Brett Lee at silly point as Laxman took a sharp ankle-height catch.

... contd.