India Vs Australia
First Test Match, Mohali
Australia won the toss elected to bat first
Australia 224/5 (90 overs)
Day 1 Stumps
Brief lapses cost Australia dearly against India despite an unbeaten century to Shane Watson on the opening day of the first cricket Test at Mohali.
Dominant at 1-154, the tourists slid to a wobbly 5-224 by the close, losing traction from the moment Ricky Ponting (71) squandered his great start with a run out and was given a blunt send-off by Zaheer Khan, which caught the ire of the Australian captain.
Michael Clarke (14) fell to a loose attempt to cut Harbhajan Singh (1-69) in the shadows of tea, and their exits turned the last session into the most agonising of slogs for Watson (101no), twice grassed on his way to a second century in Tests and a third in as many innings on tour.
In addition to taunting Ponting, Zaheer (3-45) proved himself India's best and most resourceful bowler, moving both new ball and old as he had done in Mohali two years ago.
Fellow quick Ishant Sharma (0-49) had a day to forget, struggling badly with rhythm and no-balls before exiting the field midway through his eighth over with a knee complaint.
His fitness looms as the greatest cloud over Indian chances of winning the Test.
Fractionally late on an overpitched ball from Zaheer, Watson sliced to gully, where Virender Sehwag let the overhead catch burst through his fingers.
Despite having little or no bounce to help him, Zaheer made the best of it, and soon Simon Katich (six) inched too far across to be palpably lbw.
Ponting and Watson went neatly about their work, but the skipper was fortunate that Ishant was struggling badly, delivering seven no-balls in the session.
One over featured four illegal deliveries, including one that Ponting glanced into Dhoni's gloves, and 19 runs.
Watson again escaped dismissal when he edged Pragyan Ojha behind on 37 and Dhoni dropped it.
Lunching at 1-101, Watson and Ponting maintained their partnership for another 53 runs, before Ponting was caught out by the agile Suresh Raina, who threw the stumps down from midwicket.
No-one has been run out more often in Test matches than Ponting's 14 times, and the dismissal maintained a maddening run of ill-judged dismissals for a man who is trying to improve on two years of batting decline.
Ponting was so incensed by Zaheer's inflammatory reaction that he turned on his heels and remonstrated, making for an ugly scene reminiscent of so many matches between these two countries.
His mood would not have improved when vice-captain Clarke skewed Harbhajan to slip.
This left the door tantalisingly ajar for India despite blameless batting conditions, and Mike Hussey's lack of touch after his Twenty20 diversion in South Africa only enhanced the feeling that the home side were closing in.
Eventually Hussey (17, 76 balls) dropped his guard to be lbw to a sharp Zaheer inswinger, before Marcus North added to the trouble by shouldering arms and losing his off bail for a duck.
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine (one) appeared to touch Zaheer behind second ball, but any possible appeal was made moot when Dhoni let the chance slip.
Watson admitted Ponting's run out was the turning point of the day.
Score Card
Australia First Innings
Shane Watson - not out - 101(279)
Simon Katich - lbw b Z.Khan - 6(12)
Ricky Ponting - runout(S.Raina) - 71(124)
Michael Clarke - C R.Dravid - 14(39)
Michael Hussey - lbw Z.Khan - 17(76)
Marcus North - b Z.Khan - 0(6)
Tim Paine (wk) - notout - 1(14)
Bowling
Zaheer Khan - 45/3
Harbhajan Singh - 69/1
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