Indian Spinners Undone By Top Order

The Indian top order in the first Test was guilty ofplenty. No runs, no intent to score, looking unbelievably tentative and notproviding sufficient time for the team's spinners to relax between innings.

Relaxation is crucial but more important isphysiological recovery before they have to bowl long spells again. Time formuscles to recover, fluid levels to be replenished, sore feet to abate, spinningjoints to loosen before they start to think about batting let alone bowling asecond time.

Their top order is not providing them with enough timeto shower, let alone relax. They won't last if this continues or if they make itthrough the four Tests, they will not be effective.

Both spinners are returning from freshening breaks.Surgery to Harbhajan Singh and not too much cricket for Anil Kumble has them ingood shape for this series but the pressure they both bowled under in this Testwas incredible. They certainly have not been allowed to re-enter at their owntempo. Both men had the task of keeping the runs down and removing Australianbatsmen -- a combination which so rarely happens.

The Aussies love seeing off fruitless spells byopposition strike bowlers and it won't get any easier from here, so the Indianbatsmen have to take responsibility.

Their bowlers' spells will not get shorter, so therests in between must be larger. Both spinners are playing under hugeexpectations without a great deal of form under their belt.

Radio commentators have already questioned Kumble'sshoulder, saying he does not have his usual zip and rip. Unfair and harshbecause it is the variable bounce of wearing Indian pitches that provides therip for him. This pitch died and rarely spat at the batsmen's unsuspectingsplices which will never help his style.

Harbhajan came into his own during the second inningsbut Australia had no inclination to be patient. When they need to be, theleft-handers can continue to pad him away unless he develops a liking forbowling around the wicket.

One must mention the state of the pitch produced forsuch an important fixture. It was sub-standard and backfired on Indian cricketdue to losing of the toss. Someone in Indian cricket made a massive error ofjudgment regarding this pitch.

Did they underrate Shane Warne so badly, not know aboutthe quality reverse swinging skills of all the Aussie quicks or refuse torecognise the impressive performances of the Australian batsmen in Sri Lankaearly this year. Bad move.

The questions that I posed about the Australians haveall been answered emphatically. Glenn McGrath can finally say he is back to hisbest and actually mean it. He penetrated like a surgeon and never let up. Paceaccompanied the penetration and so did economy. A performance of the highestorder.

Warne was an admirable workhorse who never complainedduring his toil. He did not extract enough bounce to partner his sideways spinbut he will when he makes the relevant technical adjustments to his action.There is plenty more of him to come --look out. McGrath's dominance releasedpotential stresses from Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz who revelled inthe conditions provided.

Maybe once before has a Adam Gilchrist century beensecond fiddle. This Test saw the second time. The supreme composure on debut ofMichael Clarke, matched by flawless shot selection and the skill to executethem, had us focussed on the other end from the Aussie keeper for longer periodsthan ever before.

I have said Clarke has debuted two years later than heshould have. It has not hurt him at least, his absolute hunger for performancewas obvious. Batting at a time when a false shot could possibly be excused, henailed it. The bowlers were on a roll, the crowd in full voice and evencommentators contemplating a collapse and here Clarke began a long career. Thebest Test debut in the history of our Australian game with the bat.

PTI