Adelaide Test: Australia Fly High on Day One

By Denzil Fernandes
Daijiworld Media Network

Jan 25: Both captains of Australia, one former and one current, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke respectively took command of the Australian flight to victory as they steered and amassed runs at will against India in the fourth and final Test at Adelaide on day one.  As play ended, Australia had scored 335 runs for the loss of only 3 wickets with centurions Ponting (137 not out) and Clarke (140 not out) recording an unbroken partnership of 251 runs with plenty more to come.  Ponting and Clarke eclipsed the earlier record by Ponting and Steve Waugh for the fifth wicket in 1999-2000 which stood at 239 runs.

In the process, the Indians looked ill at ease with new skipper Virender Sehwag making a mess of field placements and chances being dropped especially in the slip cordon.

India lost the toss but did not start badly when they had two Aussie batsmen back in the hut within a span of 10 overs.  David Warner and off form Shaun Marsh were gone and young opener Cowan too fell quickly thereafter.  That was the best India could do when both Ponting and Clarke who joined together to hammer the bowler and post a record breaking total for the hosts.  Ponting also went on to become the first Australian player to cross 13056 runs and join India's Sachin Tendulkar (15,432) and Rahul Dravid (13,262).

There were plenty of records broken during the day as the Australians  piled up the runs.  On day two when play starts Ponting expects to score more along with Clarke and make life difficult for the Indians when they come in to bat.  There is still more batting left with Hussey and Haddin still  warming in the pavilion.  For that matter, it was a hot day in Adelaide and the Indians clearly showed their lethargy as the day progressed.  Spinner Ashwin did his bit but no other bowler seemed to have an impact on either Ponting or Clarke.  Ponting started in whirlwind fashion but cooled down in the latter part of his innings and notched his 41st Test century in great fashion. 

Ponting has always been one of the greatest batsmen ever to play cricket and he is likely to add up to his runs when he goes to the West Indies later in the year.  When in form, he has been a joy to watch and no bowler can take his wicket on his day.

Unless the Indians get a quick breakthrough when play starts on day two at Adelaide, there is nothing but misery for the Indians.  Skipper Sehwag has not been able to do anything special and his team has to contain the batsmen who will be looking for quick runs.  Both Ponting and Clarke are batting with authority and have been scoring runs at will.  With conditions perfect for batting, it looks like a long day two in Adelaide for the Indians.  Runs will flow easily and if one says that the Test is going like the earlier ones one should not be surprised. 

As far as the Indians are concerned, Adelaide has always been a favourite ground for them.  In the 2003-4 season they did win in Adelaide.  Some of the famous Indian players like Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Dravid and Laxman have recorded splendid achievements at the venue.  This time, however, nothing has clicked for the Indians at all.  Not a single batsman has managed to go past the century mark and all the three Tests played earlier have been a total surrender.

Aussie skipper Michael Clarke has already said that he wants to win with a clean sweep of 4 clear victories and nothing less than that.  His boys have risen to the occasion and played to win.  On the other hand, the Indian tourists have looked clearly out of sorts.  Like their results in England last year where they were thrashed by a loss of 4 Tests to nothing, the Australians are also keen to register a similar triumph against India.

As play resumes on Day Two of the Adelaide Test one hopes that the fortunes will change in favour of India.  If that happens, the scoreline will not bulge and the Indians can hope for a rare chance of a fightback.

But with both Ponting and Clarke determined to stamp their authority on the proceedings, there is very little that the Indians can hope in Adelaide.  With 335 runs already on the board, a big total is on the cards.  Unless of course Ashwin and Zaheer Khan decide to take things under control and give India a rare ray of hope in the Adelaide Test.