By IANS
Perth : Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid smashed half-centuries as India overcame first-session blues to score 177 for two wickets by the tea interval on the opening day of the third Test against Australia here Wednesday.
Tendulkar was batting on 59 and Dravid was on 52 as India made light of the loss of Virender Sehwag (29) and Wasim Jaffer (16) in the morning session after captain Anil Kumble had won the toss at the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA).
It was the first time in the series that Indian batsmen had negotiated a full session without losing a wicket.
Choosing to bat, India made a sedate start and were 74 for two at lunch. In the mid session, former captains Tendulkar and Dravid added 103 to India’s total. So far India’s two most experienced batsmen have raised 118 for the third wicket.
It is imperative for India, trailing 0-2 in the four-Test series, to put up a big total to enable their bowling attack, minus its spearhead Zaheer Khan, challenge the Australian batting line-up.
Sehwag, who came into the side in place of Yuvraj Singh, played a cameo while his opening partner Jaffer did only marginally better.
India scored at a reasonable rate of just over three runs per over while losing the openers in the two-hour session.
To the Indians’ relief, the WACA pitch did not have any demons as predicted in the media, especially after Australia opted for a four-pronged pace attack at Perth after 16 years.
Sehwag, wearing a bright red bandana under his new helmet, slashed outside the off stump time and again and missed the ball more often than he middled it. That, however, did not deter him from playing his strokes in much the same way he had scored the century against the Australian Capital Territory in Canberra last week.
Despite the fact that he was playing his first Test after a year, a period when he missed nine Tests, Sehwag took the fight to the opposition camp, playing a couple of blazing strokes.
Jaffer, on the other hand, preferred to give his partner most of the strike. The Mumbai batsman survived a loud appeal for caught behind off Michael Clarke. But, as the television replays showed, the ball had hit the right-hander’s arm guard.
Sehwag was the first to be dismissed (29) after smashing six fours in his 58-ball knock. The Delhi batsman’s flirtation outside the off stump led to his downfall as he tried to cut a Mitchell Johnson delivery but only managed a fine edge to wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist.
Sehwag and Jaffer put on 57 runs for the opening wicket. Soon, Jaffer (16) was also back in the dressing room, playing almost in the same fashion as Sehwag against pace spearhead Brett Lee. Gilchrist grabbed the edge.
Dravid, who opened the innings with Jaffer in the first two Tests, was back to his most productive No. 3 spot. He and Tendulkar ensured that there were no more casualties before lunch.
Australia conceded an unusually high 14 extras in the first session.
Dravid got a life soon after lunch when Michael Clarke at first slip juggled and dropped a straightforward catch off Brett Lee. The batsman, who had scored just one half-century in the first two Tests, was at 11 in India’s 85/2.
The former captain took full advantage of the reprieve and soon regained his composure. He and Tendulkar hit boundaries in successive overs from Shaun Tait, Lee and Mitchell Johnson.
Later, Dravid hit Andrew Symonds for two boundaries in three balls to reach his 51st half-century.
Tendulkar had earlier upper cut Tait for a four to reach the 49th half-century of his Test career.
Scoreboard
Third Test, Day 1, India vs. Australia, Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) Ground, Perth (Tea)
India (1st innings):
Wasim Jaffer c Gilchrist b Lee 16
Virender Sehwag c Gilchrist b Johnson 29
Rahul Dravid batting 52
Sachin Tendulkar batting 59
Fall of wickets: 1-57 (Sehwag, 16.4 overs), 2-59 (Jaffer, 19.2)
Bowling:
Brett Lee 12 1 49 1 (4nb, 1w)
Mitchell Johnson 14 5 28 1
Stuart Clark 11.1 3 25 0
Shaun Tait 9 1 43 0 (2nb, 1w)
Andrew Symonds 5 0 25 0
Michael Clarke 1 0 4 0
Umpires: Billy Bowden (New Zealand) and Asad Rauf (Pakistan)
Match Referee: Mike Procter (South Africa)