Better But Not Best

Australia finally squared a day with India in what has been a lop-sided series and looks almost certain to be 0-2 by tomorrow night.

In some ways, it was no surprise that they came back into the game once the mammoth 370 run partnership between Murali Vijay and Chet Pujara was broken. It often happens that partnerships of such magnitude are wonderful for the team when they are happening but lead to complacency for the following batsmen. In the middle session, India lost 7-103 after losing both openers just before lunch. Glenn Maxwell finished with the most wickets but was far from the best of the bowlers, consistently being hammered for five an over in a form of the game where three is the acceptable standard.

James Pattinson again bowled well in conditions which didn't suit him, not prepared, it would seem, to make excuses and go through the motions. Most fast bowlers do in India, so his ticker is a portent of just how good he may become if injury doesn't blow clouds across sunny days in which he will bother batsmen on all wickets. His dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar, whilst appearing soft, was part of a plan the Australians have worked to with Tendulkar. He can't resist turning the ball from just below to just above his hip but age has caught him, as Wade did today. It was a deserved reward for Pattinson. Even Lillee couldn't say that about India.

Doherty removes Ashwin

Xavier Doherty was Australia's best. Now that's a sentence I hadn't anticipated ever using in Test cricket but the truth is, he was. He flighted the ball and tried a few neat tricks and variations in pace, only coming undone when he pulled the ball down shorter. Each time he did, he was severely punished. In India, the mongoose is prepared for the cobra, so green Australian snakes are little problem when they step out of line ... or length. Even so, Doherty kept coming back, refusing to yield in the manner most Australian cricket fans - or is that cynics - forecast he would. His was the effort which kept Australia in the contest, conceding only 2.78 runs an over, whilst Maxwell's four wickets cost nearly twice as much per over.

With a session each, Australia started brightly with Warner taking three boundaries of Ashwin's opening over, sharing the new ball with top order destroyer from the first innings Kumar. Warner and Cowan both survived chances before Kumar had finished four overs. Kohli dropped Warner in the gully as he slashed hard at the ball. It flew quickly but should have been taken, arriving at waist height. In Kumar's next over, Cowan sent an inside edge to Dhoni who dropped it in a dive.

Kumar gave way to Harbhajan and gradually the two off spinners started to tighten the noose, until five maidens came in succession. Trying to break the shackles, Warner swept at the wrong length from Ashwin and was bowled around his legs. Judging from the extravagant reaction from the normally taciturn MS Dhoni, a plan had hatched for the Indians but Warner lay the egg.

Phil Hughes bowled by Ashwin
and out of his depth

Phil Hughes lasted just nine deliveries before he made an even worse attempt at sweeping Ashwin, partially gloved the ball and sent it onto his stumps. It was his second duck of the series and leaves him with 25 runs from 84 deliveries in four digs and out to the spinners in every innings. Bear in mind, he's been dropped twice as well. Ashwin has him three time and has begun a haunting which may develop the resonance of caught Guptil, bowled Martin. Those who scream righteously that I continually ignore Hughes summer of run scoring fun must answer the questions now, for where are the promised run mountains? A flawed technique, will inevitably lead to failure, especially against quality spin. Hughes is not a Test player.

Perhaps our top order has been taking advice in the art of the sweep from Matthew Hayden, who seems to be caught talking to anyone who will listen. If so, it isn't working.

While we quibble over the obvious, readers should remember that our next two series are against England and against this same bowling attack, Cook, Trott, Pietersen and Bell all scored centuries and Prior averaged over 50. Cook in fact scored three in the four Tests, also in India.

Shane Watson arrived and smashed Harbhajan straight for six but otherwise played safely until stumps. Cowan deserves to be commended for he seems to have finally found his feet and what's more, realised what they are used for. He even managed to crack away a few of those favourite square cuts that he tormented the South Africans with last November in Brisbane. He used his reprieve and the two hours that followed more as a wise man than a fool. He's an intelligent fellow. Australian cricket needs such as him.

There were worrying signs by the end. Harbhajan made the ball jump and buck several times but too much to catch the edge. Dhoni was bothered more by his efforts than the batsmen but such events can lodge like ticks and infest batsmen with all manner of ill-considered thoughts about the wicket. Best to play straight, stay on your feet and treat each delivery as it comes along. Most batsmen should be reminded before and during their innings that batting errors cause more than 80% of dismissals and the great bowlers won more of their wickets through smoke and mirrors than brilliant deliveries. Shane Warne took 708 Test wickets and even though he bowled the "Gatting ball" and the "Richardson ball" and the "Chanderpaul ball" and one or two others, less than ten of his wickets were down to an unplayable ball. Most were as a result of his ability to massage a batsman into mistake. It was fear of what might happen that caused their doubt, especially in his last few years when the flipper had gone back to Bud and all his variations were just the one ball, thanks to finger and shoulder surgery.

Even then, he was the best bowler in the world ... an assertion Sri Lankan's would argue over.

Back at Hyderabad, 192 behind, it's all to do for the Australians on the fourth day.

A fifth looks unlikely.