Wonder what India had for lunch after an indifferent first session on day one! In an inspired spell of bowling, Anil Kumble bamboozled the Australian batting order into stunned submission with a double five wicket haul. India's turnaround left Australia virtually on the backfoot and breathless for the better part of the second Test at the MA Chidabaram Stadium in Chennai ins weltering conditions.

It is amazing how an individual brilliance can have an infectiously positive effect on the team. As Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer marched their way to yet another century partnership, Sourav Ganguly must have rued losing the toss yet again. But Harbhajan Singh snapped up a tired Matthew Hayden for fifty-eight and then, Justin Langer for seventy-one. Australia never recovered from that loss as Anil Kumble unleashed his unnerving spin on a pitch that provided appreciable bounce. Australia lost all ten wickets for just ninety-nine runs,hurtling to an anti-climatic 235 in their first innings. Virender Sehwag then produced a gem of an innings that held fort India's comeback in the series. His pugnacious knock of 155, his seventh Test century, was a timely innings, one that took on significant proportions as Shane Warne pulled off a five wicket haul for the first time against India, a feat he deeply desired and one that he has finally achieved en route to overhauling Muttiah Muralitharan's Test wicket record of 532 wickets. It seems unfair that Mohammad Kaif has had to wait three long years before resuming his Test career with all the makings of a future Test captain. He has a sense of energy and purposefulness that reflected immensely in his batting of sixty valiant runs as he desperately fought dehydration. How valuable his presence was was justified by the fact that after his brief retirement, the Indian innings soon folded on a respectable 376.

A 141 run lead is bound to send more than just a few flutters in the opposition's dressing room. The Australians constitute a positive team who believe in making their luck and typically Adam Gilchrist decided to shoulder the responsibility of bailing Australia from an unforeseen situation by coming in to bat at one drop after the fall of Hayden who failed to sufficiently capitalize on the providence given by Parthiv Patel. Australia were nonchalantly reducing the deficit when Harbhajan and Kumble did an encore despite Damien Martyn's sublime century in the company of a defiant Jason Gillespie to set up an interesting target of 229. That rain chose to play spoilsport is a misfortune for India hoping to square the series at one all. Certainly the spectators have been denied a mouth-watering prospect on day five.
 

Despite this remarkable and certainly praiseworthy performance from the Indian team, their problems are far from resolved. It is literally an unpardonable sin to play with the specialist positions when the team really needs to put its best foot forward in order to be counted. Two positions that must always be held sacred are that of the opener's slot and a specialist wicketkeeper. Imperceptible is the fact that the selectors and management are unable to find a reasonably decent opener and equally unacceptable is that fact that the wicketkeeper is allowed to get away with at least one dropped catch a match. It is hard to be tough on a young, unassuming wicketkeeper whose diminutive stature invokes both, amusement and inspiration, as he faces the might of the bowling attack with guts aplomb. But that would shift focus. While it is handy to have a useful wicketkeeper-batsman, if the player holds onto the vital catches and takes on the stumping chances, especially those rarely gifted by the Australians, it does away the added pressure to chase more runs than necessary and that could significantly alter the course of the match. It is not easy to take every catch that come one's way but a wicketkeeper of international calibre is expected to hold onto regulation catches on a consistent basis and Parthiv Patel has had one too many. Perhaps he needs to take his mind off the pressure and retreat to revisit the basics. His hundred run partnership with Mohammad Kaif that altered the momentum for India shows that he is a determined individual and he can only come back a more resolute player.
 

The issue of opening the innings is not being dealt with the seriousness that the post demands. How is a team expected to perform wonderfully when the first most important measure is handled so dreadfully? While Akash Chopra did not enjoy the faith of his skipper, his being rested is perhaps the best option as it will give him the required breathing space because he is a player one hopes will make a more strong-minded comeback. Afterall it was the steady and consistent opening partnerships between Sehwag and Chopra that allowed India to play such a dominant role on tour to Australia earlier this year. The opener's slot demands a technically precise batsman. Yuvraj Singh had a dreadful start to his Test career as his weakness to chase the ball outside the offstump was badly exposed. He carries an aura of confidence about him but it would surely be misplaced at the moment. If he is as tough as nails as he appears, he will learn quickly from his mistakes and will come out stronger from the criticism. He does not need the added pressure to take his place in such a crucial opening position. His reputation in the one day version as a finisher a la Michael Bevan makes him a crucial ingredient and he could mould himself into another Adam Gilchrist batting lower down the order to give India a strong base and necessary impetus as and when the situation demands.

Virender Sehwag - A gem of an innings.