By IANS,
New Delhi : After losing two early wickets, India settled down to reach 67 for two at lunch on the first day of the third cricket Test against Australia at Feroz Shah Kotla here Wednesday.
New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) After losing two early wickets, India settled down to reach 67 for two at lunch on the first day of the third cricket Test against Australia at Feroz Shah Kotla here Wednesday.
Gautam Gambir (25) and Sachin Tendulkar (26) calmed the nerves in the Indian dressing room after prolific run-getters Virender Sehwag (1) and Rahul Dravid were back (11) in the pavilion with only 27 runs on the board after Kumble chose to bat on return to lead the side after missing the Mohali Test with a sore shoulder.
Australia, trailing 0-1 in the series after the Mohali battering, got rid of dangerous Sehwag early by Brett Lee and Dravid was enticed yet again by Mitchell Johnson into an indiscreet drive to be caught at second slip by Mitchell Johnson.
Lee and Stuart Clark, back after missing the second Test, bowled at a lively pace and on a good line in the first hour.
Clark, who replaced Peter Siddle, was particularly impressive giving away just five runs in his first spell of seven overs.
But it was Lee who got the breakthrough, in the third over, dismissing Sehwag legbefore with an incoming delivery. Lee generated good pace, though the line was not always perfect, and allowed Gambhir to flick to the mid-wicket fence.
Dravid, who had been going through a slump, found his feet moving as he elegantly drove Lee twice through cover and point. Dravid looked in good touch, but Australia had their plan for him. Pitching short with a short leg, Clark hit him on his shoulder as the batsman tried to sway.
A change in bowling though cut short Dravid’s stay as Mitchell Johnson, by far the best Australian bowler in the series, struck in his first over.
After having glanced Johnson for a boundary, Dravid perished in the same over driving a widish angled delivery. Mohali century-maker Gambhir batted with poise and concentration, smacking any loose delivery that came his way.
Gambhir and Sachin Tendukar mixed caution with aggression as they saw off the rest the session. Tendulkar looked in good touch as he hit four fluent fours, two off successive deliveries off Johnson.
India though might miss off-spinner Harbhajan as the Aussie tormentor pulled out with an injured toe.
India, thus will have two leg-spinners in Kumble and Amit Mishra, who had a sensational debut in Mohali.