Gary Kirsten applauded as Virender Sehwag played a booming straight drive during practice on Friday. But Sachin Tendulkar, waiting for his turn to face the coach’s throw-downs, felt Sehwag’s bottom-hand was rotating, causing his bat to wobble a wee bit, and promptly suggested a correction.

The straight-down-the ground, full-face-of-the-bat shot has been Tendulkar’s patent for the last two decades. Standing on the border of 17,000 one-day runs, it may well be time for him to display some of his wares on a dodgy pitch at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Saturday.

Team India are looking to enter the crucial third ODI with a simple approach — play straight and play forward. Skipper MS Dhoni tapped on the wicket to check the hardness and returned optimistic that it would behave better that its recent slow, low nature. But the thinking within the camp, despite hopes that the track will hold true, is the oft-repeated cricketing mantra: stick to the basics.

Dhoni placed one of his wicketkeeping gloves on a good length area just outside the off-stump for Harbhajan to aim at. The off-spinner hit it, and his delivery landed into the other glove that was still on Dhoni’s hand. The batsmen at the other net, too, seemed to be reliving their first batting lessons, checking their backlift positions and honing their defensive skills.

If the first two matches of the series highlighted the one-day format’s ability to wow crowds with big scores on batting beauties, the third match will be about tactics involved in winning a 50-over game. More than their strokeplay, it will test the technique and temperament of the two line-ups. Little wonder then that horizontal bat shots were few and far between even in the Australian team’s optional nets on Friday, with the batsmen playing inside the V.

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