India fail to stay on Dravid-Tendulkar track

That was a positive. On the umpiring side, Asad Rauf didn’t budge to most appeals from a tactical united Aussie onslaught, till he was clear on ‘that’ lbw decision in favour of Brett Lee. It, unfortunately, proved a bit high to be called right. Indian sufferings in Sydney are bearing down on the umpires, yet this Sachin Tendulkar decision was a close one.

The Indian batters made a calculated point to play positive cricket, attacking and playing their shots, though they lost the last three wickets only trying to dominate. India ended Day One at 297/6 in 84 overs, still a couple of steps behind where they ought to have been. It’s still good to have a shade under 300 on a single day on a Perth wicket where they decided to bat first. Again, it’s all in the mind.

Tendulkar was severe on Tait, hitting him for four of his nine boundaries. Quite close to his famous upper cuts, Tendulkar culled the ball over the slip cordon, picking as many as 35 runs from the region (see wagon wheel graphic), given the general tendency of the Aussies to dig short or bowl wide with a 7-2 field. It’s a huge temptation to view this knock against his previous century in the 1992 Test. But a separate description of his 129-ball knock of 71 in 175 minutes that abruptly ended in Lee pumping his fist in delight and Tendulkar shaking his head a touch disappointed, can stand on its own.

Tendulkar reached his half-century in 91 balls with eight hits and kept his innings clean, unlike Dravid’s minor blemish when Michael Clarke at second slip let one straight in and out off Lee.

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