Team India snatch initiative back

Perth, January 17: It wasn’t about the pace — it was about the swing. It wasn’t about the carry off the wicket - it was about putting the ball in the right areas. Two of India’s best fast bowlers are nursing injuries back home, but on the Perth pitch, the new crop of Indian bowlers went back to age-old practice of moving the ball in air and pitching the ball further up to create a doubt in the mind of the batsmen. And to their credit, they made enough impact to make Australia admit that their world record of 17-in-a-row win may be in jeopardy.

Fantastic performance by the three seamers and a stupendous achievement from the lone spinner meant India snatched back what they had handed over to the opposition yesterday. The initiative is sitting pretty in the visitors’ dressing room. India are 52 for the loss of Wasim Jaffer, and when added to the first innings surplus of 118 gained after bowling out Australia for 212, the overall lead works out to be 170 — the figures translating into a comfortable position to sleep on after the second day’s play.

Today, Jaffer flattered to deceive again but Virender Sehwag scratched around to survive the evening hours on 29, while night watchman Irfan Pathan did better than his early-morning duty.

Earlier, in the morning, India ended their first stint at 330. Pathan knew he had a more important role to play with the ball. Sharing the new ball with RP Singh, the left-arm duo waged a C-fare against the left-handed openers and emerged quick-time winners too.

Within the eight overs the Indians bowled before lunch, Pathan trapped debutant Chris Rogers leg before wicket — though the latter was a touch unlucky to be ruled out. The ball had pitched on the leg and slid further.

Both Pathan and Team India are trying to make a comeback in this series. Pathan soon got a ball to move away from Phil Jacques who edged it to VVS Laxman at second slip. Not to be left behind, RP Singh almost did an encore with Michael Hussey at the receiving end and India literally, swung the match in their favour—12/1 became 13/2 and then 14/3, before Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke tried to restore some sanity.

That wasn’t to be. India’s plan for Perth worked just perfectly. The seamers were told to bowl like they would on Indian wickets, try and imagine the orange cones that guided their line and length during practice, keep the seam slanting slightly towards slip to get that extra movement away with the breeze and bowl up all the time, use the bouncer sparingly, and only to keep the batsman on the backfoot.

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