Bad weather mars proceedings

A score of 138 for three does notlend itself easily to arrive at conclusions. To pass a verdict on the match at this stage would require an astrologer’s skill and not cricketing insight. Yet, it can be said that India could have done better.

Not that the wicket was very quick or too bouncy. It had good pace and the ball did carry. More than the wicket, it were the conditions which favoured the fielding side. Sadly, for India, Venkatesh Prasad was off colour, limiting Tendulkar’s options. Srinath was his strike man and in shaving off the first two wickets in the first hour of the match itself, he had given India a huge advantage.

There was bounce for Srinath, movement off the wicket and his line was excellent. Greg Blewett may have thrown his wicket, playing a reckless hook shot but there were reasons for him to lose his calm as his brief eight-ball stay at the wicket was one of uncertain pokes at moving deliveries.

Justin Langer too had a similar experience, and at 28 for 2, Mark Waugh was walking into a major crisis: His side was inthe dumps and his own place in the side hung on what he did in this Test. He was in good nick, getting his wristy on-side shots going.

In the company of the ever-busy Michael Slater, Mark Waugh was on course to make the fortunes of his team and his own take a better turn. The Indian bowling, once Srinath finished his first spell, had very little sting left in it, though Anil Kumble was making the batsmen play him very carefully. And then, Agarkar stepped in.

Making the ball move both ways at a good pace, he had Mark Waugh failing to get his back down to a sharp in-cutter which trapped him in front of the wicket. It was a breakthrough which should make India feel that they still have the measure of the Australian batting.

The disappointing part of the day was the weather Melbourne did not see the sun make its appearance. The match started one hour, 40 minutes late and ended an hour and 10 minutes early. Despite these discouraging signs, Melbourne lived upto its Boxing Day tradition and a crowd of about50,000 came to see the opening day’s play.

Tomorrow too, the weather is not expected to be any better and a possibility of a full day’s play isn’t bright. To compensate for the loss of time, the play is scheduled to start half an hour early and end an hour late. Provided the weather relents as at the scheduled close of the day’s play, it was drizzling, the wicket was covered and silver gulls were having a rollicking time.

Scoreboard

Australia (1st innings):
Michael Slater batting (131b, 208m, 7×4) 64
Greg Blewett b Srinath (8b, 10m) 2
(dragged a rising delivery on to his stumps) Justin Langer lbw Srinath (28b, 37m, 1×4) 8
(beaten by in-coming movement)
Mark Waugh lbw Agarkar (110b, 120m, 1×4) 41
(beaten by a sharp incutter)
Steve Waugh batting (20b, 38m) 5
Extras: (1b, 7lb, 1w, 9nb) 18
Total: (for three wkts in 48 overs) 138
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Blewett), 2-28 (Langer), 3-123 (M.Waugh)
Bowling: Srinath 12-4-35-2 (nb4), Agarkar12-5-23-1 (w1), Prasad 8-1-34-0 (nb1), Ganguly 2-0-10-0 (nb4), Kumble 14-3-28-0