He now has the most Test hundreds as captain
THE WAIT ENDS…The prolific Ricky Ponting led from the front to come up with a well-crafted century, his first in Tests played in India, on Thursday. Bangalore: Ricky Ponting exorcised the ghosts of the past during his jinx-breaking first Test hundred on Indian soil at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.
He guided counterpart Anil Kumble square on the off-side and his subsequent celebration simmered with aggression and belief.
At the conclusion of an engrossing first day’s play of the opening Test, Australia was 254 for four. Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, with the second new ball, restored the balance somewhat in the final over trapping Michael Clarke leg-before with a delivery that straightened.
Significantly, there was more than a hint of inconsistent bounce on day one.
The Aussie skipper made his decision to bat count. Ponting picked his tormentor Harbhajan Singh’s doosra — a back-of-the-hand delivery with the wrist moving from left to right — from his off-spinners, sent down by the use of the thumb, the index and the middle-finger.
Ponting batted with soft hands and decisive footwork. He was not pushing tentatively or rushing into his shots. The field was in when he danced down to Harbhajan and lofted him to the mid-wicket fence. From a psychological perspective, this was an important blow.
This was Ponting’s 36th Test century (123, 243b, 13x4); he now has the most Test hundreds — 16 — as captain.
The Indians tried several tactics — ’keeper M.S. Dhoni even stood up to paceman Zaheer Khan in the last session to prevent Ponting from jumping out or taking stance outside the crease — but the Aussie was solid and focussed. Perhaps Virender Sehwag’s under-rated off-spin — he did get a couple of deliveries to spin and bounce — could have been used earlier.
While it was his day, Ponting was a trifle fortunate after his hundred. Kumble’s caught-and-bowled appeal, which appeared legitimate, was turned down by umpire Rudi Koerzten after consultations with his colleague Asad Rauf. The decision could have been referred to the third umpire.
By the time Harbhajan finally got his man — Ponting succumbed to a marginal leg-before decision attempting to sweep a ball spinning into him — the Aussie skipper had made his statement.
Much earlier, the crowd was still drifting in when Matthew Hayden walked back. The left-hander is vulnerable to away deviation in the initial stages and Zaheer was spot on from over-the-wicket in the first over.
Simon Katich (66, 149b, 7x4) and Ponting steadied the innings. Katich is a tenacious southpaw with a flexible back-lift; importantly, the bat comes down straight. Katich’s footwork is efficient rather than flamboyant and he uses his strong wrists to generate power on the on-side. The Indians could have probed him more from round-the-wicket since he has a tendency to shuffle across.
At the other end, Ponting was locked in a fascinating initial duel with his other nemesis, Ishant Sharma. The young paceman tested him with a snarling yorker and almost won a leg-before shout with a precise off-cutter.
Ponting survived the phase, launched into a trademark pull against Ishant and then thumped the paceman through the covers. He was gradually growing in confidence.
There was some deviation due to the morning moisture for Zaheer and Ishant. Zaheer switched his line to the right and the left handers well and Ishant steamed in off a lovely, flowing straight run-up.
Katich had slices of luck; an edge off Zaheer did not carry to the slips and he was almost snaffled up by Gambhir at short-leg off Harbhajan. The seasoned campaigner consolidated and the left-right combination hurt the Indian attack.
Harbhajan’s line was not always in sync with his field. Kumble struggled to extract bounce. Consequently, his top-spinner, a key weapon in his repertoire, was not working.
The second-wicket pair had added 166 runs in 54.1 overs when Ishant, in a breezy spell from the BEML End, seamed one across Katich minutes before tea. An alert Dhoni pouched the edge.
The left-handed Michael Hussey (46 batting, 115b, 5x5) — put down early by Dhoni off Kumble — was otherwise organised and composed. The Indians will be seeking his scalp early on Friday.
Cameron White was handed his ‘Baggy Green’ cap in a simple ceremony prior to his debut on Thursday morning.
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