Many expected that Anil Kumble’s team would wash off the crushing defeat in Melbourne by doing different things here. Instead, India, after resetting their mindset during a two-day break, have chosen to do things differently.

So, Virender Sehwag, walking into the nets first this morning for a long stint—he was widely expected to be the messiah who would show the way in the second Test— ultimately turned out to be a dummy played by skipper Anil Kumble. His name, later, didn’t even figure in India’s list of 13 for the match.

Then, there was Rahul Dravid batting in the other nets at the same time, compact as ever and neat in defence. He was trying to look for quick singles whenever he imagined there was a run. And the other opener, Wasim Jaffer, who stood at the bowler’s side, was responding quickly to swap ends.

In the event, the two are expected to walk out together once again tomorrow and try to ease the pressure the Australian bowlers had created in Melbourne. This also means that Yuvraj Singh gets another chance to convert a Test appearance in Australia into a memorable experience.

Obviously, the Indian team is trying to counter the mind games of the Australians, passing the message that they aren’t fiddling around with batting slots just because of one bad match. And also, Kumble wants to tell the Australian side that the same XI can avenge the humiliation of the first Test; that he has ample confidence in the team; and that he wasn’t wrong about the batting combination in the first place.

... contd.