Mohali Test - Honors even on first day

3 catches (2 dropped by MS Dhoni and one by Sehwag) would have impacted the first test match between India and Australia even more than the current score that shows the even status of the match after the first day. Compounding India's problems was the fact that first Ishant bowled badly and then hobbled out of the ground. It is quite a serious problem for India since the new ball is due and without Ishant there is no partner for Zaheer Khan in the morning tomorrow. Will Harbhajan be the other new-ball bowler? Probably.

Watson capitalized on the dropped catches and scored a century. Other than him, Ponting (also let off by an Ishant no-ball when MSD actually caught it!) scored a fifty and brought respectability to the Oz total. The only bowler who supported Zaheer Khan's heroics was Pragyan Ojha - he had bowled miserly even in the tour match. He bowled well without any wickets to show but on this pitch, he will be a handful on the latter days of the test match. Harbhajan got Clarke but that was more because of the batsman rather than the guile of the bowler.

The pitch is slow and the slower bowlers will enjoy it - not so much the Oz quicks. Hauritz should come to the party but he is also coming back from injury. Will the Indian batsmen capitalize? But firstly, they have to take the remaining 5 wickets.

1.5 sessions to both teams at the end of the first day - tomorrow's first session will be definitely interesting to watch.

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