Classic Test cricket: Aust on top early but India claw back to gain ascendancy T1D1

Australia 5/224 (90ov, S Watson 101*, R Ponting 71, Z Khan 3/45) v India T1/2 D1/5 at Mohali.

A day of quintessential Test cricket.

First acknowledge Shane Watson, who rode his good fortune of being dropped at second slip from the second ball of the match to underpin Australia's modest 5/224 with 101*/279b (8x4) .

Then note how the match developed:

Session 1: 1/101, 28 ov
Session 2: 2/78, 29 ov
Session 3: 3/45, 33 ov.

Ricky Ponting's 71/124b (10x4) was the connoisseur's choice though Watson's persistence and extra 30 runs will count for more at the end.

The Indian fielding was sloppy at first - some of the batting legends were lead legged - but recovered when Suresh Raina ran out Ponting and took the wind out of Australia's sails.

Pragyan Ohja's slow left arm bowling spun occasionally and kept the visitors in something like check before Zaheer Khan came back in the last session to take a couple of vital wickets and give India the upper hand.

The wicket kept low, which doesn't augur well for the side batting last, and Ishant Sharma is injured so to stay in the game India will need to take the last five Australian wickets cheaply and use its batting firepower to post a competitive total, which IMO would be a lead of 150+.

Scorecard

Fox Sports report (inc video highlights)

Cricinfo Bulletin